Family Support Program Manager- DDS/DESE

Brockton Area ARC Inc•Brockton, MA

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Family Support Program Manager – DDS/DESE is responsible for assisting families with a child or adult member with disabilities, particularly Autism Spectrum Disorder, who are enrolled in the DESE/DDS Program. Other support includes, but is not limited to, development of Family Support Plans, information & referrals for key clients, facilitation of support groups, development of family training, and administration of Flexible Funding. As with all positions at The Arc of Greater Brockton, consistent punctual arrival at work, regular attendance, commitment to shift, positive attitude, and adherence to the Organization’s policies are expected and are essential aspects of employment with the Organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or alternatively have a minimum of three to five years of experience working in the Health & Human Services field.
Knowledgeable about public benefits, entitlements, and generic resources available in the geographical areas they cover.
Experience in the Health & Human Services field and/or with families, children, and adults with intellectual disabilities, and a demonstrated working knowledge of normalization principles.
Proficient understanding and practice of family-focused support.
Proficient understanding and practice of strength-based planning.
Working knowledge of public benefits, entitlements and service delivery systems benefiting people with disabilities.
Working knowledge of special education laws.
Proficient math skills.
Must be legally permitted to work with and around children (check of the National Sex Offender public website will be conducted).
Computer literate, preferable in Microsoft Office for documentation, communication, presentations, record-keeping and data collection skills.
Must have the ability to troubleshoot laptop issues and navigate basic IT infrastructure in partnership with our outsourced IT Partner (Netcomm).
Must have the ability to learn and comprehend new computer programs.
The employee must be able to use arms/shoulders, hands and fingers to handle or feel objects and people. Must be able to have full use of wrists, hands and fingers for extensive computer work and writing.
The employee will regularly be required to sit, stand, walk and possibly stoop, kneel, or crouch for extended periods of time while performing the duties of this job.
The employee is frequently required to lift and/or move objects (i.e. office supplies, etc.) unassisted.
The employee may need to assist, lift and/or move individuals in and out of wheelchairs and intervene verbally and physically with individuals during behavior incidents.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.

Nice To Haves

Expertise in Autism Spectrum Disorder is preferred to be successful in this role. This includes but is not limited to understanding the characteristics of and challenges associated with ASD; knowledge of effective teaching methods; knowledge of resources available to children and adults with ASD and how to support their unique family needs.
Personal and/or professional experience with special education laws and advocacy is preferred.
Additional language skills (specifically: Spanish, French and/or Cape Verdean Creole) may also be helpful.

Responsibilities

Ensure and safeguard Arc of Greater Brockton (AGB) consumers’ human dignity, rights, and liberties.
Responsible for assisting in the oversight of the day-to-day activities of DDS/DESE programs, reporting to all involved agencies, monitoring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations governing the program, and implementing the program's policies and procedures.
Coordinate all referrals, acting as a liaison with funding agencies.
Ensure that services are provided to consumers in accordance with established Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) regulations, Individual and Family Support Plans, Whole Life Plans, Medicaid waivers, etc.
Monitor communication and the coordination of services (i.e., Service Coordinator, Residences, family, supportive services) for each potential consumer and seamlessly transition potential families and prospects into valued clients.
Assist eligible families to navigate the service delivery system; monitor, problem-solve and assist families to access all available benefits.
Provide support to parents in team meetings, such as IEP meetings.
Meet regularly with families either by phone or in person, including at least 2 meetings per year in the family's home for DESE/DDS families.
Provide information & referral in a variety of formats, including phone, email, letters, and face to face meetings.
As part of the Family Support Team, develop and maintain partnerships with other individuals and organizations to support people with disabilities and their families.
Promote parent, sibling and at times extended family networking.
Maintain effective and timely written and oral communications with families, DDS, and other providers involved with the coordination of care.
Develop Family Support Plans collaboratively with families and providers, including the development of Goals and Objectives.
Recruit, hire, develop, retain and lead a top performing team of Skills Trainers.
Oversee and document employees’ orientation and onboarding. Plan annual Training experiences to ensure Skills Trainers are current on emerging trends.
Utilize experienced employees to enhance training and development of new and existing staff. Envision and enact a mentoring program so that more seasoned staff can engage in regular touch points with more junior members of the team in order to develop emerging skill sets. Document Training and Development Plans (ex: IDPs) including DDS Core Competency and other emerging trainings to enhance Skills Trainers effectiveness.
Establish an ongoing schedule of 1:1 meetings with employees, as applicable, to provide employees with ongoing positive and developmental feedback (both written and verbal) regarding performance and expectations. Develop performance-based goals with employees on a quarterly/ annual basis.
Arrange for community services and other supports as needed.
Plan and host monthly or quarterly Family Trainings on relevant topics.
Develop Family Support Plans collaboratively with families and individuals served.
Provide short-term and ongoing Service Navigation for eligible families.
Maintain and update knowledge of public benefits, entitlements, special education laws and regulations, services, and community resources.
Act as a trusted resource for community members, including staff and families, regarding state and agency services. Provide help with various levels of community resources, and public benefits, including researching programs and eligibility requirements on behalf of key clients, families and prospective individuals to be served.
Assist families to arrange transportation and/or childcare so that parents can attend meetings.
Promote parent and sibling networking and lead family support groups, as needed.
Manage Flexible Funding accounts and DDS/DESE program budgets.
Develop and maintain program data, including people served, services provided, meeting and training attendance, etc.
Attend and participate in employee meetings, trainings, and development workshops.
Perform other related duties as assigned by the Program Director or the Executive Director.