Regional Community Engagement Specialist
The Regional Community Engagement Specialist is a part-time, hourly, grant-funded position (approximately 48 hours per month or around 10-12 hours per week) reporting to the Director of the CFI's Family to Family (F2F) Network of Virginia. The Regional Community Engagement Specialist provides backbone support to councils and committees for which the CFI and F2F are funded to support. One such committee is the Individual and Family Support (IFSP) Regional Councils that were formed in Virginia to give people with developmental disabilities and their families a formal voice in shaping services, such as through :
- Gathering input on needs, gaps, and priorities from individuals and families,
- Strengthening collaboration between DBHDS, providers, and the community, and
- Advising on how IFSP funds and other resources are used
Education Experience :
Minimum : High School Diploma / GED and 1-3 years relevant professional experience or equivalent combination of education, experience, and training (preferred Associate degree or higher with 5+ years of experience working in or navigating the Medicaid Home & Community-Based Waiver systems)Typical Expertise :
Have a strong understanding of the experiences of people with disabilities and their families, particularly those who use Medicaid Long Term Supports and ServicesHave a good working knowledge of disability community-based services such as Medicaid Waivers, Community Services Boards, and other services and supports used by children and adults with disabilities and their families in the Central Virginia / Richmond Metropolitan area.Have strong interpersonal and communication skills, ability to communicate in a clear, positive manner with diverse clients and staffHave experience building and maintaining trusted relationships across regional and community levelsHave experience facilitating meetings with diverse stakeholders (agency representatives, families, people with disabilities), including recruiting members, organizing meetings, taking notes, and reporting out on progressBe proficient in managing timelinesBe positive, collaborative, self-directed, self-motivated, organized, and able to multitaskBe flexible with shifting project deliverables, changing project funder needs, or unclear tasksHave proficient computer skills in Microsoft Office, Google Suites, and other web-based software.Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member of VCURegional Community Engagement specialist will actively participate in the continuous improvement process and will report directly to the Family to Family Director.General approval for work designated to the Regional Community engagement specialist will come from the Family to Family Director and the Center for Family Involvement Director. This may include, but is not limited to, external communications, development of resource materials, data entry, report writing, deviations from established protocols, and any other matters designated by the F2F and CFI directors.Responsibilities :
Meeting Coordination and Facilitation :Schedule monthly, virtual council meetings for the Central VA Individual and Family Support Program (IFSP) Regional Council (typically occur between the 21st and 26th of each month)
Facilitate Central VA IFSP Council planning meetings, as neededAttend All-Hands Meetings between the CFI and the Virginia Dept of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities (DBHDS) IFSP staff (typically on the fourth Wednesday of the month)Reporting and Documentation :Complete and submit a monthly report to the CFI and DBHDS IFSP staff detailing Central VA Regional IFSP Council activities from the previous month
Document meetings in the CFI Salesforce database on an ongoing basis.Outreach and Resource Management :Working with Central VA Regional IFSP Council members and CFI staff members and volunteers in the Central VA region, identify and outreach to one new local support for families or people with disabilities each month
Ensure that the Central VA Regional IFSP Council members post the one new local support and two other local resources to the dedicated Facebook page (typically by the 20th of each month)Outreach to agencies and organizations in the Central VA region to exchange resources for the benefit of people with disabilities on the Medicaid Waiver waitlist and familiesAssist in the annual recruitment, screening and interviewing of volunteer Central VA Regional IFSP Council membersCommunicate regularly with Central VA Regional IFSP Council members about training, event, and meeting opportunities, and help facilitate their attendance and participationEngagement and Collaboration :Ongoing, recommend a best practice about engaging people with disabilities and their families to attend IFSP Council Meetings (typically on a quarterly basis)
Recommend a topic for an IFSP Council Meeting educational presentation on a quarterly basisSubmit an article, toolkit, app, podcast, video or other resource of interest for the monthly DBHDS IFSP digestOngoing, collaborate with CFI staff, DBHDS staff, and Central VA Regional IFSP Council members to develop a flexible work planMeet one-on-one with DBHDS IFSP staff as neededOther duties as assignedCONTACT
NAME : Nickie Brandenburg
EMAIL : tnbrandenburg@vcu.edu
J-18808-Ljbffr
