Reentry Navigator

Position Overview

The Reentry Navigator plays a crucial role in supporting individuals transitioning from incarceration back into the community within Harris County. This position focuses on providing direct assistance, guiding clients to necessary resources, aiding in discharge planning, and facilitating connections to community-based services. The Navigator works with individuals both before and after their release, educating them about available support systems, identifying individual needs and potential obstacles, coordinating referrals, scheduling appointments, and ensuring access to community programs. Assignments may be tailored to specific populations or reentry service areas based on operational requirements. The role emphasizes respectful, responsive, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive communication with clients, correctional staff, service providers, government agencies, and community partners. A key aspect of the role involves identifying and reporting population-specific needs, service challenges, and resource deficiencies through appropriate channels, while meticulously maintaining client records and program documentation.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Facilitate specialized release planning and coordinate housing-related referrals and community support for individuals facing homelessness or housing instability to ensure a secure and stable transition.
• Provide comprehensive reentry support, transitional planning, resource navigation, and release preparation assistance for individuals exiting the Joint Processing Center.
• Conduct thorough assessments to identify client needs and barriers, assisting with discharge planning for those requiring community services, specialized referrals, or coordinated release support.
• Educate incarcerated individuals and reentry clients on approved community resources and facilitate service connections prior to their release.
• Coordinate access to a wide range of community resources, including housing, employment, education, healthcare, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, transportation, identification acquisition, benefits enrollment, family services, legal aid, parole, and child protective services.
• Assist clients in completing necessary forms, applications, and documentation for reentry services, identification, benefits, housing, employment, healthcare, legal assistance, and other support needs.
• Schedule appointments and coordinate referrals with community partners, service providers, government entities, advocacy groups, and other external agencies to support release preparation and continuity of care.
• Act as a liaison between incarcerated individuals, reentry clients, correctional staff, facility management, courts, legal counsel, parole officers, healthcare providers, community organizations, advocacy groups, consulates, and immigration agencies.
• Foster respectful, responsive, trauma-informed, and culturally competent communication among all stakeholders, including clients, staff, service providers, and external partners.
• Conduct regular rounds in assigned areas to disseminate resource information, address inquiries, facilitate communication, and provide support for reentry-related needs.
• Address electronic requests, staff referrals, agency inquiries, client questions, and program-related requests promptly and professionally.
• Organize and manage reentry-related activities such as program transfers, housing unit movements, special releases, service appointments, agency visits, resource groups, educational sessions, and special events.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of community resources, including eligibility criteria, referral processes, contact details, service availability, and admission procedures.
• Collaborate with community organizations and partner agencies to understand service offerings, identify gaps, enhance referral pathways, and improve client access to services.
• Meticulously track and document client interactions, referrals, service connections, appointments, releases, housing changes, agency contacts, program participation, grant data, and other program activities in compliance with departmental policies and reporting requirements.
• Generate and review routine reports, statistical summaries, correspondence, participation confirmations, certificates, program overviews, and other assigned documentation.

Assignment-Specific Responsibilities

Depending on operational needs, the Reentry Navigator may be assigned to support specific populations or reentry service areas. These may include, but are not limited to, older adults, pregnant or postpartum individuals, individuals with disabilities, veterans, individuals with immigration-related needs, those experiencing homelessness, individuals in designated reentry units, or those requiring specialized release coordination. Responsibilities in these assignments could involve identifying individuals needing extra support, conducting detailed needs assessments focusing on barriers and immediate needs, assisting with referrals to specialized services, coordinating release plans for complex cases, helping individuals obtain essential documents, liaising with specific service providers and agencies, providing information within specialized housing areas, tracking specific reentry activities, maintaining knowledge of population-specific resources, and reporting critical needs or gaps to supervisors.

General Information

This position operates in a professional office setting and routinely uses standard office equipment. The role is primarily sedentary, with the ability to lift up to 10 pounds for moving files or documents. This is a full-time position, typically working Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., though hours may adjust based on departmental needs. Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity and inclusion.