Parent Advisor Contract Position

2725 Island Home Blvd Knoxville, TN 37920 USA Phone Number: (865) 579-2500 Fax Number: (865) 579-2484 www.tsdeaf.org Parent Advisor Contracted Position – Statewide (District) – Apply Online Description: Tennessee Schools for the Deaf is committed to providing comprehensive support to families with Deaf or hard-of-hearing children through the Deaf Mentor & Parent Advisor Program. This service empowers families and enhances the development of children who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind, and Deaf Plus. Parent Advisors are trained professionals with expertise in educating Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing children and working with their families. They coach parents to integrate bilingual and spoken language and learning strategies into their daily routines, fostering natural learning within home and community environments. Parent Advisors equip caregivers with essential knowledge to raise and educate their child, focusing on creating a rich, supportive environment that promotes language, communication, and pre-literacy skills. Terms of Employment: Contracted position; renewed annually. Location: Statewide, Parent Advisors must be able to provide virtual and/or in-person services within the state of Tennessee. Salary Range: Not applicable; contract rates are commensurate with education and experience. Required and Preferred Qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree or higher in Early Childhood Education or related field such as Family & Child Studies, Early Intervention Studies, Audiology, Speech Language Pathology, Communication Studies and/or other relevant fields required. Masters preferred. • SLPI:ASL rating of Advanced required. • Three to five years of experience working in early intervention or early childhood education with families who have deaf and hard-of-hearing children, with demonstrated skills in family-centered home-based programs and/or demonstrated skills in fostering language development and acquisition. • Experience providing home visits preferred. If none, experience with family systems, adult education, or bilingual ASL & English education will be considered. • Strong knowledge of audiograms, hearing assistive technology, speech development, and language development/acquisition preferred. • Familiarity with learning strategies and communication approaches for effective engagement with children who are Deaf, hard of hearing, Deaf-Blind, or Deaf plus. • Ability to engage effectively with families experiencing the grieving process, learning how to navigate organizations and community services, and demonstrated skills using active listening strategies. • A state-issued driver’s license required. Ownership and/or access to a vehicle is preferred. • Access to internet, working professional knowledge of computers and Microsoft 365 required. • Strong skills in written communication, reporting, scheduling, planning, and work ethics. • Effective communication skills and a positive, customer-focused approach when interacting with families, professionals, Deaf community members, and the community at large. • Ability to work effectively on diverse, multi-disciplinary teams. • Strong organizational and time-management skills required. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: • Meet weekly for one (1) hour with families and their Deaf, hard-of-hearing, Deaf-Blind, and Deaf plus children, unless the family requests less frequent visits. • Model full language access for children in daily routines using multimodal & multisensory instruction. • Support children’s natural learning preferences using visual and/or auditory strategies in everyday activities. • Support families and their children with listening spoken language strategies to use in daily routines, if appropriate. • Collaborate with the audiologist and speech-language professionals to assist in the implementation of the listening and language program goals into the families’ daily routines. • Offer families resources and information about the range of communication opportunities available to them. • Facilitate the use of the child's prescribed assistive listening device in daily routines, provide troubleshooting strategies related to the devices, and create a rich listening environment for the child's home. • Monitor family and child progress through home visit logs, observations, and evaluations as required. • Educate and empower families to navigate entry into preschool and the transition process from preschool into elementary school. • Administer language assessments as directed to monitor the child's language gains, identify gaps in language skills, and instruct families/caregivers on how to observe their child's acquisition of specific language, listening, and speech development. • Conduct monthly joint visits with Deaf Mentors to expand language use at home for families and their children. Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: • Comprehensive knowledge of Deaf education and Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs). • Knowledge of bilingual ASL/English language development principles and milestones in early childhood. • Awareness of various communication modalities and assistive technologies used with Deaf children. • Awareness of the grieving process and foundational counseling principles when supporting families adjusting to a child’s diagnosis. • Ability to explain linguistic and cultural concepts clearly to individuals with little or no prior educational exposure. • Capacity to build trusting, respectful relationships with families from diverse backgrounds. • Strong technological skills, including the ability to effectively navigate online systems, platforms, video communication services, and data management systems. • Proficiency in maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries. • Ability to self-direct, prioritize tasks, and meet program deadlines. Benefits: Not provided.