Family Support Navigator at Rise Academy in Omaha, NE

Can be based out of Lincoln NE or Omaha NE.

Position Description

The Family Support Navigator will guide and support individuals and families in the community who are impacted by incarceration, including people who have not personally been incarcerated. Reporting to the Director of Youth and Family Program, the Family Support Navigator uses peer support and case management to guide families impacted by incarceration, connecting them to resources and supporting their progress toward individual and family wellness.

The Family Support Navigator will administer needs assessments, develop and review personal and family action plans with participants, help individuals set short- and long-term goals, provide referrals for employment support, housing search assistance, make community referrals to wrap-around services, conduct wellness check-ins, and manage other case management needs. The Family Support Navigator will work closely with the entire RISE Team to encourage and empower program participants to become successful members of their families and communities.

The position prioritizes families participating in the Family Wellness Collective, with support for graduates and other system-impacted families based on need and available capacity.

Please note that this position requires (reimbursable) travel.

About RISE

RISE is the largest nonprofit organization in Nebraska focused solely on habilitative programming in prisons and reentry support. At RISE, transformation starts pre-release and continues post-release. Our inside/out model bridges incarceration to the community and considers all the critical steps in that journey. We prepare and train people for each phase through intensive character development, employment readiness, job creation through entrepreneurship, family programming, and case management. We transform people in the community by building awareness and empathy that leads to support and opportunity. These connections heal families, create employment pathways, and lower recidivism. The mission of RISE is to break generational cycles of incarceration.

RISE has received a “Best Places to Work in Omaha” award from Baird Holm and the Greater Omaha Chamber. RISE is a recipient of the Non-Profit Association of the Midlands Catalyst Award, honoring non-profits that inspire action, advance excellence and innovation, and drive transformation while making a meaningful impact. In 2025, RISE received the Roger Baldwin Civil Libertarian of the Year Award from the ACLU of Nebraska.

Responsibilities

• Build and nurture supportive, trusting relationships with participants and families on your caseload.
• Work closely with the Director of Family Program and family program associates on outreach, recruitment and enrollment, prioritizing families connected to the Family Wellness Collective. Give needs assessments to identify family strengths, priorities, barriers, and support needs. Refer them to community resources such as housing, mental health and substance use treatment, public benefits, healthcare, childcare and legal aid.
• Work with participants to set realistic goals and personal and family action plans for individual and family well-being.
• Help families stay connected with incarcerated loved ones. This includes explaining visitation, phone and mail policies, and coordinating with RISE Prison Program and Community Navigator staff when appropriate.
• Serve as a liaison between families, schools, community organizations and other support systems so families have strong networks of support.
• Build partnerships, use existing ones, and work with other organizations that serve children and families impacted by incarceration.
• Check in with participants regularly on their wellness and on progress toward their goals and action plans.
• Let participants and families know about RISE Community Events, where they are welcome and encouraged to attend.
• Keep accurate records in the database to track participant progress. Records include case notes from wellness check-ins, personal and family action plans, milestones, attendance, theme and project completion, and referrals.
• Take part in staff meetings to share participant needs, progress and updates, and to coordinate with other RISE departments.
• Help with program logistics as needed, such as meal coordination, session materials, room setup and graduation events.
• Coordinate with Community Navigators, family program staff, and the alumni coordinator to clarify responsibilities, support continuity, and avoid duplicating services.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required, degree preferred with coursework in Social Sciences, Human Services, Criminal Justice, Psychology or a related field.
• Certified peer support specialist preferred.
• Combination of training, education, or lived experience working/participating in a program or organization serving individuals who are system-impacted.
• Knowledge and/or experience of the jail/prison environment and knowledge of the criminal justice system preferred.
• Knowledge of community resources and experience supporting families, parents, or caregivers preferred.
• Basic computer skills.
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to organize a caseload, prioritize competing needs, follow through on commitments, and complete timely documentation.
• Scrappy, adaptable, entrepreneurial, and innovative.
• Ability to work some evenings and weekends.
• Reliable transportation (reimbursement provided).
• Ability to enter the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services as a cleared volunteer.

Other

• Must be willing to work flexible hours, occasionally working evenings and weekends.
• Reimbursable travel is required for this role. Must possess a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance.
• RISE is a background friendly employer and seeks to employ those who have lived experience within the system we serve; background checks may be run on final candidates as a compliance measure.