Pathways Navigator (Case Management)

Job Title: Pathways Navigator (Case Management) 

Reports to: Senior Director of Programs + Operations 

Job Status: Exempt, salaried, full-time 35 hrs/week  

Location: Hybrid – in-office Fairfax 

Well-qualified applicants should send cover letter and resume to Dawn Sykes at dsykes@britepaths.org.

Click Here for the Full Job Description

Available Benefits

Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid Vacation/Sick Time/Family Medical Leave, 403b Match, Flexible Schedule, Telecommuting

Role Summary 

The Pathways Navigator serves as a vital central architect of a neighbor’s journey from crisis to lasting prosperity, recognizing that structural barriers—not a lack of talent or drive—hold people back. Operating as a primary case manager, service coordinator, and advocate within the Britepaths ecosystem, this individual functions as a strategic partner who matches neighbor goals with internal programs and critical external resource providers. Rather than delivering direct coaching or managing a program, this role unifies the individually tailored care continuum. Utilizing asset-based, person-first language, the Navigator ensures that households receive seamless access to stabilizing aid, transforming complex community networks into a reliable runway for upward economic mobility. 

Key Responsibilities 

Neighbor Navigation + Intake (Year-Round) 

  • Serve as the welcoming primary touchpoint for neighbors seeking assistance, establishing immediate trust through dignified engagement and relationship-building. 
  • Conduct intake to discover neighbor needs and strengths while accurately detailing the initial neighbor profile and benchmarks tracker. 
  • Provide precise navigation and resource connections across food, financial empowerment, workforce development, supports for children, and broader community services. 
  • Maintain timely, accurate, comprehensive, and strength-based case notes and progress records within Apricot CRM. 

Food Program + Pantry Support (Year-Round) 

  • Process incoming referrals for the Emergency Food Support Program. 
  • Connect with neighbors enrolled in other Britepaths initiatives to offer supplemental pantry resources. 

PATHS Forward Program Coordination 

  • Support the PATHS Forward framework—unifying ongoing food assistance, financial empowerment, and workforce readiness—by tracking neighbor participation and sending timely workshop prompts. 
  • Schedule logistics for gift card distributions and directly register neighbors for financial coaching, educational workshops, or workforce tracks. 
  • Evaluate progress continuously to layer in external community resources as goals evolve. 

 Financial Empowerment + Workforce Support 

  • Collaborate directly with workforce and financial empowerment program leads to identify neighbors who would benefit from deeper structural supports. 
  • Collect and log vital longitudinal tracking data compiled by volunteer mobility coaches directly into Apricot CRM.

Seasonal Initiatives 

BriteHarvest (Spring/Summer/Fall) 

  • Inform neighbors on how to maximize fresh produce vouchers through participating local farmers’ markets. 

Back to School (Spring/Summer) 

  • Log program tracking data from the Secret Garden and SNAP Gap Pantry into Excel and database systems. 

Winter Break Assistance (Fall/Winter) 

  • Help create and refine the digital Winter Break Assistance application survey. 
  • Conduct proactive phone outreach to neighbors to verify and update vital contact information. 
  • Manage community inquiries, assess program match requirements, and navigate neighbors toward internal seasonal assistance or partner networks. 

Required Skills and Abilities 

 Asset-Based + Trauma-Informed Engagement 

  • Active Listening + Communication: Demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills alongside active listening to capture neighbor goals and systemic challenges without judgment. 
  • Team Collaboration: Exhibit excellent interpersonal skills, thriving as an active part of a team and collaborating easily with diverse, cross-cultural groups. 
  • Trauma-Informed Care: Apply trauma-informed care principles to recognize the impacts of financial trauma while prioritizing neighbor safety and agency. 
  • Bilingual Fluency: Communicate effectively in English (proficiency required for complex casework and documentation) with a preference for bilingual fluency in Spanish to serve our multilingual community. 

Strategic Thinking + Problem-Solving 

  • Strategic Problem-Solving: Use strategic thinking to creatively map community networks and identify alternative pathways when primary resources are limited. 
  • Growth Mindset: Maintain self-motivation and a growth mindset, demonstrating a strong willingness to ask questions, learn new processes, and pursue ongoing professional development. 
  • Dependable Work Ethic: Possess a reliable, proactive work ethic capable of managing tasks independently with minimal guidance or supervision. 

Technical Proficiency + Detail Focus 

  • Database Navigation: Navigate databases comfortably, with preferred prior experience utilizing Client Management Databases or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms like Apricot. 
  • Digital Workflows: Maintain high proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook) and Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive) for scheduling and real-time collaboration. 
  • Planning + Organization: Maintain a detail-oriented focus with excellent planning skills to coordinate multiple active seasonal and year-round neighbor programs simultaneously without losing accuracy. 
  • Internal + External Presentations: Utilize professional presentation skills to convey program information, update internal teams, and engage external community partners clearly. 

Education and Experience 

  • Required: High school diploma. 
  • Preferred Education: Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Public Health, Psychology, or a related field. Equivalent professional social work experience is highly valued and may substitute for a degree. 
  • Crisis Support: 1–3 years of experience assisting individuals from diverse backgrounds during crisis situations. 
  • Technical Knowledge: Strong working familiarity with trauma-informed care, Housing First principles, and case management best practices. 
  • Local Knowledge: Familiarity with Fairfax County human service providers, systems, and Continuum of Care network, and broader familiarity with regional Northern Virginia communities preferred. 
  • Teamwork: Proven track record of thriving within goal-driven, collaborative team environments.