Community Connections Specialist

Department:

The Partnership for People with Disabilities(PPD)
Duties & Responsibilities:
The Partnership for People with Disabilities (PPD) at VirginiaCommonwealth University (VCU) celebrates over 40 years asVirginia’s University Center for Excellence in DevelopmentalDisabilities Research, Training and Dissemination ( www.partnership.vcu.edu ).

The Partnership believes that families are best served by otherfamilies and people with disabilities, especially those withsimilar experiences and challenges. People with Disabilities andfamilies are the experts in their own lives and their children, andcan pass this expertise to others. To this end, The Partnership’sCenter for Family Involvement (CFI) www.centerforfamilyinvolvement.org works with families 1:1 to build their skills as advocates fortheir child/family, mentors to other families, and leaders inchanging the system for those that follow.

The Community Connections Specialist is a part-time grant-fundedposition, reporting to the Director of the Center for FamilyInvolvement (CFI) at the PPD at VCU. Community ConnectionSpecialists are specific to special populations and work with otherCFI staff and volunteer Family Navigators to help family members ofchildren and adults with disabilities identify and accessinformation, services, and community supports that meet theirneeds.

Community Connection Specialists also outreach to organizations andgroups in Virginia (and the country) with whom the CFI andPartnership should partner to meet the needs of all families withchildren and young adults with disabilities.

Community Partnerships and Outreach:

Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with communityorganizations, family-led organizations, healthcare providers,disability organizations, schools, and other partners to improveaccess to information, supports, and services for families ofchildren and youth with disabilities and special health careneeds.

Conducts community asset mapping to identify organizations,resources, and informal support networks serving families acrossVirginia, particularly Tribal communities.

Builds and sustains partnerships with Virginia Tribal Nations andIndigenous-serving organizations to strengthen disability awarenessand access to family support and navigation services.

Represents the Center for Family Involvement (CFI) and thePartnership for People with Disabilities (PPD) in communitymeetings, trainings, and outreach activities to increase awarenessof disability resources, family leadership opportunities, andavailable services.

Family Navigation and Peer Support:

Provides individualized information, resource navigation, andpeer support to families of children and youth with disabilitiesand special health care needs, helping families understandavailable services, navigate complex systems, and access neededsupports.

Uses family-centered engagement strategies to reach families whoexperience barriers to accessing services, especially families fromTribal communities.

Recruits, supports, and mentors volunteer Family Navigators andfamily leaders, including outreach to underrepresented communities,to expand peer-to-peer support and strengthen familyengagement.

Maintains accurate documentation of family contacts, communitypartnerships, referrals, and outcomes using the CFI Salesforce datasystem.

Organization Support:

Attends and participates as a team member in regular CFI and PPDstaff meetings/trainings, including any regional meetings withother CFI staff;

Serves as a resource to the CFI and PPD by bringingTribal/Indigenous perspectives, training, and technical assistanceto ensure the delivery of appropriate services to organizationalclients; and

Assists, develops, and participates in programs or projectsassigned by the supervisor.

Professional Development:

Attends mandatory PPD, CFI, and/or VCU employee orientation andon-going staff development opportunities;

Participates in at least two face to face or virtual training,seminars, courses and/or a state conference every year to improveservice knowledge and skills;

Actively participates in discussions by sharing experiences,training information, resources, etc. with other team members andidentifying gaps in services and possible solutions; and

Meets at least one time per month with the CFI director.

General Position Information:
The work hours can be flexible, given the needs of the community(for example, evening hours, weekend hours, daytime hours).

The position will be renewed each year, dependent upon performanceand funding.

Partnership staff receive mileage reimbursement according to CFIpolicies; a small wireless monthly stipend (if approved); andequipment (i.e., laptop, printer as necessary) to meet jobrequirements.

This Community Connections Specialist position may be based in theRichmond office or work remotely, depending on the successfulcandidate's location. The final work arrangement will be confirmedwith the selected candidate.

Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:

Have a minimum of 2 years of experience supporting people withdisabilities or special health care needs and their families.

Demonstrated experience building partnerships with AmericanIndian/Indigenous communities, Tribal Nations, orIndigenous-serving organizations to support families.

Knowledge of tribal health systems, community resources, andbarriers that may affect families' access to health care,developmental services, and other supports.

Possess working knowledge of disability service delivery system,particularly with local Tribal associations, groups andorganizations, and other disability service providers;

Practice effective collaboration, emotional intelligence, andteaming skills;

Be self-directed, self-motivated, organized, and able tomultitask; and

Have good computer skills (experienced in using currenttechnology to communicate and prepare materials, including websitenavigation and data entry).

Preferred Qualifications:

Personal or familial experience with disabilities

Salary Range: Up to $24 per hour
Benefits
All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

FLSA Exemption Status:
Non-Exempt

Hours per Week:
16 hours a week

Restricted Position:
Yes

ORP Eligible:
No

Flexible Work Arrangement:
Hybrid

University Job Title:
Coordinator

Contact Information:
(804) 301-6844

ContactName:

Dana Yarbrough

Contact Email:

dvyarbrough@vcu.edu

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