Position title: PEARS Program Coordinator
Position type: Full-time, Salaried
Salary: $52,000 annually
Organization: Family Voices of Tennessee (FVTN), a program of the Tennessee Disability Coalition
Supervised by: Family Voices of TN Director
Work setting: Employee may work from home anywhere in Tennessee. Employee has the option of working out of the Nashville office on a hybrid schedule. Position will require in-person participation for meetings and outreach events with prior notice.
About us: Family Voices of Tennessee is a program staffed by families to support families raising children with disabilities, special health care needs and chronic illnesses. We connect families with each other, community resources and tools to navigate the health care system. We educate and train families to help them become effective advocates for their children and professionals on how to partner in family-centered care. We strive to improve public policy for children with special health care needs, chronic illnesses and disabilities, their families and caregivers. Family Voices of Tennessee started in 1993 as a program of the Tennessee Disability Coalition and became the first state chapter formally sanctioned by the national Family Voices organization.
Our PEARS Program provides individualized support, information, and resources to families raising children who are D/deaf, Hard of Hearing, or have hearing issues by connecting them with experienced Parent Guides who “get it.” We work closely with D/deaf or Hard of Hearing volunteers to introduce interested families to the vibrant D/deaf culture and community.
Minimum qualifications:
- Must be the parent or family member of an individual who identifies as D/deaf, Hard of Hearing or has hearing issues.
- Must have working knowledge through lived experience of health care and related service systems for children with special health care needs, chronic illnesses or disabilities.
- Must have supervisory and management experience.
- Must have communication skills and be able to speak effectively in public.
- Must have strong relationship management skills and be able to work well with individuals of diverse backgrounds and cultural traditions.
- Must be comfortable and knowledgeable using computer, database and work-related technologies.
- Must be able to travel, as needed, to attend meetings with partners across the state, approximately once per quarter.
- Bilingual English/American Sign Language or Bilingual English/Spanish, a plus
Key Duties:
- Coordinate the Family Voices PEARS Program including: Develop, in coordination with the Director, and lead implementation of a workplan outlining PEARS Program quarterly and annual goals for outreach, activities, training, and service delivery; Supervise the PEARS Parent Guides; Documentation; Quarterly and annual reporting
- Develop, in coordination with the Peer Support Coordinator, FVTN peer support programming including goals, training and activities across FVTN, and supporting community networks
- Promote and outreach to parents/families of children with special health care needs about Family Voices of Tennessee and all programs, including providing input for FVTN social media efforts
- Support families in understanding and navigating the healthcare system
- Identify, develop and support family leaders
- Provide one-on-one assistance, support, and training to parents/families
- Document all contacts and activities with parents/families of children with special health care needs and matching of parents/families to other parents/families
- Collaborate with public and private organizations serving children with special health care needs, with an emphasis on those serving children experiencing hearing issues
- Participate, represent PEARS Program and family perspective in Tennessee Department of Health Newborn Hearing Screening monthly contractor meetings, Hearing Screening learning community, annual parent-professional collaborative and family retreat
- Ensure that PEARS Program has staff representation at the annual Early Hearing Detention and Intervention conference
- Represent FVTN at conferences, workshops and meetings
- Coordinate projects and activities to support families of children and youth experiencing hearing issues.
- Document all contacts with state agency staff, professionals, and others.
Position benefits:
The TN Disability Coalition covers 100% of the premiums for full-time employees to enroll in one of two employer-sponsored health plans, a dental plan, basic life policy and short-term disability policy. Full-time employees have supplemental health insurance options, a health savings account, health care flexible spending account and dependent care flexible spending account options.
Mutual of America provides the Coalition’s employer sponsored 403(b) Retirement Plan.
The Coalition matches the amount our employees contribute to the plan dollar for dollar up to 6% of employee salary after the employee has been with the Coalition for one year.
The Coalition observes 12 paid days off for holidays each year. Paid time off (PTO) accrues per pay period (semi-monthly). Annual PTO earning for full time employees who have been employed 0-5 years is 18 days and increases with tenure to a maximum of 32 days per year.
Contact Information and Procedure:
All applications (cover letter, resume and work sample) must be submitted via email to [email protected]. A work sample can be any format. Examples include but are not limited to: written material such as a flyer or blog post, graphic material such as a social media post, project plan, material from a work or volunteer project, etc.
The Tennessee Disability Coalition is committed to providing equal opportunities to volunteers, employees, applicants for employment and those seeking our services, consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. No person will be discriminated against because of race, religion, creed, color, sex, age, genetic information, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or Limited English Proficiency (LEP). The Coalition requires that each employee adhere to the same standard of non-discrimination. Each employee is required to have a signed Non-Discrimination Policy statement on file.
In compliance with the American Disabilities Act, the Tennessee Disability Coalition will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. We encourage both prospective employees and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations.
