Foster Care Liaison - Care Navigator

Meridian of Illinois; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 32,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K and stock purchase plans

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Centene is seeking a Foster Care Liaison to support Illinois YouthCare Plan initiatives. This role blends care coordination, education, and stakeholder engagement to help families access services and improve outcomes.

The position requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field and at least 2 years in social services, with on-site and remote work elements and regular DCFS interactions.

Qualifications

• For Illinois YouthCare Plan: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field plus 2+ years in social services.
• For Foster Care Liaison roles: on-site duties with DCFS staff and stakeholders; education/training duties.

Responsibilities

• Evaluates member needs and barriers to care and recommends effective plans.
• Develops or contributes to personalized care/service plans with providers.
• Provides psychosocial and resource support to members, caregivers, and care managers.
• Coordinates between members, families and care providers to ensure timely access to services.
• Monitors progress toward goals and collaborates with healthcare providers as needed.
• Maintains member information to ensure regulatory compliance.
• May perform on-site visits and provide education to care managers and families.

Skills

Care coordination

Education & training

Community outreach

Interpersonal skills

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Nursing, Health Behavioral Science or equivalent experience

Job description

Position Purpose:

Develops, assesses, and coordinates care management activities based on member needs to provide quality, cost-effective healthcare outcomes. Develops or contributes to the development of a personalized care plan/service plan for members and educates members and their families/caregivers on services and benefit options available to improve health care access and receive appropriate high-quality care through advocacy and care coordination.

Key Details:

This position combines remote work-from-home work with approximately 25% local travel for local Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and Child Welfare Contributing Agency (CWCA) office visits in northern Cook County. Unlike traditional Care Navigator roles, Foster Care Liaisons function in a unique, hybrid capacity that blends operational support, care coordination, stakeholder training, and community relations responsibilities. They serve as regional relationship managers, educators, problem-solvers, and ambassadors for YouthCare. Preference will be given to applicants who reside within Cook County, IL (especially those near Maywood, Hillside, Deerfield, Lincolnwood, Arlington Heights, Evanston, Niles, Elmhurst). The training schedule is Monday-Friday 8-5 pm and main schedule is Monday-Friday 8-4:30 pm or 8:30-5 pm CT (30 minute lunch) with some weekend events.

• Evaluates the needs of the member, barriers to care, the resources available, and recommends and facilitates the plan for the best outcome
• Develops or contributes to the development of a personalized care plan/service ongoing care plans/service plans and works to identify providers, specialists, and/or community resources needed for care
• Provides psychosocial and resource support to members/caregivers, and care managers to access local resources or services such as: employment, education, housing, food, participant direction, independent living, justice, foster care) based on service assessment and plans
• Coordinates as appropriate between the member and/or family/caregivers and the care provider team to ensure identified care or services are accessible to members in a timely manner
• May monitor progress towards care plans/service plans goals and/or member status or change in condition, and collaborates with healthcare providers for care plan/service plan revision or address identified member needs, refer to care management for further evaluation as appropriate
• Collects, documents, and maintains all member information and care management activities to ensure compliance with current state, federal, and third-party payer regulators
• May perform on-site visits to assess member’s needs and collaborate with providers or resources, as appropriate
• May provide education to care manager and/or members and their families/caregivers on procedures, healthcare provider instructions, care options, referrals, and healthcare benefits
• Other duties or responsibilities as assigned by people leader to meet the member and/or business needs
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.

Education/Experience

• For Illinois YouthCare Plan only: Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Nursing, Health Behavioral Science or equivalent experience. 2+ years of experience working within a social service agency and/or advocacy environment. Must reside in Illinois.
• For Illinois YouthCare Plan Foster Care Liaison Roles only: Will be stationed on-site and hosted by DCFS Regional Offices throughout the State to provide administrative coordination with DCFS staff and stakeholders. Will be available during regular work hours to communicate with and to provide education and training to DCFS staff and stakeholders regarding managed care, and to engage in immediate problem resolution with Contractor's administrative staff. Will ensure that issues or barriers reported to a liaison must be addressed and the resolution communicated to appropriate DCFS staff or stakeholder.

Pay Range: $22.94 - $38.79 per hour

At Centene, we connect people to the care they need to live healthier lives - and the work you do here makes that impact real every day. You'll take on meaningful challenges that directly support individuals, families, and communities, building your skills while making healthcare more accessible and effective. It's work with a purpose you can see, backed by a team committed to improving lives well beyond the workday.

Centene offers a comprehensive benefits package including: competitive pay, health insurance, 401K and stock purchase plans, tuition reimbursement, paid time off plus holidays, and a flexible approach to work with remote, hybrid, field or office work schedules.

Actual pay will be adjusted based on an individual's skills, experience, education, and other job-related factors permitted by law, including full-time or part-time status. Total compensation may also include additional forms of incentives. Benefits may be subject to program eligibility.

Centene is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, and values the ways in which we are different. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with the LA County Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act