Care Connector

About The Transition Academy

The Transition Academy (TTA) is a comprehensive career preparation agency established in 2019. Our mission is to make economic inclusion a reality for youth with disabilities, especially for young people of color who have historically been failed by systems.

Since 2019, TTA has worked to meet youth with disabilities and families where they are,  help them explore their interests, talents and skills, and connect them to workforce and job training pathways. TTA is based at Central High School and works primarily with Kansas City Public Schools and charter schools in Jackson County.

The Transition Academy is seeking a highly organized, proactive professional who is excited about providing exceptional support and family engagement to a growing organization.

Care Connector

The part-time Care Connector position will join the TTA team as a contracted role to assist urban families that have a high school student with intellectual disabilities to navigate benefit application processes. This role will work part-time, mostly afternoon and evenings, as this staff person will be meeting with the family unit at the end of the school day and at various urban locations. The Care Connector will develop and implement learning workshops for families in partnership with the Real World Learning team, school teachers, and community partners.

Reporting and Outcomes

• The Care Connector reports directly to the Social Worker and will submit all timesheets to them.

• Surveys will be developed by the Real World Learning Team and Care Connector to measure the learnings. 

• During a 12 month period, the Care Connector will establish a minimum of 4 community sites in the urban core to hold workshops.

• At the end of the 12 month period, a minimum 2-3 families will provide video input (case stories) on how the Care Connector has or has not assisted their family.

Duties

• This role will be given a project budget to manage workshop implementation and family support.

• Serve as a service navigator with families to connect them to resources.

• Provide direct, hands-on assistance to families that need state and federal benefits, as well as provide education to families on an array of topics pertaining to public benefits related to disabilities. 

• Arrange evening and weekend workshops in various community locations around Kansas City, with a focus on urban core and underserved brown / black communities, utilizing input from youth and families to identify other learning opportunities.

• Synthesize school and TTA staff feedback to share relevant resources and information with IDD families

• Provide application sessions at school sites or community locations.

• Lean on established relationships between TTA staff and teachers to foster trusted relationships with families and individual students.

• Arrange workshops with current and prospective partners 

• Outreach to new community agencies for possible workshop topics

• Communicate with families via email, texts, phone calls, in-person school visits and virtual meetings to coordinate childcare and community sessions.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience navigating various systems to access medical, health, Social Security Income, and Vocational Rehabilitation

• Knowledge of Medicaid requirements and processes, particularly transitioning youth to adult Medicaid

• Certified Developmental Benefits Specialist or willing to complete training

• Program budget management

• Willingness or ability to attend relevant trainings

Part-Time Contract, In-Person Position

Part-time contract position with the potential of becoming a full-time position later in 2026. Salary range: $2200-2700/month. Applicants must successfully complete a background check. Send resume and cover letter to admin@thetransitionacademy.org by Dec 5, 2025. 

Join Our Team!

If you want to be part of a dynamic team that works collaboratively to prepare amazing students for employment and overall success after high school, we want you!