West TN Family and Youth Education Specialist

TNSTEP

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Job Summary

If you have a working knowledge of special education and disability laws and a passion for empowering families with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate for their children with disabilities at school, this position could be for you! TNSTEP is searching for a Family and Youth Education Specialist for West Tennessee whose top goals will be to help parents navigate special education services and to provide support to youth who are transitioning into adulthood.

TNSTEP is a small non-profit with a big impact. We serve families across the state of Tennessee, including those of our dedicated team members. We prioritize work-life balance, mental health, equity and inclusion, and opportunities for professional and personal growth.

A typical day in this role could include you presenting an in-person or Zoom training for parents, reviewing an IEP plan with a family, collaborating with TNSTEP team members to create informational resources, or participating in a regional or statewide committee to help inform policies that affect the families we serve. 

This hybrid position has remote flexibility but will require some in-person training, events, and team collaboration.

LOCATION: West TN – Memphis or the best location for service delivery and regional coverage

Job Responsibilities

Responsibilities/Job Duties Include:

• In-person or virtual presentation of information and topical workshops to parents, youth, and professionals
• Provide individual assistance, information, and referral to parents, youth, and professionals by various modes of communication including phone, email, mail, video conference, and in person
• Knowledge and use of internal database system to enter data including family information and cases, events, and materials distribution
• Responsible for the distribution, collecting, and entry of evaluation data
• Identify useful training and/or informational materials and assist in the development, production, and revision of such materials including video, voice, and print
• Participate in interoffice communication
• Engage in social media – events, chat, and posts
• Participate in outreach efforts to minority and underserved populations
• Participate in the planning, preparation, and production of any project conferences and other project events
• Network with community programs, and agencies, and serve on boards or task forces as assigned
• Make use of state and national technical assistance and dissemination networks
• Participate in local, state, and regional conferences as required in addition to required training, annual staff retreat, staff development and conference calls, and team meetings

Minimum qualifications:      

• Must have a working knowledge of special education and disability laws (IDEA, TN State law, Section 504, and ADA); personal experience in navigating systems, and/or experience assisting families in the navigation of systems.
• Must be able to deliver information and support while promoting the advocacy skills of families and youth.
• Must demonstrate cultural competency skills, including the use of people’s first language. 
• Must be able to demonstrate strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, skills in organization, writing, team building, and time management.
• Must be able to travel (mostly in-state). Because of the nature of this position weekend work and evenings are sometimes required. 
• The position requires appropriate involvement in serving on education, diversity, or disability-related boards, advisory councils, task forces, committees, and workgroups. This also includes internal work groups. 

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent personal or professional experience required.

Qualifications

Skills Required:

• Ability to listen and verbally communicate to families under stress
• Writing skills include proper grammar, accuracy, and clarity
• Presentation and public speaking
• Computer skills including Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint

​​​​​​Strong preference for applicants with the following:

• Experience working with families who are linguistically and culturally diverse.
• Ability to engage both urban and rural community members and families from all demographics represented in West TN, including families and youth experiencing diverse socio-economic status and a range of literacy levels. 
• Skills working with youth with disabilities, at-risk youth and families, and youth involved in the juvenile justice and foster care systems.
• Skill set to successfully engage all community members in joint initiatives focused on high expectations for students and equal access to quality public education and appropriate support.

Additional Information

Benefits

How to Apply

Contact Information and Application Procedure:

To be considered for this position, the application must complete ALL of the following:

• Complete Application for Employment at https://bit.ly/TNSTEP-Employment-form
• Submit a current resume
• Submit a Letter of Interest that includes why you would like to be considered for the TNSTEP team

Send documents in Word or PDF files only  to karen.harrison@tnstep.org

Consent for a background check is implied by the submission of an application for employment.

The deadline to apply is August 11, 2023

Details

• Date Posted: July 21, 2023
• Type: Full-Time
• Job Function: Other
• Service Area: Children / Youth
• Salary Range: $19.00 - $22.00 per hour based on skill set and experience
• Working Hours: 30 - 40/hrs/wk; some nights and Weekends