Education Support Specialist

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

Supports families of children and young adults with disabilities or developmental differences in navigating the educational system to obtain needed services. Works with families to identify additional needs, and provides warm referrals to community, government and social service agencies. Assists families with requesting services through Individual Education Plans or 504 plans, and supports the development or enhancement of services provided via IDEA. Facilitates group training for families, community, and professionals on special education services and policies. Works collaboratively with partners to support families, and maintains relationships with community agencies to stay informed of local resources.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide group training and one-to-one guided support to parents and families of children ages 3 to 18, and young adults 19 to 22, in removing barriers to ensure access to educational services. Communicate with families by phone, email, or video conferencing based on family preference and need.
• Provide support and education for families, community members and professionals to aid in accessing services from local education agencies, including special education and mental health services.
• Keep up-to-date with special education policies and procedures in addition to regional center and generic community social service agency policies.
• Educate and assist families with alternative dispute resolution activities to improve service delivery within the educational setting and improve families’ working relationships with school district personnel.
• Attend IEP and IFSP development meetings with families, as needed.
• Maintain assigned case load according to documentation and contact timeline standards set by FEC program guidelines.
• Collect and document data on all performed activities for reporting purposes.
• Perform data entry and record keeping for all assigned education support cases.
• Perform quality assurance reviews to ensure that data collected for the program is accurate according to grant requirements.
• Facilitate educational presentations and workshops for families, professionals and community members on accessing educational services.
• Assists families and community agencies with facilitating referrals and warm handoffs for various systems of care to determine eligibility and service access.
• Participates on various advisory committees to identify, develop, coordinate and implement program policies, educational conferences and outreach events.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily including maintaining timelines. An individual must also have a working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Must be bilingual (English/Spanish) and have superior writing ability, excellent understanding of grammar as well as strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with teams to accomplish program goals.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Bachelors in Social Work, Psychology, Human Services or Child Development or the equivalent of experience (at least three years) in a Human Service agency and experience working with individuals with varying disabilities. Must be a parent or caregiver of a student receiving specialized and individualized services from a local education agency or have previous experience in navigating special education systems on behalf of a student or loved one with unique learning needs.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Advance knowledge of the following systems of care: special education services through local education agencies, IDEA special education law, mental health services, regional center system including extensive knowledge of early intervention and Lanterman Act law, healthcare and insurance services, social service agencies including Medi-Cal, Social Security, and In-Home Support Services.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read and comprehend instructions, correspondence, and memos. Ability to effectively communicate via oral and written correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and group situations to families, consumers, the community and employees of the organization. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or board of directors. Ability to read, write and communicate verbally in Spanish required.