211 Community Navigation Specialist

United Way Worldwide; Jacksonville (FL); Hybrid; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

United Way of Northeast Florida is seeking a Community Navigation Specialist to assist community members in identifying needs, navigating resources, and connecting to services. You will act as a trusted guide, delivering information, advocacy, crisis intervention, and coordinated access with professionalism, empathy, and cultural humility.

Responsibilities include handling intake, outreach, maintaining confidentiality, and collaborating with 211, Crisis Services, and other United Way programs.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED required; Associate degree preferred.
• Two years in human services or call-center environments preferred.
• Pass background check and pre-employment drug screening.
• Excellent oral and written communication; able to work under stress.
• Comfortable assisting diverse individuals with empathy and respect.

Responsibilities

• Assist community members in identifying needs and navigating resources.
• Provide information, advocacy, and crisis intervention as needed.
• Maintain confidentiality and adhere to program standards.
• Complete intake activities and collaborate with UWNEFL 211 and related programs.
• Conduct outreach and participate in cross-program service delivery.

Skills

Active listening

Empathy

Crisis intervention

Customer service

Communication skills

Education

High School diploma or GED

Associate degree or higher in Human Services

Tools

CRM systems

Resource databases

Telephony systems

Job description

Purpose of Position

Through active listening, problem-solving, and compassionate engagement, assist community members in identifying needs, navigating available resources, overcoming barriers to access, and connecting to appropriate services. Community Navigation Specialists serve as trusted guides who provide information, support, advocacy, crisis intervention, and coordinated access to community resources while demonstrating professionalism, respect, empathy, and cultural humility.

Community Navigation Specialists may be called upon to de-escalate stressful situations, support individuals experiencing emotional distress or crisis, conduct follow-up communications, complete intake activities for specialized programs, perform outbound calls, assist with resource database maintenance, and participate in community outreach and engagement efforts.

Key Responsibilities and Essential Functions

• Provide exceptional customer service as the first point of contact with United Way of Northeast Florida 211 by assisting community members in identifying needs, navigating resources, and accessing appropriate services.
• Maintain 100% compliance with United Way 211 policies, procedures, confidentiality requirements, and program standards.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and adherence to Inform USA standards, best practices, and ethical principles for community navigation and information and referral services.
• Maintain an average score of 85% or greater across all established individual performance metrics, including quality assurance, documentation accuracy, adherence, productivity, customer service, and other departmental performance measures.
• Establish clear and effective communication through active listening, empathy, cultural humility, and trauma-informed engagement techniques.
• Conduct all caller interactions in accordance with Inform USA standards, departmental protocols, and customer service expectations while maintaining professionalism, respect, and compassion.
• Accurately assess community member needs and engage in collaborative problem-solving to prioritize concerns, identify resources, and develop action plans without offering personal advice or opinions.
• Provide thorough, accurate, and appropriate navigation services, referrals, information, advocacy, and intervention to address identified needs.
• Assist community members in identifying practical next steps, overcoming barriers to service access, and developing realistic action plans to address immediate and long-term needs.
• Help community members address perceived barriers or challenges to obtaining assistance.
• Offer honest, accurate, and up-to-date information regarding available community services and programs. When requested services are unavailable or do not exist within the community, clearly communicate limitations and explore appropriate alternatives whenever possible.
• Use direct intervention and advocacy when needed and with the community member's consent.
• Conduct complete, accurate, and timely interviews while capturing all required information within designated contact center software systems.
• Complete documentation in accordance with organizational standards, funding requirements, quality assurance expectations, and Inform USA accreditation standards.
• Assist with maintaining accurate resource database information by identifying outdated, incomplete, or inaccurate records and communicating updates through established procedures.
• Respect and maintain client confidentiality and comply with all agency, state, federal, and program-specific privacy requirements.
• If a community member is experiencing a crisis, life‑threatening situation, or suicidal distress, utilize active listening, de‑escalation, and crisis intervention techniques to help the individual move from an emotionally reactive state to a calmer, more rational, and problem‑solving mindset whenever possible.
• Demonstrate the ability and willingness to effectively manage difficult, complex, emotional, or high‑risk interactions using accepted intervention techniques and principles.
• Follow up on navigation cases, program participants, or other inquiries as assigned.
• Develop and practice individual self‑care strategies to support personal wellness and resilience.
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning, quality improvement, coaching, and professional development through active participation in quality assurance activities, supervision, and training opportunities.
• Complete all required initial and ongoing training within established timeframes.
• Must maintain reliable high‑speed internet service capable of supporting all required job functions, including telephony systems, video conferencing, training, documentation, and other technology platforms utilized by United Way of Northeast Florida.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively utilize remote work technologies, including telephony systems, video conferencing platforms, customer relationship management systems, knowledge bases, and other software applications required to perform job duties.
• Participate in cross‑training and coordinated service delivery initiatives that support collaboration among Community Navigation (211), Crisis Services (988), Mission United, and other United Way programs.
• Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, adaptability, and collaboration when working with colleagues, community partners, and individuals seeking assistance.
• Demonstrate a commitment to United Way's vision, mission, values, and Code of Ethics in all interactions.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisory team.

These job responsibilities are to be the main emphasis of this position. As with every job at United Way, it is not possible to define jobs precisely. Should the need exist, every person in the organization will assist in any way necessary to assure an efficient and cooperative environment.

Experience and Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED required. Associate degree or higher in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology, Public Health, Behavioral Health, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience in human services, information and referral, community navigation, crisis intervention, behavioral health, call center operations, customer service, social services, community outreach, or a related field preferred.
• Ability to pass and maintain a Level 2 background check is required. This is a security background investigation requiring submitting fingerprints to be screened through state law enforcement agencies and the FBI for national criminal history records.
• Must pass pre‑employment drug screening.
• Demonstrated ability to engage individuals from diverse backgrounds with empathy, professionalism, cultural humility, and respect.
• Proficiency in oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of computers, telephony systems, software applications, resource databases, and other technology platforms required to perform job duties.
• Comfortable assisting individuals experiencing crisis, distress, emotional challenges, or complex social service needs.
• Ability to work effectively under stress while maintaining productivity, professionalism, and composure.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Demonstrated adaptability and willingness to embrace change.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, critical thinking, and effective assessment techniques.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while remaining accountable to team goals and expectations.
• Ability to effectively prioritize work and coordinate responsibilities with supervisory staff.
• Flexibility to work scheduled shifts within a hybrid work environment, including remote and in‑office responsibilities as assigned.
• Overtime may be required with supervisory approval.
• Staff members who drive on behalf of UWNEFL business must maintain a valid driver's license and current automobile insurance.
• Demonstrate alignment with United Way's core values and contribute positively to organizational culture.
• Actively participate in organizational initiatives and serve as a positive brand ambassador for United Way of Northeast Florida within the community.

General Physical Requirements for Essential Functions of the Job

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, carry, lift, speak and/or hear. Continual use of the hands with wrist and finger movement using a keyboard is required. Specific vision abilities required by this job include long hours viewing a computer monitor screen. The employee may occasionally travel using personal vehicle and/or work outside normal office environment.

This description is not designed to contain a comprehensive inventory of all responsibilities and qualifications required of all team members assigned to this position. It is intended only to describe the key elements related to each section. Also, duties and/or requirements of this position may be modified, added or deleted at any time. This supersedes all descriptions previously written for the same position. Unique equivalent skills and experience may possibly substitute for required position requirements.