About Think of Us
Think of Us (TOU) is transforming the child welfare system into one where young people and families can heal, develop, and thrive. We drive purpose-driven work aligned with meaningful systems change, powered by data and the insights of lived experience. Our focus is on prevention, keeping families strong before crisis, and on building kinship-first systems so children grow up with people they know and trust. Through bold collaborations with leaders and innovators across the public and private sectors — from Presidential Administrations to local providers — we identify leverage points and co-create solutions that re-architect child welfare for the future.
Here’s what this looks like:
- Built the Lived Experience Engine into the largest dataset of its kind (51,000+ voices), powering AI tools and shaping reforms
- Partnered with California to launch the Kinship Accelerator in 8 counties, backed by $150M and a budget increase from $317M → $896M
- Drove a national kin-first shift: 39 states (plus 5 tribes) adopting kinship standards, unlocking $3B for families
- Operate one of the largest direct resource networks, connecting 1,827 families to $28M+ in support
Our team members share a commitment to driving systems change through creative problem-solving, obsessive curiosity, and a love of quickly driving innovative, measurable, and impactful results.
Position Overview
Department: Programs & Services - Direct Services
Reports to: Senior Manager, Direct Services
Direct Reports: N/A
Location: Remote, California
Category: Full-Time, Exempt
Think of Us is building a new kind of direct service practice — one that is human-centered, technology-enabled, and designed from the start to generate the intelligence needed to change systems at scale. The Care Navigator is a founding practitioner in that model.
Where a Community Responder opens the door, the Care Navigator walks through it with you. This role is defined by sustained, relationship-based navigation — holding TAY and kinship families in California through the full arc of their journey, not just the first moment of contact. The Care Navigator carries complex, evolving caseloads, goes deep on individual circumstances, and stays present through transitions, setbacks, and progress over time.
This is not traditional case management. The Care Navigator is a practitioner, a knowledge generator, and a co-designer — someone who delivers high-quality direct support while simultaneously helping codify what a 21st-century digital navigation practice actually looks like. Working within an emerging digital practice model, Care Navigators leverage technology-assisted intake, smart follow-up workflows, and real-time data tools — while keeping the lived experience and voice of the people they serve at the center of every interaction.
We make it a priority to welcome those who have personal and/or professional experience with the child welfare system as a core value of Think of Us.
Key Responsibilities
The Care Navigator's work moves through four interconnected practice areas — from first contact to sustained support to the systems intelligence that makes this work replicable at
scale.
Engagement
How the Care Navigator finds, reaches, and builds the trust that makes everything else possible.
- Serve as a consistent, trusted point of contact for TAY and kinship families — building ongoing relationships that extend well beyond a single interaction or referral cycle, and meeting people where they are through phone, text, email, and digital platforms.
- Build and sustain relationships with California community partners to enable warm referrals and collaborative problem-solving on behalf of the families we serve.
- Deploy micro-cash grants strategically as an engagement and stabilization tool — using these touchpoints to deepen trust, reduce barriers to participation, and capture structured data on family need.
- Activate crisis support protocols when needed — leveraging ConnectMe to identify appropriate resources and coordinate with relevant partners to ensure timely, stabilizing care.
Assessment
How the Care Navigator develops a clear, evolving picture of who someone is, what they need, and where they are in their readiness to move forward.
- Conduct comprehensive, Motivational Interviewing-informed needs assessments using ConnectMe's smart intake tools — grounding every assessment in trauma-informed, culturally responsive practice and building a personalized picture of each person's situation, priorities, and goals.
- Recognize and respond to change talk — reading where an individual is in their readiness to engage and adjusting navigation strategies in real time to meet them there, rather than moving faster than they are ready to go.
- Identify gaps in the resource landscape through direct service interactions — flagging emerging needs and systemic barriers to the team to inform strategy, advocacy, and resource development.
- Collect and document user feedback and satisfaction data — treating each interaction as an opportunity to understand what is and isn't working, both for the individual and for the platform.
Support
How the Care Navigator walks alongside people — helping them access what they need, navigate what's in the way, and build the capacity to move forward on their own terms.
- Manage an active caseload across multiple stages of the care journey — proactively monitoring progress, identifying emerging needs, and adjusting navigation strategies as circumstances evolve over time.
- Co-develop individualized action plans with each person served — using ConnectMe to track progress, flag pivots, and ensure plans evolve as circumstances change, treating planning as an ongoing practice rather than a one-time intake artifact.
- Guide individuals through meaningful transitions to community partners, service providers, and government programs — confirming connections are made, troubleshooting barriers in real time, and ensuring no one falls through the cracks.
- Empower individuals to navigate complex systems on their own terms — using ConnectMe to streamline applications, clarify eligibility, and break down bureaucratic processes that otherwise feel inaccessible.
- Leverage ConnectMe's technology-assisted directory to match individuals with relevant, culturally responsive services — while continuously assessing whether those resources are accessible, accurate, and responsive to the people we serve.
- Support individuals who face barriers to digital access or literacy — bridging the gap between technology-enabled tools and the humans who need them most, and flagging accessibility gaps to the innovation team.
Learning & Systems Intelligence
How the Care Navigator turns frontline practice into the intelligence that improves the platform, informs policy, and makes this model replicable at scale.
- Implement and scale ConnectMe's evolving suite of tools — including technology-assisted intake, automated follow-up, chatbots, and digital referral workflows — as an active participant in an ongoing practice model, not a passive end-user.
