The Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is seeking a Family Services Specialist to work with the community on the delivery of services to improve overall outcomes for children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or DeafBlind and their families. The ideal candidate will be a warm, outgoing, and congenial person who gets along comfortably with most people, meets new people easily and enjoys doing so, and works as well in group situations as well as one-on-one.
The Family Services Specialist is responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing programming and services to assist with early identification of hearing loss, effective communication access, developmental screenings, equal educational opportunities, and workforce development and support for children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind and their families. This position is responsible for improving the collaboration, participation, and leadership of families within the Early Childhood education systems including Part C Services, Early Head Start/Head Start Programs, and other Community-Based programs to strengthen family-friendly models. Ultimately this position will work towards improving overall outcomes for children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind and their families while working collaboratively with other service providers throughout the road map of Arizona services and programs.
This position may offer the ability to work remotely, within Arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures.
Coordinate integration of family engagement into all aspects of communication and development of materials in a family-friendly model. Coordinate and develop strong partnerships with families of children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind in collaboration with other systems serving children and families.
Participate in a collaborative, multilingual, culturally diverse work environment with family-centered, strengths-based best practices, and community partnerships. Participate in collaborative meetings with community partners in the development and implementation of a system of universal developmental screenings, including language and literacy assessments that meet national standards for children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind.
Coordinate with other State agencies, community partners, and other stakeholders responsible for providing services to families and children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind to ensure equitable access to services for all children and families. Participate in Statewide meetings for Early Learning, Interagency Council Commission, Child Welfare, Family Leadership, Parent to Parent Programs, and others as needed.
Provide training and technical assistance with linkage and ease of navigation to systems for families to include eligibility, advocacy, healthcare, access to services, etc. Develop program policies/procedures with internal/external partners around the inclusion of services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind children.
Coordinate family engagement and leadership council to include parents and family members of children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind, community partners, and other family advocacy groups. Partner with state/local agencies that support families and children from birth to 21, with the goal of raising them to success. Host monthly collaborations with Latino Unidos community partners to share resources and events throughout the state for families and children in Early Childhood Education programs. Host family/parent workshops/training and support groups.
Link families to Newborn Hearing Screening resources for supplemental screening services. Support families with eligibility for Early Childhood Education Services and navigation of educational programming. Connect families and children to Family. Support Services that provide parent-to-parent or peer-to-peer support. Support families in the navigation of systems of care and connection to Community and Clinical resources and supplemental services. Provide resources to and connect with rural audiology services.
Coordinate with internal specialists in the development and implementation of a systematic structure that will provide support and technical assistance to community members, stakeholders, and families of children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind. Collaborate with internal partners to review and modify current reporting and tracking systems to include integration of other monitoring features that will identify areas of support and follow-up.
Comment and draft rules regarding family/children who are deaf, e.g. vision/hearing screening, IEP, etc. Maintain a level of knowledge regarding statutory requirements protecting and supporting families and children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind participating in educational and community program settings.
Provide training and educational support regarding systems linking families to appropriate resources that include education, advocacy, healthcare, and other community services. Coordinate the implementation and development of materials in a family-friendly model that includes different levels of accessibility for language and access needs.