General Description

The Navigation Specialist role focuses on four key areas:

- Intake, referral, and navigation processes
- Implementation of new processes in response to new Family Resource Network (FRN) funding requirements
- Continuous improvement of current practices (as defined in MCHB’s FRN funding contracts)
- Coordinating MCHB’s General Intake processes with other elements of the organization, including reception, CI intake, mental health intake, and other programs that are not well connected to intake
- Relationship building with FRNs in the Edmonton Area and rural FRNs across the province, FRN Resource Banks, as well as other community organizations/associations
- Reflective practice support for Intake and other teams, as required.

The role is funded through MCHB’s Intercultural Family Resource Network Hub and Rural Multicultural Supports Project.

In addition, they will share other duties to support MCHB’s FRN contracts, as they arise and within capacity.

The Navigation Specialist will work in close collaboration with the General Intake team, program intake teams, FRN Coordinators & Executive Director(s) in each of these four areas.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Specialist Duties:

- The Navigation Specialist role is a new and exploratory role that bridges multiple teams within the organization. As such, a primary responsibility will be further development of the role in collaboration with the intake teams and coordinators.
- Support a review of intake, referral, and navigation processes to implement new elements required by funding grants and to enhance current practices.
- Build strong internal relationships, including intake teams, coordinators, and cultural brokers.
- Build relationships with key community partners (including other FRNs, FRN Resource Banks, settlement agencies, and other community agencies) to support navigational capacity
- Reaching out to FRN Hubs to schedule meetings and build relationships with their intake teams (Edmonton Area and across the province)




- Reaching out to and building relationships with FRN Resource Banks (AHVNA, Centre for Sexuality, Connect Society, and Family Centre)
- Support navigation and decision-making related to referrals with complex needs to ensure suitable support for families in a responsive manner. This can include situations of families facing eviction or fleeing family violence.
- Participate in weekly Intake Triage meetings to seek and provide decision-making support in complex situations.
- Support regular team meetings and reflective practice support for the intake and other relevant teams.
- Use of the Intake and Client database apps, including using aggregated reports to support quality assurance.
- Ensure confidentiality of the families is respected and always upheld.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

- Understand and be able to work & relate to others in accordance with co-operative principles and values (democracy, equity, mutual care, mutual support, solidarity, honesty and self-awareness).
- Demonstrate thoughtful, considerate and prompt support to all involved in intake, referral, and navigation processes.
- Relationality – initiative in building relationships internally and externally and ability to work relationally, rather than “positionally”.
- Work co-operatively with colleagues in a way that leads to genuine teamwork.
- Knowledge and awareness of programs and services relevant to families within immigrant, refugee and newcomer communities, including emergency and formal supports (e.g. income support).
- Demonstrate the capacity to capture,



monitor and analyze information and data for reporting and caseload management purposes.
- Proficiency in MS Office – Word and Excel; virtual applications such as Zoom and Teams; experience with Office 365 is an asset.
- Contextual thinking, recognizing how both overall environment/eco-systems shape possibilities, as well as how actions in one area can impact other areas, both in terms of families and in terms of internal organizational development.
- Participate in staff meetings, training programs, workshops as required.
- Possess the ability to adjust to changing workloads, competing priorities and can work under pressure.
- Possess critical thinking skills and ability to work independently.
- Able to build relationships with partner organizations
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbally
- Cultural sensitivity to other beliefs, traditions and customs of families and intercultural capacity in working with colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds
- Understanding of the Cultural Brokering practice is considered an asset
- Ability to work in situations of ambiguity and to be able to rest in “not-knowing” who is right and who is wrong
- Additional languages are an asset
- Lived experience of the immigrant experience is an asset

Education and Experience

- Bachelor’s degree in a Human Services field, such as Human Ecology or Social Work, is a requirement for this position
- 3-5 years’ experience working in Alberta’s social services sector
- Experience working with families and familiarity with social service systems in Canada
- Intake and referral experience is considered an asset

Submit your resume and cover letter or direct any questions to Molly Wu at [email protected] or (phone hidden).

The posting will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

Pay: $20.00-$25.00 per hour

Expected hours: 37.5 per week

Benefits:

- Dental care
- Flexible schedule
- In office parking

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Edmonton, AB T5H 0T7

📌 Navigation Specialist (North Central Edmonton)
🏢 Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative
📍 North Central Edmonton