Inclusion Specialist

Bilingual differential for qualified candidates.

The Inclusion Specialist promotes inclusion program-wide, provides support and strategies to Early Head Start (EHS) Staff, Childcare Partners, and families based on need. The Inclusion Specialist ensures that children with a suspected or identified disability receive the required support services and fully participate in all program activities while linking their families access to internal and external support services.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supports and promotes the mission of the Agency: Foothill Family empowers children and families to achieve success in relationships, school, and work through community-based services that advance growth and development.
• Ensures contractual compliance to program services, including the Head Start Program Performance Standards and California State Department of Developmental Services, as well as Agency standards.
• Implements quality improvement measures as needed through collaboration with staff and partners to ensure that children with disabilities can fully participate in all applicable program services in the least restrictive possible environment.
• Provides technical assistance and consultation to Primary Service Providers, such as Home Visitors and Family Service Specialists, and Therapists on client care involving suspected disabilities and/or developmental delays.
• Provides technical assistance and consultation to Partner Coaches and Home Visitors to ensure that all learning environments are safe, accessible and accommodate children with disabilities.
• Conducts observations at Childcare Partner sites (EHS) to ensure that teaching practices are individualized to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Develops quality improvement plans in partnership with the Childcare partner and Partner Coach.
• Participates in the development of Individualized Family Services Plans (IFSPs) and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and joins IFSP and IEP meetings to provide insight and expertise and to report progress or plan for effective transition as needed.
• Reviews the Individualized Child Goals and Plans created by primary staff for children with disabilities to ensure that existing IFSP/IEP plans are incorporated, and that strategies are individualized and developmentally appropriate.
• Monitors individual learning plans, goals, and lesson plans created and implemented for children with an IFSP/IEP to ensure that services to children with disabilities are individualized and parents are engaged in the process.
• Ensures documentation such as IEPs or IFSPs and notes in record keeping system is up to date, accurate and reflects ongoing communication, follow-up, and collaboration with teaching staff, families and community partners as needed.
• As appropriate, participate in Multi-Disciplinary Risk Management (MDRM) Team Meetings and coordination meetings to ensure a team approach to client care.
• Delivers targeted case management, referral, and linkage to services and evaluation for children with suspected developmental delay connected through community outreach events and workshops.
• Serves as the liaison between Foothill Family's Early Head Start program and other programs, and the Regional Center or designated Local Educational Agency (LEA) to ensure that the referral process for evaluation, follow-up and determination of eligibility for services is completed as soon as possible.
• Develops strong partnerships with external community partners to increase referrals and resources for resource, inclusion, and recruitment purposes.
• Delivers workshops and presentations on early childhood development, navigating Early Start Services, and accessing community resources to increase access to services for children with or at risk for disabilities at least 3 times per week, in the community, virtually, or at a Foothill Family service site.
• Facilitates or organizes inclusion training for Foothill Family staff, Childcare Partners and Parents/Caregivers as needed to increase the knowledge and skills needed to improve child outcomes.
• Completes monthly/quarterly reports to provide updates and progress regarding program requirements related to inclusion services.
• Attends trainings, workshops and conferences as approved by supervisor to increase knowledge and skills as needed to provide high-quality services to community partners, staff and families.
• Prepares for and actively participates in weekly individual and group supervision meetings as scheduled.
• Participates in recruitment efforts to ensure a child waitlist of eligible children with disabilities is maintained throughout the year.
• Travels between Foothill Family and Community Partner sites for training, meetings, and other in-person interactions.
• Represents the Agency at in-person meetings and events at various locations within the Los Angeles County and surrounding areas.
• Drives to various childcare partners and community events.
• Provides care or services to minors or comes into contact with minors as part of their job duties.
• Provides services relating to the administration of public funds or benefits, including eligibility for public funds or public benefits.
• Displays sensitivity to the service population's cultural and socioeconomics characteristics.
• Performs work in a safe manner at all times and ensures that other individuals do not put themselves or others at risk.
• Follows all policies, procedures and legal mandates including HIPAA, client confidentiality, releases of information, protected health information (PHI) and client files.
• Ensures performance and behaviors support the Agency's performance quality improvement (PQI) goals and objectives.
• Reports to work on time and maintains reliable and regular attendance.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in child development, Early Education, Special Education, or Psychology. Master's degree Preferred.
• Two years of experience working with children ages 0-5 at-risk for developmental delays.
• Bilingual English/Spanish or English/Chinese skills required.
• Knowledge of early childhood development and developmental milestones.
• Experience providing support to children with Individual Family Support Plans (IFSPs) and Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
• Experience with working with Regional Centers (Part C) and Local Education Agencies (Part B).
• Knowledge of Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) preferred.
• Ability to be an excellent representative of the Agency to the community.
• Ability to conduct presentations in a variety of settings.
• Ability to work well with staff in a team setting.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to effectively and successfully interact with individuals from diverse socio- economic and cultural backgrounds.
• Must be familiar with the ethnic backgrounds and heritages of families in the program and able to effectively communicate, either directly or through interpretation and translation, with children who are dual language learners and to the extent feasible, with families with limited English proficiency.
• Must be able to work during weekends or evenings as needed for events, trainings and meetings.
• Must have computer skills to work with electronic record keeping systems and reporting.
• Knowledge and sensitivity to cultural differences.
• Valid CA Driver's License and maintains insurability on the Agency's auto liability policy (including a minimum of 2 years driving experience after receiving license) and maintains the California state required auto insurance liability limits.
• Provides care or services to minors or comes into contact with minors as part of their job duties.
• Provides services relating to the administration of public funds or benefits, including eligibility for public funds or public benefits.
• Must not be excluded, suspended, debarred or otherwise made ineligible on the Federal, State or County Sanctions lists.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.