POSITION: Early Childhood Blind and Low Vision Specialist
STATUS: Part or Full-time Exempt
REPORTS TO: Program Director, Little Learners Program
APPLICATION DEADLINE: specific date- TBD
JOB PURPOSE:
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, headquartered in downtown San Francisco, is looking for full and part-time Early Childhood Blind and Low Vision Specialists to staff a new department within our organization in in selected counties throughout the bay area and northern California.
The Early Childhood Blind and Low Vision Specialist reports to the LightHouse Little Learners Program Director.
Diversity and Inclusion: LightHouse intentionally and actively works to minimize barriers to employment faced by many marginalized groups. As a result, we welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and abilities, including but not limited to applicants who possess various disabilities, racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender identities, and ages.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education or equivalent:
- Minimum B.A. or B.S. degree
- Strongly Preferred: Masters/Credential in Visual Impairments or Orientation and Mobility or Early Childhood/Special Education, or Physical or Occupational Therapy or Social Work
Desired Qualifications:
- Professional preparation in the following:
- Education of young children who are blind or have low vision
- Orientation and Mobility
- Infant or Early Childhood Development
- Physical or Occupational Therapy
- Social Work
- Professional preparation in the philosophy of Infant and Family Mental Health
- Bilingual fluency; Spanish preferred
- Public speaking skills
- Infant Massage Training or Certification
Experience (Preferred):
- Minimum three years’ experience working with infants and preschoolers who are blind or have low vision, or whose developmental delays include blindness or low vision; or who are deafblind
- Minimum three years’ experience providing home visits to families
- Work in multi-cultural teaching circumstances
- Trained in Lilli Nielsen philosophy of Active Learning
Required Skills:
- Strong written and spoken communication skills
- Knowledge of the many strategies, techniques and communities used to support blind children, teens, and adults for success throughout life.
- Effective interpersonal and communication skills with children and adults
- Joyful, playful, positive working style with children
- Strong organization and prioritization/time management skills to meet deadlines and monthly submission of billing
- Takes initiative and can work independently under pressure
- Creative problem solver
- Flexible schedule and demeanor: able to accommodate widely varied and unpredictable home circumstances with children, family members and pets present
- Positive attitude, professional manner, and strong work ethic
- Ability to interact and network with professionals and to deal tactfully with a variety of individuals and organizations
- Ability to relate to and show compassion toward concerned client families and family members
- Must be sensitive to clients’ cultural and socioeconomic circumstances
Other:
- Ability to use alternative modes of transportation regularly
- Comfort with navigating in familiar and new communities
- Willingness to be fingerprinted and complete a background check, including Livescan
- Willingness to complete a TB test
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and demands
- Willingness to use personal phone for work-related communications (will be reimbursed). The Specialist’s phone number will be shielded from callers through the LightHouse system.
TECHNOLOGY SKILLS:
- Knowledge of basic computer and technology skills with the following preferred experience with Calendaring, Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Outlook, as well as other Software Applications, such as Salesforce, ADP, Zoom tele-conference; and including facility with encrypted data communication systems
Transportation:
- The ability to travel to various locations throughout the SF bay area and Northern and Central California is essential to the duties of this position
- Strong organization and prioritization/time management skills that ensure timely completion of weekly tasks and long-term projects
- Valid California Driver’s License or valid California REAL ID
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: (will differ in periods of remote learning):
- Commitment to following COVID-19 protocols, including use of required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), social distancing and hand-washing techniques, during in-person services.
- Able to lift boxes and materials up to 30 pounds
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Early Childhood Blind and Low Vision Specialist in this role will provide services in the following areas:
Family Services:
- Provide parent/caregiver education and family-centered coaching services in the context of the natural environment of the home and community for families of young children (birth to three years of age) who are blind or have low vision; have neurological visual impairment; whose developmental delays include blindness or low vision; or who are deafblind
- Provide information and resources to families related to their child’s blindness or low vision, and how these disabilities impact early development
- Conduct parent interviews and administer developmental and functional vision assessments appropriate for this population of children and their families
- Encourage parent/caregiver and child interactions and the child’s overall growth and development through adapted play and routines-based activities in the home, or by remote learning or a hybrid of in-person and remote learning
- Support the relationship and bond between the parent/caregiver and child utilizing the philosophy of infant and family mental health
- Coach families in child-advocacy skills in medical, educational, and social settings
- Have a working knowledge of specialized toys and materials and assistive technology for young children who are blind or have low vision, or neurological visual impairment, or whose developmental delays are combined with blindness or deaf blindness
Community Collaboration and Outreach:
- Consult and build professional working relationships with community representatives as a full participant on the child and family’s Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) team
- Partner with the child’s site-based early intervention program to adapt materials, approaches and the environment for a child who is blind or has low vision
- Prepare for, accompany, and debrief with families on important medical visits
- Provide information, resources, and referrals to families for relevant community services and assistance
- Provide workshops and trainings on early childhood blindness and low vision for families and professionals
- Help plan and coordinate individual or group family education and parent-to-parent-support opportunities and events
- At the direction of their supervisor, attend and participate in programs of national, state, and local groups of parents of blind children
Case Management:
- Maintain and organize secure and safe client case files in multiple formats, as needed, including contracts, Purchases of Service, Facesheets, Family Surveys and research forms, for a service population in the range of 20-30 clients per FTE
- Prepare and submit family reports to contracting agencies according to established timelines
- Maintain consistent, accurate service notes
- Maintain accurate client billing records in electronic format and submit service hours for billing by established deadlines
- Comply with HIPAA requirements related to confidentiality of documents and communications
- Ability to purchase, track and maintain toys and materials in an organized and safe condition
- Maintain and submit accurate expense reports in accordance with Lighthouse employee handbook and policies.
Organizational Support:
- Establish and maintain a safe and secure home office environment to effectively perform duties required of the Early Childhood Blindness and Low Vision Specialist
- Provide families with required agency, state, and federal electronic forms, and maintain in case electronic file
- Assist with confidential data gathering and information-sharing per state and federal requirements; in collaboration with LightHouse’s internal departments such as Program, IT, Development, Finance and Communications
- Participate in monthly All-Staff and LightHouse Little Learners Program Staff Meetings (regional, and/or full program)
- Complete annual Performance Review requirements
WORKING CONDITIONS:
- Typical work hours: 9 AM-5PM, 5 days per week per FTE
- Willingness to work *outside* of normal working hours when appointments or Lighthouse programs require it.
- Works in a well-lighted, ventilated home or headquarters office area
- With the approval of their supervisor, attends and participates in professional development opportunities related to job responsibilities
- Work at events held in indoor and outdoor environments including occasional overnight stays at Enchanted Hills Camp in Napa
- With the approval of their supervisor, attends and participates in professional development opportunities related to job responsibilities
- Attends all LightHouse all-staff events and, with the permission of their supervisor, optional LightHouse blindness learning events
- Willingness to be fingerprinted and complete a background check, including a Livescan and TB Test
LightHouse is an equal opportunity employer. The Lighthouse’s Equal Opportunity statement can be found here: https://lighthouse-sf.org/about/careers/
Compensation: Depending on Experience; “industry competitive”
HOW TO APPLY:
Please include a cover letter and résumé as Word attachments (no PDFs please), to hr@lighthouse-sf.org, including the job title in the subject line. We will not consider videos or hyperlinks to online profiles. Due to time constraints, we will only respond to complete submissions in which there is serious interest, thanks for your understanding.
