Lead Early Intervention Vision Services Mentor

Description

Basic Function: The positions of Lead Early Intervention Mentor is responsible for providing Early Intervention (EI) services to children, from birth to kindergarten, including assessment and instruction based on the established individualized goals and professional standards, resulting in acceptable levels of measurable progress. Provide parents and/or guardians the resource education and skills training to be positive advocates for their child.
Provide oversight and direction to EI Mentors, including basic personnel management, reporting needs and facilitating team meetings. This position will escalate any issues with clients or personnel issues to program management.
Essential Job Requirements: Principal Responsibilities:
• Actively support Lighthouse Central Florida’s mission, vision, and core values in daily interactions with clients, staff, and all external and internal constituencies
• Actively participate in agency and team meetings to ensure effective communication, service quality, and teamwork.
Direct Service:
• Conduct developmental assessments and functional vision evaluations to establish, in consultation with parent(s) or guardian (s), Individual Service Plans inclusive of annual goals and short-term benchmarks
• Provide home, community, and center-based instruction as appropriate to the needs of the child with a primary focus on the child’s natural environment
• Provide guidance and support to families to develop their understanding of and ability to positively cope with the impacts of their child’s disability, leading to the optimal development of the child and establishing the family as the primary child advocate
• Complete required reports to document the child’s progress, including assessments, Plans of Service, daily Interaction logs, and case closure
• Participate as a member of the Early Intervention team and support all aspects of Program Services
• Stay current with new developments in the field and recommend appropriate new and revised program initiatives to the team and supervisor
Supervision:
• Provide supervision for all EI Mentors. This includes but is not limited to developing accurate work plans for assigned staff, approving leave requests and timesheets
• Ensure staff are entering required documentation into the database
• Lead in Early Intervention meetings
• Assist with data collection and synthesis to support successful responses to EI contract and grant requirements
• Coordinate the implementation of service plans and curricula with other members of the team

Qualifications

Qualifications Education:
• Bachelor’s Degree in special education, visual impairment education, early childhood education, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or other related degree required
• Relevant Master’s Degree preferred
Experience:
• Minimum of one-year teaching EI age group children with vision impairment or blindness required. Professional experience working with children with developmental disabilities, as well as, familiarity with blindness and/or broader disabilities issues is a plus.
License/Certification:
A minimum of one certification is required:
• TSVI (Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments)
• ACVREP O&M (Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist)
• INSITE certification and VIISA Certifications (i.e. 0 – 3 & 3 – 5) (can be obtained within the first 2 years of hire)
Or
Pursuing a minimum of one of the above certifications along with a minimum of one of the following certifications is required:
• ITDS Certification (Infant Toddler Development Specialist)
• Early Childhood Education
• Early Childhood Special Education
• Must also complete the following upon hire:
o Recreational Safety Supports: CPR – First Aid
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
• Functional understanding of Expanded Core Curriculum, EI Best Practice Standards, and any related accreditation standards determined appropriate to the program
• Possess a working knowledge of MS Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Possess effective organizational and time management skills with attention to detail
• Ability to project a positive, compassionate image to clients, co-workers and the public
Physical Demands:
• Ability to move about independently
• Moderate ability to move and lift items, usually ranging up to 40 lbs
• Strength to physically assist visually impaired and multiply-impaired children
• Climbing stairs, walking
• Stooping, kneeling, bending, and crouching to work with children on the floor
• Ability to actively participate in a variety of indoor and outdoor field trips
• Prolonged standing upon occasion
• Prolonged sitting at work station
Requirements:
• Maintain required certification and/or license
• Pass Level II background checks
• Possess or be able to utilize reliable transportation