Transition Coordinator

The Menta Education Group•Chicago, IL

1d•$40,000 - $75,000•Onsite

About The Position

As a Transition Coordinator with The Menta Education Group, you will prepare students aged 14-22 to embrace life after school in a behavioral, emotional and social capacity. You will bridge the critical gap between school and adult life by implementing an "outside-the-school-walls" mindset that centers on fostering student independence, building robust community networks and navigating the real world. For this role, you will support (2) Menta locations: Chicago-West- 3049 West Harrison St. Chicago, IL 60612 & Chicago-Oak Park- 605 S. Albany Ave. Chicago, IL 60612 General Staff Hours are 6:45am-2:15pm CT, Monday-Friday Occasional Responsibilities beyond work hours.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree strongly preferred.
Background in education or social work preferred.
Demonstrate deep, compliance-centered knowledge of transitioning students as per the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates.
Documented knowledge and/or experience placing and coaching students in jobs, as well as assisting them in transitioning to college, career, and independent life.
Demonstrated ability to constantly focus on the "real world," utilizing community agency networks, public transit routes, and outer-community resources.
Knowledge of human behavior, performance, and specific student needs (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD).
High level of professionalism, strong decision-making skills, and the ability to communicate calmly, transparently, and effectively in writing across varied audiences, including resistant families, school teams, and litigious stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Supervise students in groups and individually, monitoring behavior to ensure alignment with programmatic expectations.
Counsel students on personal, social, behavioral, or academic issues affecting their educational progress.
Ensure every student actively leads or participates in their own Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition meetings. Utilize assistive technology, visual choice boards or person-centered tools to provide a voice for students with limited or non-verbal communication.
Manage complex dynamics where a student's post-secondary dream conflicts with parental wishes or current skill realities. Apply strategies like "failing safely" (e.g., career-testing, job shadowing and temporary classes) alongside stepping-stone goals to gently navigate reality without crushing student ambition.
Evaluate individual student abilities, interests and personality characteristics using tests, records, interviews and professional sources.
Administer age-appropriate formal and informal transition assessments evaluating independent living, travel/transit skills, and actual work behaviors to formulate compliant, measurable post-secondary goals.
Apply strong knowledge of Individualized Education Act (IDEA) transition mandates to draft audited, highly scrutinized goals and dynamically pivot plans based on assessment data.
Utilize robust organizational systems such as digital tracking tools, rubric-based feedback from job coaches, and student self-monitoring checklists to track and document progress when students are off-campus at work-based learning sites.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with community sites, public transit systems, and external agencies.
Develop work-study programs, internships, and volunteer opportunities for students to gain competitive experience while completing their high school curriculum.
Manage the "Service Cliff" by facilitating warm handovers introducing families directly to agency contacts and connecting students with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), and developmental disability boards.
Proactively engage local business owners, pitching inclusive hiring benefits and demonstrating how a transitioning student adds tangible value to their workforce.
Safely intervene when work-based placements experience friction, behavioral incidents, or employer misunderstandings.
Use workplace mistakes as a live curriculum, coaching students on how to navigate portals, look up records, request legal accommodations,and repair professional relationships independently rather than filling out paperwork for them.