Community Court in Redmond Volunteer Navigators

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Volunteer Navigator

King County District Court is seeking volunteers to serve as navigators in its Community Courts .

Description of Community Court:

Community Courts serve as alternatives to traditional courts for individuals who commit low level misdemeanor crimes, like theft and trespass. They are designed to solve problems by identifying and addressing the underlying life challenges faced by these individuals that contribute to criminal activity. Examples of these underlying challenges include substance use disorder, mental illness, lack of work, and homelessness. The goal is to build stronger and safer neighborhoods and reduce further criminal activity.

Each community court has a community resource center. These centers include on-site providers of a wide array of services such as healthcare/insurance, education, job training, behavioral health services, advice/assistance for housing or financial help, and more. The presence of the center at the community court helps court participants to readily access the services they need. In addition, the center is a community-wide resource. That is, the services are available to all members of the community, as well.

As a part of the court contract, community court participants must access services needed to address the challenges that contributed to their criminal activity. They also are required to perform community service. They check in with the court and service partners weekly. If they fulfill all their responsibilities to the court, they "graduate" from community court, which results in the dismissal of their charges.

What Volunteer Navigators Do:

• Our volunteer navigators work with court and/or community participants to help them find and work with the right service providers for their needs. They also help court participants come up with ideas for community service and identify organizations with which to work.
• Volunteers are trained by community court coordinators and established volunteers to get to know our program, resource center service providers, and become familiar with community service options for participants. Volunteers are only expected to work with participants during court/resource center hours.

Respond to this posting, email ericka.cooley@kingcounty.gov or call 206-409-0212 to inquire.