The Director of Inclusion provides specialized support, guidance, leadership, and safe quality interventions to individuals with disabilities throughout all YMCA programs and activities. This position coordinates all aspects of the Integration Initiative by working with YMCA staff and individuals with disabilities and their families in order to determine any supports and/or accommodations needed, as well as the most appropriate YMCA classes and programs that allow individuals with disabilities to participate in an integrated setting with typically developing peers successfully.
Essential Functions
- Serves as the voice for the Hockomock YMCA Inclusion program in the communities that we serve
- Coordinates registration and facilitates family intake meeting while establishing a relationship and identifying programs and classes that offer the best opportunity for success
- Shares with program directors and direct service staff appropriate disclosure and/or special circumstances necessary for successful integration
- Develops and institutes creative new programs to meet the needs of the community with special needs
- Facilitates inclusive camps, including summer and school vacation camps
- Coordinates outside facilitators/trainers to provide informational training to staff and volunteers
- Continuously engages YMCA staff in the integration program through one on one trainings, volunteer opportunities, and monthly learning sessions on a monthly basis
- Recruits effective /appropriate volunteers to assist with integrated classes and coordinates a volunteer schedule for in-class assistance
- Facilitates ongoing outreach to both YMCA members and non-members from the Hockomock community on behalf of the Inclusion Initiative
- Communicates with outside agencies for research and training purposes
- Attends weekly branch staff meetings
- Supports participants by learning how to best accommodate their needs within the program, ensuring all is in place to promote their success, including not limited to: staff training/modeling, direct service/intervention, consulting with families or involved clinicians, developing aids such as story boards/cue cards
- Develops relationships with participants and their peers to encourage the participant with special needs to participate in activities, have fun learning the skills being taught, and socialize with the others
- Be aware of safety issues and if safety is in jeopardy at any time, resolving the safety issue first
- Collaborates with the Association leadership on Child Protection to raise awareness in our YMCA and communities about the unique risks for children and teens with special needs
- Works collaboratively with other colleagues in other branches to support and cover departmental responsibilities, in the event of vacation, sick, holiday, etc.
