Citizenship Program Navigator (CPN)

POSITION TITLE:                    Citizenship Program Navigator 

FLSA EXEMPTION STATUS:  Full Time/Exempt

POSITION LOCATION:           Administration

REPORTS TO:                        Director of Programs

POSITION SUMMARY:

The ACAM Pathways to Citizenship Collaborative (PCC) was designed to resource community-based nonprofits to pilot innovative strategies for outreaching and navigating eligible individuals along naturalization pathways to successfully obtain U.S. citizenship. Selected for their capacity to reach eligible participants, design naturalization infrastructure and scale programming, PCC partners will co-create an outreach and navigation program that helps people understand the benefits of citizenship and provide supportive services to help them complete the steps necessary to become U.S. Citizens. The program will provide grassroots outreach, education, and culturally competent navigation through a continuum of new and existing naturalization and barrier removal services. The critical metric of success is the number of eligible individuals who obtain citizenship through naturalization.

While there are approximately 300,000 people in the Greater Houston area who are eligible to become citizens, only 24,000 (less than 10%) were naturalized in 2021. Too many people are missing out on the critical benefits of citizenship such as the right to vote and hold public office; to hold a U.S. passport, travel abroad freely, and end the threat of deportation; to have newborn children become U.S. citizens and to reunite their families within the U.S.; and to receive federal grants and scholarships and to benefit from U.S. tax laws.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
 

• Conduct active outreach and community education to promote the benefits of citizenship and recruit attendees for group or one-on-one citizenship Information Sessions.
   
• Coordinate all logistics of Information Sessions including but not limited to, promotion, venue, hospitality, enrolling attendees in PCC and follow up/referrals.
   
• Enroll eligible individuals and those likely to be eligible to begin the citizenship application process within 3 months. 
   
• Work with the local USCIS office to conduct targeted outreach to identify and recruit individuals that may be at any point in the naturalization process.
   
• Work with community-based agencies providing services like English language classes, civics classes, legal clinics, etc. to conduct targeted outreach to identify and recruit individuals that may be at any point in the naturalization process.
   
• Once enrolled in the PCC, the Citizenship Program Navigator (CPN) will provide navigation services to guide clients toward citizenship including, which may include, but is not limited to:
   
  • Barrier removal such as transportation or childcare assistance (while taking the test or conducting the interview), assistance with locating funding or reduction/waiver for the citizenship application fees, etc. PCC funds may not be used for the direct payment of the application fee. Citizenship Program Navigator (CPN) will work with other community partners and agencies that have funds designated to assist clients that are not eligible for a fee waiver.
     
  • Referral to and/or provision of assistance with interview preparation
     
  • Referral for legal services as needed
     
  • Assistance with the naturalization application and collecting supporting documents as needed
     
  • Warm Referral to English Classes
     
  • Provision of on-site English Classes
     
  • Warm Referral to civics classes designed to pass the Civics Test
     
  • Provision of on-site Civics Test preparation classes (may be hosted remotely by qualified staff)
     
  • Warm Referral to citizenship application sessions/N-400 clinics
     
  • Provision of on-site citizenship application sessions/N-400 clinics by qualified staff or through legal services provider partnerships that provide on-site legal clinics
     
• Prepare reports for internal and external stakeholders and provide technical assistance to program partner staff
   
• Stay apprised of relevant immigration law and policy to connect local programmatic, communications and policy efforts with national efforts to increase access to citizenship
   
• Attend monthly continuous quality improvement (CQI) sessions with partner agency staff, including peer-review of program files, policies and procedures
   
• Regularly provide agency updates for a referral resource guide that contains resources for citizenship information, preparation, and legal assistance services to partners
   
• Organize meetings, maintain required correspondence, retain required records
   
• Generate reports for all relevant stakeholders, funders, and nonprofit organizations
   
• Other duties as assigned
   

EDUCATION/TRAINING
 

• Bachelor’s degree required
   
• Applicable experience in nonprofit governance, administration, procurement, grants management and compliance

EXPERIENCE
 

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience
   
• Experience with providing assistance with the N-400 Naturalization and application and ancillary forms and requests for evidence
   
• Knowledge of classes English (reading, writing, speaking), Civics (US History & Government) of the citizenship test and the Naturalization Interview
   
• Experience in the immigration policy field, preferably at the state and local levels
   
• Demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively with other staff and other organizations; demonstrated ability to work with
  groups and individuals across the political spectrum
   
• Mandatory proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office
   
• Proficient research, data management, and statistical analysis skills
   
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, along with facilitation skills
   
• Solution-oriented mindset; demonstrated ability to take initiative, critically analyze issues, and advance innovative solutions
   
• Paralegal experience preferred
   
• Department of Justice (DOJ) accreditation is a plus
   
• Citizenship instruction experience is a plus
   
• Strong ability and track record of building and managing relationships with relevant partners (government, CBOs, academic institutions, small business, nonprofits etc)
   
• Bilingual proficiency in English/Spanish is a plus
   
• Regional travel required, must have valid driver’s license and auto insurance

Candidates must successfully pass a pre-employment criminal background check

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

ACAM is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Board of Directors and its agents, officers and staff members shall not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, disabling condition, age, color, religion, national origin, military status, or any other legally protected status outlined by federal, state, or local laws in making decisions regarding staff members or volunteers.
This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. ACAM makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

ACAM is committed to fostering and celebrating a culture of diversity and inclusion. The collective sum of individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, and talent that all employees, board members, and ministry leaders invest in their work represents a significant part of our organizational culture, reputation, and achievements. ACAM embraces each difference in age, race, ethnicity, disability, family or marital status, gender, language, national origin, political affiliation, religion, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics. ACAM also strives to cultivate a culture of equity. ACAM believes equity “is advanced through the implementation of policies, practices, attitudes, and cultural messages that prevent differential outcomes based on the differences among people. Candidates must share this commitment to a continuous reevaluation of organizational norms, and to eliminating policies, practices, and systems that perpetuate inequity, so that all people are fully welcomed, valued, respected, and heard.