Our Family Experience Leaders will support ESP's family support programs and increase new family enrollment and education for families in our multi- county region. At ESP, we focus not just on our participants of all abilities, but the entire family unit. Families of a child with a disability often experience isolation and unique challenges that other families may not face; providing additional support for our families is crucial in fulfilling our mission each day. Our family support programs include: annual family camp at a fully accessible beach, monthly family dinners, onsite counseling and family workshops, new parent meetings, community outreach, and meeting our families where they are.
Service Activities
In fulfilling the objectives of our family support programs, the Family Experience Leader will: focus on reaching families of a child with a disability in low-income and rural communities by planning and implementing targeted outreach to schools, hospitals, and communities throughout the 26-county region ESP serves to provide program information and other family resources, serve as an advocate for ESP families and other families of children with disabilities, facilitate program enrollment for new families, lead and implement new family support resources and programs
Community Need Addressed
Our Family Experience Leaders will help create transformative experiences not just for our participants of all abilities, but also their family.
Families of a child with a disability experience social exclusion and challenges due to limited resources or knowledge of programs and a lack of targeted outreach specifically for these families. Further, there are additional subsets of the disability population who experience heightened challenges in accessing community integration programs, including families of a child with a disability who live in poverty and families or individuals who live in rural areas.
The Assets for Independence Resource Center reports that individuals with disabilities have higher poverty rates, and that those who live in rural areas have inaccessible services due to the limiting physical characteristics and infrastructure of rural communities, such as the lack of public transportation. Further, in a national survey of 5,000 parents, siblings, and caregivers or support providers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the ARC reported that more than 75% of families could not find “afterschool care, non-institutional community services...summer care or respite and other services” and that “62% of families report that services are being cut in the community, limiting or eliminating access to community life and opportunities for their family member” with a disability.
Position Outcomes
Our Family Experience Leaders will help create community engagement and integration for families of a child with a disability.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Housing, Living allowance, Stipend, Training
ESP will provide RENT-FREE HOUSING at our camp property, Camp Hooray, for all members. Members also receive: a) the Segal Education Award equivalent to the Pell Grant ($6,095) upon successful completion of service term which can be used to pay educational costs at eligible post-secondary educational institutions as well as to repay qualified student loans, b) a Leadership Development Program, c) CPR & First Aid Certification, d) a Health Insurance Coverage (members may decline coverage), and e) Daycare assistance, if eligible.
Education Benefits
CPR, First Aid, Leadership Development Program
Skills you will gain
Working with the disability population and a wide range of individuals of all abilities, communicating with family members and service recipients, planning and implementing effective community outreach and communication, public speaking skills, job skills training development, lesson planning, facilitation and teaching, program evaluation, time management and organization, leadership, and fostering collaboration amongst stakeholders and service recipients
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Lead group discussion, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Planning
Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Facilitate group planning, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment