Referral Navigator / Case Manager

Description

The Referral Navigator / Case Manager is responsible for connecting students and families engaged in C3 Wellbeing's Student Assistance Program (SAP) with appropriate behavioral health, substance use, and social service resources. This role serves as the critical link between initial identification of student needs within the school setting and successful engagement in ongoing treatment, primarily through Rhode Island Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) and other community-based providers. The Referral Navigator / Case Manager tracks referrals from initiation through confirmed connection to care and address barriers to access.

Requirements

• Receive and process referrals for students identified through SAP screenings and staff/parent concerns, and will determine appropriate next steps based on level of need.

• Coordinate warm handoffs and formal referrals to RI CCBHCs and other licensed behavioral health, substance use, and social service providers.

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the RI Behavioral Health and social services network, insurance/Medicaid requirements, waitlists, and specialty services (e.g., co-occurring disorders, trauma-informed care, family therapy) to match students with the best-fit provider.

• Track each referral from initiation through intake and first appointment, following up with families and providers to confirm engagement and reduce drop-off.

• Identify and help resolve barriers to accessing care, including transportation, insurance/eligibility issues, language access, scheduling conflicts, and family hesitancy or stigma.

• Provide brief case management support, including check-ins with students and families, coordination with student Assistance Counselors, and communication with treatment providers. 

• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential documentation of referrals, outreach, and outcomes in C3 Wellbeing's case management/data system.

• Participate in regular case consultation and supervision with SAP clinical staff to review complex or high-risk cases.

• Support crisis referral protocols in coordination with SAP clinicians and school crisis teams when acute safety concerns arise.

• Assist in maintaining an updated, comprehensive resource directory of youth focused Behavioral Health providers and social services.

• Attend relevant trainings, community provider meetings, and professional development opportunities related to youth behavioral health and care coordination.

Preferred:

• Bilingual/bicultural fluency (Spanish, Portuguese, or other languages relevant to the community served).

• Prior experience working within a Student Assistance Program or school-based behavioral health setting.

Familiarity with SBIRT, motivational interviewing, or other brief intervention/engagement approaches 

Core Competencies: 

Relationship-building and stakeholder collaboration across school and clinical settings.

• Sound judgment in triaging urgency of need and escalating safety concerns appropriately.

• Persistence and creative problem-solving in overcoming access barriers.

• Attention to detail and reliability in documentation and follow-up.

• Empathy, cultural humility, and a strengths-based approach to working with students and families.