Intermittent Parent Mentor (Customer Service Assistant 2)

Purpose: Provides information and technical assistance to families and caregivers of Ohio's Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and DeafBlind children relating to the educational needs and supports.

Maintains Parent Mentor program:

• Establishes or supports parent networking;
• Promotes Parent Mentor activities, including training of general education mentors about the unique needs of deaf students and their parents;
• Coordinates family learning activities on and off-site;
• Clarifies program policies, best practices and procedures on special education law to families and district personnel;
• Responds to communication inquiries from parents of deaf students statewide, answering complex questions and handling information confidentially;
• Provides on-site support as needed for families of current OSD, ELC, and ACC students;
• Meets with parents and participates in planning meetings (e.g., IEP, IFSP, MFE) with local school districts/preschool providers;
• Collaborates with programs and organizations that serve children and infants who are deaf or hard of hearing to develop resources and training for families;
• Develops and/or provides parent education and staff in-service workshops as directed regarding the unique needs of deaf children, IEP processes/procedures, parent rights, etc.;
• Completes reports as required.

Supports families in advocating for the unique needs of Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and DeafBlind children in their educational settings and through the special education process:

• Collaborates with community agencies, deaf related organizations and other schools to align work and build positive relationships with others;
• Builds rapport with families, provides parent information and refers students for community services;
• Improves and increases parent/professional partnerships by meeting regularly with other Parent Mentors, as well as obtaining and distributing materials/resources to parents of children with disabilities and district personnel.

Assesses program effectiveness:

• Elicits feedback from stakeholders regarding program effectiveness and desired services for the upcoming year and implements necessary changes;
• Monitors progress on OSD strategic plan goals pertaining to Parent Mentor supports;
• Gathers student performance data and compiling a summary report.

Maintains professional and technical knowledge:

• Attends educational workshops and reviews professional publications;
• Establishes personal networks;
• Participates in professional and family-oriented organizations;
• Stays informed of education opportunities for families and deaf children throughout Ohio;
• Participates in staff meetings, school committees, educational conferences and/or professional training days.

9 mos. trg. or 9 mos. exp. in office practices & procedures; 9 mos. trg. or 9 mos. exp. in public relations or Customer Service that included techniques for handling difficult people; 9 mos. trg. or 9 mos. exp. in typing, keyboarding, data entry or word processing; 9 mos. trg. or 9 mos. exp. in operation of personal computer.
-Or equivalent of Minimum Qualifications for Employment noted above.

Position Specific Qualifications:
Fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) at the Intermediate level on the Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) upon hire, Advanced level after one year. 
Job Skills:Customer Service, Advocacy, American Sign Language, Collaboration, Customer Focus, Establishing Relationships, Listening, Networking