Lighthouse Central Florida is a mission-driven, values-based organization providing an optimal blend of rehabilitation training services and real-world applications to help individuals of al ages who live with any degree of vision loss to adjust to their reality with grace and confidence so they can remain active, productive members of our community.

Basic Function:

We are seeking an Early Intervention (EI) Mentor who provides Early Intervention services to children with visual impairments, birth through five years, residing in the service area of Lighthouse Central Florida, Inc. This role will participate as a member of the Early Intervention team and support all aspects of Program Service.

Essential Job Requirements:

• Collaborate with parent(s)/guardians to conduct developmental assessments and functional vision evaluations to establish an annual Individual Service Plan and provide instruction based on identified goals and professional standards
• Provide one-on-one home, community, and center-based instruction as appropriate to the child's needs, primarily focusing on the child's natural environment.
• Collaborate with other community agencies as a member of the child's and family's IFSP team following the Early Steps Program of Florida (Part C) and the local school districts as a member of the child's IEP team following Part B
• Coordinate the implementation of service plans and curricula with other interdisciplinary team members.
• Provide guidance and support to families to develop their understanding of and ability to cope with the impacts of their child's disability positively, leading to the optimal development of the child and establishing the family as the primary child advocate
• Stay current with new developments in the field and recommend appropriate new and revised program initiatives to the team and supervisor.
• Support and assist in collaborative activities with community partners as assigned
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure the achievement of contract and grant deliverables.

Case Management and Reporting

• Complete required reports to document the child's progress, including assessments, goals, daily interaction logs, and data entry.
• Communicate with LCF's Client Experience Team, counselor(s), and other LCF staff as appropriate to expedite each client's progress through service delivery.
• Assist in preparing, monitoring, and reporting data for grants, contracts, and other funding sources and community collaborators.
• To meet agency and contractual requirements, ensure maintenance of complete, accurate, and timely documentation of assigned clients.
• Comply with agency policies and procedures, including timely completion of required documentation and reports (timesheets, etc.).
• Maintain the confidentiality of program participants following State and Federal regulations.
• Reflect Lighthouse Central Florida's mission, vision, and values in daily interactions with clients, staff, and all external and internal constituencies.

Community Education:

• Participate in community education and public awareness activities to develop collaboration with other agencies, municipalities, civic organizations, and schools to ensure that vision rehabilitation services are recognized as an essential resource to the community and known to individuals who can benefit from services
• Act as a liaison with the educational, therapeutic, and medical communities and assist with interpreting functional vision information.
• Assist with training and professional development of colleagues as appropriate to acquire experience and education.
• Assist in developing the Early Intervention Services curricula based on established professional standards.

Professional Development:

• Demonstrate an aptitude for learning and teaching new instructional concepts, advancements, and approaches; be willing to modify instructional design when appropriate.
• Participate in available continuing education, attend training and conferences on new advancements and approaches, share this information with co-workers, and implement the knowledge, concepts, and skills with clients.
• Participate in agency and department meetings to ensure communication and teamwork.
• Perform other duties as required.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in special education, visual impairment education, early childhood education, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or other related degree required.
• Relevant Master's Degree preferred

License and Certification:

A minimum of one certification is required:

• TVI (Teacher of the Visually Impaired)
• ACVREP O&M (Orientation & Mobility)
• INSITE certification and VIISA Certifications (i.e., 0 3 & 3 5)

Or

Pursuing a minimum of one of the above certifications along with a minimum of one of the following certifications is required:

• ITDS Certification (Infant Toddler Development Specialist)
• Early Childhood Education
• Early Childhood Special Education
• Must complete the following upon hire:
  • Recreational Safety Supports: CPR First Aid

Experience:

Minimum of one (1) year experience teaching or working with children, ages birth through five, who have a disability preferred

Demonstrated Knowledge & Skills:

• Ability to adjust, cope, and support agency changes in a positive manner
• Communicate with other departments/agencies, personalities, and leadership styles with a demonstration of tolerance, professional maturity, and flexibility
• Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Possess a working knowledge of MS Word, Excel, Outlook, standard business machines, and computers.
• Possess an ability to utilize the database for client demographics, documentation, and agency reports.
• Possess effective organizational and time management skills with attention to detail, flexibility, and ability to multi-task
• Ability to work as an influential member of the team and maintain working relationships with other professionals and the general public
• Ability to maintain confidentiality when appropriate
• Bilingual (Spanish) communications skills a plus

Physical Demands:

• Moderate physical effort required: climbing stairs, walking, reaching and grasping, carrying, pushing/pulling
• Ability to move about independently, such as stooping, kneeling, bending, and crouching
• Moderate ability to move and lift items to 40 lbs
• Strength to physically assist visually impaired and multi-handicapped children
• Ability to actively participate in a variety of indoor and outdoor field trips
• Prolonged standing or sitting at a workstation

Requirements:

• Maintain required certification and license
• Possess reliable transportation, hold a valid driver's license,good driving record, and proof of insurance
• Pass Level 2 background check

For employees living with visual impairments, you must provide documentation from a physician of legal blindness. Legal blindness is defined as: "Central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses OR whose visual acuity, if better than 20/200, is accompanied by a limit to the field of vision in the better eye to such a degree that its widest diameter subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees." These conditions are based on the federal Javits-Wagner-O'Day work program for legally blind individuals.

The employment policy of Lighthouse Central Florida and Lighthouse Works is to provide equal opportunity to all persons. Our company, therefore, has committed to equal employment opportunity through a positive and continuing affirmative action program. Lighthouse Central Florida and Lighthouse Works will recruit, hire, train, and promote qualified individuals in all job titles and ensure that all other personnel actions are administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, and veteran status, or disability.

All descriptions have been reviewed to ensure that only essential functions and primary duties have been included. Requirements, skills, and abilities have been determined to be the minimal standards required to perform the positions successfully. In no instance, however, should the duties, responsibilities, and requirements delineated be interpreted as all-inclusive. Additional functions and conditions may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate.

The Americans with Disabilities Act may modify requirements to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. However, no accommodations will be made that may pose serious health or safety risks to the employee or others or impose undue hardships on the organization.