Starting rate: $26.75 - $27.25 (higher rate for bilingual)

Schedule: Generally Monday through Friday (weekend and evening times as needed by families)

This position requires travel to Lowell, Worcester County, Middlesex County, Plymouth County, Norfolk County and Suffolk as well as occasional travel to DDS offices. 

The Person-Centered Services Navigator provides person- and family-centered navigation, service coordination, and individualized planning support for DDS-eligible children, young adults, and adults with autism, developmental disabilities, and/or complex support needs. This role supports individuals and families in accessing services, building skills, increasing independence, and participating more fully in home, school, work, and community life.

The Navigator supports families participating in the DESE/DDS Residential Diversion Program and Agency with Choice services by helping them understand program requirements, develop individualized service plans, coordinate approved supports, monitor service utilization, and connect with DDS, schools, providers, and community resources.

This is an outreach-based position that requires home office setup and travel throughout Eastern Massachusetts. The schedule is flexible and based on the needs of the individuals and families served, including weekdays, evening, and weekend hours as needed.

• Provide person-centered navigation, supports in a family-centered, culturally responsive, and aligned with DDS and agency requirements.
• Partner with individuals and/or families to identify strengths, needs, priorities, goals, and barriers related to service access, skill development, independence, and community participation.
• Develop, implement, and monitor individualized service plans, goals, budgets, and support strategies in collaboration with individuals, families, DDS staff, schools, providers, and other team members.
• Support families in understanding DESE/DDS, Agency with Choice, flexible funding guidelines, staffing models, documentation requirements and budget utilization.
• Assist families with identifying, arranging, onboarding, and sustaining approved staff and services, including Skills Trainers, respite, community integration supports, family training, professional supports, and other approved services.
• Maintain regular contact with individuals and families through phone, email, text, virtual meetings, home visits, and community-based meetings, with increased outreach during periods of transition, crisis, or service disruption.
• Support individuals and families in implementing individualized strategies that build skills, promote independence, strengthen routines, and increase participation across home, school, and community settings.
• Build trusting, respectful relationships with individuals and families to support engagement, service planning, and continuity of support.
• Assist individuals and families in identifying goals and practical strategies that support skill development, family capacity, community integration, and progress toward the individualized service plan.
• Support generalization of skills and strategies across home, school, and community settings by coordinating with families, caregivers, schools, and providers.
• Coordinate with DDS Service Coordinators, school teams, clinical providers, therapists, ABA providers, healthcare providers, and community resources to support consistent planning and reduce service fragmentation.
• Participate in IEP meetings, DDS meetings, Support Plan reviews, ISP meetings, case reviews, and team planning meetings as appropriate and with required consent.
• Provide responsive support during emergent or crisis situations, connection to clinical, psychiatric, behavioral health, emergency, school-based, or DDS supports as needed.
• Monitor service delivery, documentation, billing, budget utilization, expenditures, ancillary requests, and required program records to ensure compliance with DDS and agency expectations.
• Prepare and maintain required documentation, including service notes, contact logs, individualized plans, goal progress updates, budget materials, quarterly, mid-year, and year-end reports, indirect time forms, and other required DDS or agency documentation.
• Promote self-determination, informed choice, dignity, safety, inclusion, and the individual’s/family’s role as the primary decision-maker in service planning.
• Participate in supervision, team meetings, case consultation, training, and quality improvement activities
• Complete required documentation, service notes, indirect time forms, communication with DDS, and other paperwork in accordance with program and contract requirements.
• Attend training assigned; maintain necessary certifications (CPR, First Aid, Safety Care)
• Attend and actively participate in supervision and staff meetings.
• Ensure that individuals we support are treated with dignity and respect in accordance with Advocates’ Human Rights Policy.
• Perform all duties in accordance with the agency’s policies and procedures.
• Strictly follow all agency performance standards.

• Bachelor’s degree in human services, social work, psychology, education, special education, or a related field preferred. Equivalent experience supporting individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, and/or complex family support needs may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Experience working with individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, and/or complex family support needs.
• Knowledge of DDS services, DESE/DDS programming, Agency with Choice, family navigation, self-direction, IEPs, community-based support, and service coordination preferred.
• Strong understanding of person-centered planning, family-centered practice, self-determination, cultural responsiveness, and community inclusion.
• Strong communication, documentation, organization, problem-solving, and collaboration skills.
• Bilingual or multilingual skills are preferred.
• Must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and ability to use good judgment.
• Must have sensitivity to the needs of the population.
• Basic computer knowledge.
• Superior interpersonal skills and ability to function in a team atmosphere and independently.
• Must have valid driver’s license, car insurance, and access to auto.