Accommodation Consultant - Waterloo

Wilfrid Laurier University•Waterloo, ON

2d•CA$47 - CA$54•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Manager of Academic Accommodations, the Accommodation Consultant is responsible for the provision of services that support and enhance the educational experience of students with documented disabilities (e.g. physical, psychological/psychiatric, learning, medical or sensory). This position will ensure that requests for academic accommodations are vetted and appropriately supported. Ensuring provision of academic accommodations the Accommodation Consultant will: provide assessment and individualized planning; act as a liaison with faculty, staff and students in an effort to support the implementation of accommodation plans; review and evaluate the effectiveness of academic accommodations; facilitate any needed changes; collaborate with on and off campus supports for seamless response to student support needs; and identify new supports and mechanisms that support a student driven model. The incumbent will work in collaboration with other services and staff within the Accessible Learning Centre to ensure timely access to identified supports and will be responsible for tracking utilization statistics including trends and issues. The incumbent will from time to time create and facilitate presentations on issues of relevance to student, staff and/or faculty of the Laurier community.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Psychology, Social Work, Education or related field.
Demonstrated experience in planning and providing academic accommodations for students with disabilities within a post-secondary environment (minimum 2 years).
Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of mental health issues and functional impact (of symptoms) within a post-secondary environment.
Demonstrated skills in responding to individuals in mental health crisis.
Demonstrated crisis management and resolution skills.
Demonstrated understanding of educational strategies and methodology in creating and implementing programs for students with disabilities.
Demonstrated understanding of disability issues (Learning Disabilities/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mental Health First Aide, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills), relevant government legislation (Human Rights, A.O.D.A.) and community resources.
Demonstrated knowledge and ability to interpret standardized cognitive and achievement measures as well as other test and assessment measures (e.g. WAISS-lll and WJ-R, DSM-5).
Demonstrated ability to manage crucial conversations with developed conflict management skills.
Proven high level of communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent interpersonal, writing and presentation skills.
Effective team skills and ability to work independently.
Working knowledge of computer software programs including Microsoft Office and specialized software designed for students with disabilities.

Responsibilities

Initiates the planning process for new student referrals; reviews and assesses all professional documentation to determine eligibility for academic accommodations;
Consults with prospective students, their parents and teachers/counselors as a means to determine appropriate academic accommodations;
Conducts an assessment of disability barriers and reviews supporting documentation to determine appropriate accommodations; engages students and collateral supports in the development of the accommodation plan;
Provides crisis intervention to students when required; assessing need, providing support and linking to appropriate resources; responds to and reports any risk management concerns to the Manager of Academic Accommodations;
Maintains files for each student registered that contains current documentation, consent forms, case notes, and e-mail communication that supports the implementation of the accommodation plan;
Discusses and interprets assessments with psychologists, medical practitioners and students as needed to determine most appropriate accommodations;
Makes recommendations as necessary for medical or psycho-educational assessments; facilitates appropriate referrals to professionals for assessment and potential diagnosis;
Determines appropriate temporary accommodations until full assessment process is complete;
Evaluates outcomes of accommodation plans and facilitates changes as needed via student update and review meetings;
Consults with Faculty and administration to ensure accommodations do not comprise the integrity of essential course requirements and to provide essential updates as needed;
Based on work with students, collateral campus supports and faculty, determine and make recommendation for system level education and intervention efforts that ensure seamless response to students with mental health issues on campus;
Supports students with navigation of the petition process and writes letters of support (if appropriate);
Makes recommendations and referrals as needed for assistive technology support, transcription and/or learning strategy support within Accessible Learning and facilitates access to exam support accommodations;
Makes referrals as needed to on and off-campus service providers in an effort to ensure seamless support; where necessary, engages in planning processes with collateral supports for effective resolution of complex presentations;
Implements all affiliated initiatives including bursary applications, exam forms etc;
Ensures accommodations and case notes are updated in the database; identifies trends and issues related to student access in an effort to support systems development