Family Health Navigator for School Success

Indianapolis Public Schools; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health coverage

Retirement plans

Generous leave policies

Wellness programs

Job summary

ReNEW Schools in Indianapolis is seeking a Community Health Worker to support the families of students with chronic absenteeism. The role includes offering advocacy, education, and referrals to community services to help families navigate health resources.

Candidates should have strong communication skills and be able to work collaboratively with school staff and parents. This non-exempt position is essential to ensure families can engage and succeed in the educational environment.

Qualifications

• Preferred Bachelor’s Degree or extensive experience working with families and community organizations.
• Active insurance navigator licensure through the Indiana Department of Insurance required within three months of hire.
• Highly developed communications skills (written/verbal) and interpersonal savvy.

Responsibilities

• Expand and support social services for parents/caregivers of chronically absent students.
• Identify families who would benefit from CHW support.
• Advocate for the health and needs of the whole family.

Skills

Communication skills

Project management

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or extensive experience

Tools

Insurance navigation skills

Job description

WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

At IPS, we believe in the transformative power of education. We work collectively every day to prepare our students for success in the classroom and in life by providing equitable, high-quality educational experiences across our family of schools. IPS is a place to make an impact, grow your career, and ensure every student has access to a high quality education, all while earning a good living in a district on the move. While the work is challenging, it is deeply meaningful and impactful.We seek innovators and trailblazers who bring varying experiences and expertise and share our belief that every child deserves access to an exceptional education. As part of TeamIPS, you’ll create lasting connections, find a sense of belonging, and feel supported to make a meaningful difference in students’ lives.

In return, no matter your role here, we expect a commitment to excellence and accountability. You’ll be held to high standards. Resilience and passion are key—you must be adaptable, handling adversity with flexibility while putting students at the heart of everything you do. Ethical conduct, clear communication, and mutual respect are fundamental. Being a dependable, collaborative team player who builds meaningful relationships is essential.

Together, we are Proving What’s Possible by building a community where everyone belongs and each student has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

A Career in IPS Offers…

Purpose and Impact:

• Essential Contributions: In every non-teaching and non-leadership role, your work directly supports the success of IPS students and schools. Whether you’re maintaining facilities, providing student services, or managing administrative operations, you play a key part in ensuring an equitable and high-quality educational environment.
• Belonging and Community: IPS is a place where every employee is valued. You’ll join a supportive community that promotes respect, teamwork, and a shared commitment to serving students and families.

Professional and Personal Growth:

• Training and Development Opportunities: IPS offers a variety of training programs to help staff build new skills and grow professionally. This includes access to development opportunities for administrative, technical, and operational roles, as well as pathways to becoming a certified teacher.
• Skill Enhancement: Whether you’re new to your role or seeking to deepen your expertise, IPS provides resources and support for continuous improvement.

Comprehensive Compensation and Benefits:

• Fair Compensation: IPS ensures competitive wages and regularly reviews pay structures to maintain equity.
• Extensive Benefits Package: Employees enjoy comprehensive health coverage, dental and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement plans. Additional financial benefits include flexible spending accounts and eligibility for federal loan forgiveness programs.

Work-Life Balance and Well-being:

• Generous Leave Policies: IPS offers vacation, personal, and sick leave, along with paid holidays. Twelve-month employees benefit from floating holidays, and unused personal leave rolls into the sick leave balance.
• Wellness Programs: IPS prioritizes staff well-being with access to wellness initiatives, including health screenings and an employee assistance program for confidential support and counseling.

What We Expect:

• Professionalism and Reliability: Every role at IPS is vital to the district’s success. We expect staff to demonstrate professionalism, dependability, and a commitment to providing excellent service to students, educators, and families.
• Collaboration and Communication: IPS values teamwork. Working collaboratively with your colleagues ensures a supportive environment for all. Clear communication and mutual respect are key to maintaining this culture.
• Flexibility and Problem-Solving: As a large, dynamic district, IPS needs staff who are adaptable and proactive in solving problems to meet the ever-changing needs of students and schools.

