The Peer-to-Peer Navigators (P2PN) are young adults that can harness their lived experiences in navigating foster care to engage, empower and connect with youth currently involved with the child welfare system. As compared to other professionals working with the foster care system who may lack these unique experiences and perspectives, P2PN serve as credible messengers that may be better positioned to authentically and meaningfully engage with youth experiencing a range of feelings as they enter the foster care system. The role of the credible messenger is crucial to the P2P Program. Credible messengers develop authentic long-term relationships with young people. They stay connected, serving as real and present guides as youth navigate the difficult path of life, and offer firsthand wisdom about challenges youth face while navigating the foster care system.

The P2PN must embody the belief that young people who have experienced adversity have unique strengths and skills that can be nurtured and developed in supporting their own healing and future success. It is for young people for whom reunification, adoption, KLG are being pursued, which the P2PN can assist youth in navigating.

The P2PN will concretely mentor and support young people ages 14-21 in foster care during their preparation for adulthood by helping them to increase their ability to articulate themselves with professionals and informal supports and work toward achieving their goals. P2PN mentoring involves supporting youths in learning to build and strengthen their relationships with professionals, informal supports, school systems, and communities. Ultimately, the P2PN’s mentorship will increase a youth’s capacity to interact with professionals, informal supports, and their social networks and to initiate connections to resources on their own.

• Harness own lived experience navigating foster care to engage, empower and connect with youth who are currently involved with the child welfare system.
• Serve as mentors, role models and "system navigators" to youth (ages 14-21) who are in the DCF foster care system and preparing for adulthood.
• Responsible for supporting the philosophy, mission and purpose of P2P, and its strength-based, trauma and healing informed care services to assist the youth in leading self-directed lives centered on fostering authentic goals-centered partnerships.
• Connect youth to resources and services necessary to support their individual growth and success.
• Assist youth in the foster care system to understand the different and key roles that various professionals such as child welfare, legal professionals (Law Guardian), advocates (CASA), and behavioral health system professionals (CSOC, CMO) play in their lives.
• Establish rapport with youth and provide guidance in youth’s identification, development, and planning of specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals to pursue.
• Ensure that youth assessments and data entry are completed on time to track youth progress.

Education and Experience:

P2P navigators are considered “near peers” and are required to be relatable to the youth.

License:  Required to possess a valid driver's license in good standing. 

Must have at least a GED or High School Diploma with lived experience in the child welfare system.