Family Advisor

State of Montana•Great Falls, MT

12d

About The Position

The activities of the program are designed to support the family of children who are deaf, hard of hearing or blind, low vision or deafblind in accessing information and developing the skills necessary to meet the child’s unique developmental and social-emotional needs from birth to age 22. The Family Advisor Program provides services for families in their home or neutral location. This includes individualized instruction in the areas of communication interaction and methodology, psychosocial and behavior skills, educational and community resources, amplification and auditory skills, and assistive technology. Works on prescribed goals ensure that family advisor activities meet the needs of the child in acquiring appropriate developmental and communication skills necessary.

Requirements

Considerable knowledge of child development, family engagement, play activities, first aid techniques and safety precautions preferred.
Sign language skills are highly preferred if working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Understanding the impact of vision concerns on development, preferred.
Must be able to get along with and communicate well with a variety of personalities, be pleasant and courteous
Must be able to work effectively without supervision. Must be reliable and dependable at all times.
Two years of full-time, paid, professional experience as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Teacher of the Deaf, Interpreter, Special Education Teacher, Paraeducator, Braille Specialist, etc. working with students and/or families, which has included working with students with blindness/visual impairment, deaf hard of hearing, deaf/blind and multiple disabilities.
Bachelor’s or higher degree with emphasis in Special Education, Orientation and Mobility, Teacher of Visually Impaired, Teacher of the Deaf from an accredited college or university is preferred (Certified).
High School Graduate or GED with knowledge and experience in teaching or experience working with children ages birth to twenty one who are deaf, hard of hearing or blind, visually impaired or deafblind will be considered (uncertified).

Responsibilities

Assists the Outreach Consultant in executing a specific plan with goals to educate the family on the specific sensory needs of their child.
Work with Outreach Consultant to understand the developed plan with goals, frequency and budget to meet the needs of the child for the current school year.
Participates in activities within the home to educate family members on specific skills and knowledge to best support their child.
Provides support to the child by providing direction and instruction in a variety of activities based on individual needs, age and goals developed by the Outreach Consultant.
Assists the Outreach Consultant monitor the child and families progress.
Alerts the Outreach Consultant to any concerns or special information about the individual child.
Prepares and utilizes materials for home visits as well as follow-up paperwork.
Carries out individual programming for the deaf, hard of hearing or blind, visually impaired child.
Keeps the child safe by immediately reporting concerns to the Outreach Consultant.
Other duties/tasks as assigned to meet the Family Advising Goals.