Education Advisor (#28286)

at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois, United States

Job Description

1. Guides caregivers, youth in care, education personnel, child welfare professionals in Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and Purchase of Service (POS) agencies, POS education liaisons, court personnel, community agencies in their roles in the intervention and resolution of educational issues.
2. Resolves issues that affect the education of individual youth involved within the Illinois foster care system.
3. Provides consultation on handling educational issues.
4. Provides direction, support and resources in assessing and dealing with the youths’ educational needs to youth, caregivers and professionals including: child welfare caseworkers and administrators, school and district personnel (teachers, administrators, social workers, etc.), Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Guardian ad Litem (GAL), POS education liaisons, attorneys, community providers, etc.

1. Engages in planning to ensure appropriate educational services for youth.
2. Develops intervention plans to address behaviors that mitigate school engagement and educational achievement.
3. Provides strategic education planning for youth relocating to new schools and/or school districts.
4. Develops and coordinates appropriate education plans for children and youth transitioning from one education level to another (preschool, elementary, secondary and post-secondary).
5. Advocates for youth’s best educational interests in school planning teams, such as Individualized Education Programs, 504 Plans, etc.
6. Provides educational expertise in non-school planning teams such as Clinical Intervention Placement Preservation (CIPP), child and family teams, etc.
7. Provides other guidance and recommendations to navigate educational issues and develop appropriate plans.

1. Initiates and sustains collaborative relationships with local school staff and administrators and school district personnel that facilitate educational advocacy on behalf of youth in care.
2. Promotes communication and fosters collaboration between caregivers and school.
3. Fosters collaboration between caseworkers and school around youth’s education.
4. Develops and implements collaborations to address the education of youth in care between DCFS and representatives from other state agencies (such as the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)), and between DCFS and medical facilities, community organizations, etc., as needed.
5. Collaborates with early intervention and early childhood to provide successful interventions, resources, and enrollment for children in care.
6. Supports DCFS in its efforts to monitor and improve educational outcomes through collaboration with DCFS administrators, Administrative Case Review, dually involved specialists, Agency Performance Team, etc.
7. Works collaboratively to develop strategies to promote educational wellbeing of youth in care.

1. Develops and conducts training on evidence-based education best practice, state and federal educational laws, DCFS educational policies and protocol, etc.
2. Builds capacity within child welfare through coaching and training caregivers and youth in care.
3. Builds capacity among DCFS and POS staff and administrators, POS educational liaisons, GALs, CASA and other court personnel through training and resources.
4. Provides professional development to school and district personnel on educational needs and challenges of youth who have been abused and neglected and/or in foster care.
5. Plans, organizes and promotes education training sessions.
6. Provides updates and resources on changes in federal and state rules and regulations pertaining to education, DCFS educational policies, procedures, protocols and initiatives.

1. Identifies trends that affect children’s educational process; and communicates and works with Center director and other designated administrators to resolve problems.
2. Assists in systems intervention activities and develops initiatives that address problematic trends.
3. Provides strategies for sustainable planning to address educational needs of youth.
4. Prepares and maintains documentation of clients served, work performed, and all other required documentation and reports.
5. Reports to supervisor and/or designee.
6. Operates as part of the NIU EAP team and adheres to NIU policies and employment guidelines (and DCFS’ when appropriate).