Transition Specialist

TRANSITION SPECIALIST

DEPARTMENT: Community & Scholar Affairs

BARGAINING UNIT: Support Non-Exempt

WAGE: Grade 203 – Specific salary based on experience

DIRECT SUPERVISOR: Principal

GRPS MISSION
Our mission is to ensure that all scholars are educated, self-directed and productive members of society.

JOB SUMMARY

The Transition Specialist will build a cooperative link between home, school, and community; will remove barriers that impede scholar growth and success; and will create roadmaps to ensure that every scholar is educated, self-directed, and a productive member of society.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, criminal justice, social work, and/or human services.
• Must hold a valid Driver’s License and have reliable transportation.
• Two years of experience working with at-risk scholars and families.

Preferred:

• Working knowledge of the district’s e-mail, scholar systems preferred or the willingness and the ability to learn.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated experience working with computers.
• Working knowledge of Windows based programs.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively function as a professional team member.
• Demonstrated excellent communication skills (oral and written).
• Demonstrated ability to deal with the multiplicity of an urban community population.
• Demonstrated excellent organizational skills.
• Demonstrated excellent leadership skills.
• Demonstrated excellent attendance and punctuality
• Demonstrated ability to work with confidential information and maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
• Communicates in a positive and professional manner with scholars, parents, and other adults.
• Uses suggestions for improvement.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Essential functions under the Americans with Disabilities Act may include any of the following duties, knowledge, and skills. This list is illustrative only and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by employees in this position. Regular on time and in person attendance is an essential function of this job. Other essential functions may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Interacts with social services departments on the status of scholars for early release/regular release.
• Participates in staffing for youth.
• Assists with the release packets for scholars, parents, local school districts, and GR Learning Center education program.
• Contacts the parents for enrollment information upon scholar transition and/or re-entry into additional school placement.
• Develops transition planning lessons.
• Develops resources in the community by building a guide of regional contracts.
• Assists teachers and scholars in developing a portfolio for all scholars.
• Schedule’s classroom presentations to assist scholars with transition and re-entry.
• Participates in regular meetings with GR Learning Center/Title I staff and assist with components of the education program, as well as transition issues.
• Develops a professional growth plan based upon self-assessment of job performance and current school improvement plan.
• Participates on committees and/or task forces as designated.
• Assists in scheduling and conducting monthly counseling sessions for each eligible scholar.
• Collaborates on issues pertaining to scholar(s) education plan.
• Aids with scheduling education classes.
• Meets with all eligible school age scholars to discuss the education program.
• Documents all contact with the scholars, parents, and others.
• Collaborates and maintains a working relationship with IEP Facilitator and other resource/referral personnel.
• Maintains an “Options Folder” on each participating scholar.
• Initiates an “Educational/Career Plan” with the scholar, upon entering the Program.
• Assists in developing a school schedule for each scholar.
• Trains, supports, and monitors teachers on the completion of required documentation for the transitioning scholars.
• Administers a vocational interest survey if a current one is not available and interviews the scholar about his/her career interests.
• Submits monthly reports and log sheets to immediate supervisor.
• Attends required training/professional development as required.
• Exhibits positive interdisciplinary staff relations.
• Participates on committees and/or task forces as assigned.
• Always maintains a professional relationship with scholars and staff and complies with state and federal law and Board policies, rules, and procedures
• Consistently demonstrate dependable attendance and punctuality.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

ADA REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk, hear (in a quiet or noisy environment). Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust/focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

MENTAL FUNCTIONS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to compare, analyze, communicate both orally and in writing, copy, coordinate, instruct, compute, synthesize, evaluate, use interpersonal skills, compile, and negotiate.

NON-DISCRIMINATION/ACCOMMODATION ASSISTANCE

The Grand Rapids Public Schools will not discriminate against any person based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, height, weight, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, disability, veteran, or military status.

Assistance with the application process may be requested through the Human Resources Department at (616) 819-2022 or [email protected].

DISCLAIMER
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description. The District reserves the right to modify or amend this job description to meet organizational needs.