- Document what works, what doesn't, and why — capturing real-time insights from direct interactions that drive continuous iteration of both the platform and the practice model it supports, and generating structured feedback on usability, accuracy, and user experience.
- Contribute lived-experience and human-centered design perspectives to product and innovation work — participating in design reviews and usability sessions as a practitioner with direct proximity to the population, ensuring tools are built with and for the people they are meant to serve.
- Contribute to codifying and formalizing technology-enabled practices that increase capacity, scale high-quality support, and generate intelligence that strengthens both service delivery and systems-change efforts.
- Capture real-time lived-experience data through case notes on navigation interactions — documenting needs, barriers, outcomes, and opportunities in ways that inform both service improvement and policy recommendations.
- Enter data accurately and on time in compliance with established protocols, maintaining privacy standards and adhering to defined ethical guidelines.
- Participate in regular team debriefs, learning sessions, and case consultations — contributing frontline insights to the broader organizational learning cycle and to the development of deliverables such as a Theory of Change, Logic Model, and updated Program Manual.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with the Innovation and Tech team to surface systemic barriers, generate policy-relevant insights, and contribute to a model for how VSS-generated data can inform state and national advocacy.
About You
We recognize that candidates may not meet every listed qualification. Research shows that individuals from underrepresented groups are more likely to opt out of applying if they don’t meet 100% of the criteria. If you believe you meet many of the criteria and can succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply — we want to learn about your unique strengths and experiences.
Qualifications:
- You bring 3+ years of experience accessing and navigating child welfare systems and/or other social service systems, with ideally 2+ years of professional experience in a direct service, case management, or navigation role. You know what it means to hold someone through a complex situation — not just hand them a list of phone numbers.
- You are trained or experienced in Motivational Interviewing (MI) — you know how to meet ambivalence with curiosity, build intrinsic motivation, and support people in identifying their own goals. You lead every interaction with Unconditional Positive Regard, cultural humility, and sensitivity to the lived experiences of those you serve. Bilingual ability in Spanish (both written and verbal) is preferred.
- You are a systems navigator at heart — you understand how to move through complex, fragmented systems on behalf of others, and you don't give up when the path forward isn't clear. You find creative solutions, make connections others miss, and advocate fiercely for the people you serve.
- You bring personal or professional experience with the child welfare system or other social impact work, or you are deeply committed to learning about these systems. You approach this work with humility, curiosity, and a willingness to grow alongside the communities we serve. You possess an unwavering commitment to centering the voices and experiences of people with lived experience in every part of the work.
- You are passionate about driving systems change and bring a relentless, solutions-oriented mindset to your work. You thrive in fast-growing, evolving organizations and adapt quickly to new challenges, using change as an opportunity to learn, innovate, and make a greater impact. You persevere in the face of opposition or difficulty and show commitment despite obstacles.
- You have experience with data entry and documentation in case management, CRM, or tracking systems, and you understand accurate, timely data as a foundation for learning, improvement, and advocacy — not just compliance.
- You have an active learning mindset when it comes to technology — you are open to exploring, applying, and adapting digital tools to improve efficiency, expand reach, and better serve families. You balance technology with critical thinking and always center the human experience in how you use and evaluate these tools.
- You bring familiarity with California's child welfare system, county structures, or specific state programs.
Education & Training:
Bachelor's Degree in social work, counseling, human services, or a related field is required. Relevant lived experience and demonstrated professional competency may be considered in lieu of or in addition to formal education. Motivational Interviewing training (foundational or advanced) is strongly preferred and expected within the first 90 days of employment.
Compensation & Benefits
At TOU, we believe that taking care of our people is foundational to the impact we aim to make. Our compensation philosophy is rooted in transparency and a holistic understanding of people’s needs. We believe fair, market-competitive pay is essential to attracting and retaining the exceptional talent needed to achieve our ambitious goals. As a not-for-profit organization, we design our compensation packages—including both salary and benefits—with care and in alignment with our financial sustainability.
The annual salary for this role is $65,000–$75,000. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.
TOU’S benefits go beyond the basics. They’re designed to support your well-being, growth, and sense of purpose at work and beyond. From comprehensive health coverage to professional development support and meaningful time off, our benefits reflect our commitment to nurturing a workplace where people can thrive, both personally and professionally.
Health & Insurance
- 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees; 50% for dependents.
- Access to Talkspace for confidential therapy and mental health support.
- Short-Term Disability, Life, and AD&D Insurance included.
- Optional Long-Term Disability and Supplemental Life Insurance.
- Health Care and Dependent Care FSAs available.
Financial Benefits
- 401(k) Plan for pre-tax retirement contributions.
- Work-from-home setup stipend to optimize your workspace.
Paid Time Off
- Flexible PTO policy, plus sick leave and paid leaves of absence.
- 8 company holidays, plus two organization-wide seasonal breaks.
Learning & Development
- TOU values continuous learning and invests in the professional development of its employees in alignment with organizational needs based on role, performance, business needs, and Company policies.
- Regular organization-wide learning sessions on relevant and reflective topics.
Application Instructions
As part of your application, please submit a resume outlining your skills and experiences relevant to this role.
Please note: We do not accept phone inquiries about this position in order to ensure a fair and consistent hiring process for all applicants.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Think of Us is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and value applicants of all backgrounds, knowing that diverse perspectives strengthen our work with children, youth, and families. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. We provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and for applicants’ religious practices as required by law.