JOIN US!

Indianapolis Public Schools is more than a workplace; it’s a community where purpose, impact, and belonging come together to help Prove What’s Possible – in your career and in your school. If you’re ready to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and make a meaningful impact, IPS is the place for you.

SUMMARY OF OPPORTUNITY:

The district community health worker (CHW) will work to expand and support social services for parents/ caregivers of chronically absent students. This will include informal coaching, education, and advocacy alongside parents/ caregivers, as well as appropriate referrals to available service providers and community resources.The Community Health Worker (CHW) is responsible for helping families navigate and access community services, insurance, health resources, and adopt healthy behaviors to allow their students to succeed in the school setting.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

The grant for this role ends at the end of the 26/27 School Year.

The following outlines what your core duties and responsibilities will be for this position and provides a sample overview of what your day-to-day may look like.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

●Work with school administration and social workers to identify families who would benefit from working with the CHW to support the whole family and improve the attendance of chronically absent students.

●Attend all required trainings and group meetings

●Coordinate with parents/ caregivers, school staff, and service providers and maintain open and clear communication

●Help families set personal health related goals and attend appointments.

●Help families connect with transportation resources and provide appointment reminders as needed

●Follow – up with families via phone calls, home visits and visits to other settings when needed

●Provide ongoing follow-up, basic motivational interviewing, and goal setting with families.

●Maintain an accurate written record of connections and meetings with families

●Assists in organizing parent groups to help parents ensure their children succeed in school.

●Collects, uses, and communicates data useful within programs and activities.

●Develops and maintains resources for parents and provides necessary referral information

●Maintain and update an inventory of partners and the services they provide

●Develop and implement family engagement events and activities with school staff and service providers that focus on the whole family

●Provides Insurance navigation services for families

●Maintains evaluation and data tracking requirements for grant reporting.

●Advocate for the health and needs of the whole family

WHAT YOU’LL BRING: SKILLS AND MINDSETS:

As an ideal candidate for this role, you will be able to achieve the following:

●Highly-developed communications skills (written/verbal) and interpersonal savvy

●Results/action-orientation; project management skills

●Racial equity mindset and other critical indicators related to DEI

●Organizational agility; developed negotiation skills

●Unquestionable personal code of ethics, integrity, diversity and trust

●Able to successfully navigate within varying degrees of ambiguity in a fast-paced environment

●Strong strategic analysis skills

●Ability to be creative in developing alternatives to meet IPS Instructional needs

●A track record of developing and maintaining strong working relationships with and among a diverse group of actors

●Excellent communication skills and strong analytical and writing capabilities

●Close attention to detail coupled with the ability to exercise good judgment

●Strong organizational, oral and written communication, and interpersonal skills

●Proactive nature; able to anticipate conflicts before they arise

●Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively

●Ability to execute meetings, calls, and emails with professionalism, courtesy, and accuracy

●Personal qualities of maturity, humility, strong work ethic, sense of humor, and diligence

●Ability to effectively allocate and prioritize time to several tasks to ensure completion of all

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s Degree preferred or extensive experience working with families and community organizations.
• Active Insurance navigator licensure through the Indiana Department of Insurance or successful passing of the exam and licensure obtained required within three months of hire.

FLSA CLASSIFICATION:

Non- Exempt

ELIGIBILITY FOR REMOTE WORK:

Not eligible

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements 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 individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand and walk. The employee is occasionally required to sit; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

EEOC STATEMENT:

Indianapolis Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, will not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, homelessness or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations, or ordinances. Indianapolis Public Schools does not tolerate any form of retaliation or bias-based intimidation, threat, or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.

DISCLAIMER:

Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the above representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This job description is illustrative only, and is not a comprehensive list of all essential functions and duties performed by the occupant of this position. Factors such as regular and punctual attendance are not routinely listed in job descriptions, but are an essential function.