GENERAL SUMMARY
The School Intervention Program Specialist is an employee at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW) whose role is to support the School Intervention Program (SIP) that supports the intersection between a child’s health and educational outcomes. This role serves as program Specialist with a primary focus on providing care coordination services for patients whose schooling has been affected by chronic and complex illnesses. This role performs an in-depth school needs assessment through structured parent and teacher interviews, analyzes key medical and school records (treatment and neurodevelopmental histories, report cards, attendance records, health and education plans), and consults with physicians and other clinical providers. Based on the responses from the comprehensive assessment process, the Specialist applies knowledge of the neurodevelopmental needs and risk factors of school-age cardiac patients to develop individualized school healthcare guidelines and a comprehensive academic recommendation report for each patient. This role is expected to attend school meetings in-person to describe the child’s diagnoses to school staff in layman’s terms and explain how their cardiac physiology may result in differences in neurodevelopment, requiring modifications and accommodations that school staff had previously not identified. As an outside consultant, the Specialist must be confident asking questions, making suggestion, and effectively advocating for the child during school meetings. The Specialist role does not frequently interface with patients, nor does it provide any level of direct academic instruction to patients.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Coordinates care among a multidisciplinary team of stakeholders: clinical team, patients, their families, and schools in alignment with best educational and medical practices.
• Complies with HIPAA and FERPA confidentiality restrictions: acquires and confirms consent authorizations prior to exchanging medical and educational records with schools and other external healthcare providers.
• Establishes and maintains collaborative working relationships with interdisciplinary team members, department managers and staff, patients and families, school personnel, other professional colleagues, and members of the public. Conducts multi-source, multi-method information analyses of patients’ school support needs.
• Reviews patients’ medical record, including: diagnoses, comorbidities, surgical history, neurodevelopmental sequelae, activity restrictions, and limitations in strength, vitality, and/or alertness. Reviews patients’ school record, including: education plans (IEPs and 504s), health plans, report cards, and attendance records. Codes patient medical, educational, and intervention-related information and inputs into program database.
• Accurately follows program protocols to conduct parent and school assessments.
• Evaluates assessment data, medical and school records to identify gaps in school services for children with complex medical conditions. Recommends health, curriculum, instructional delivery, and other educational modifications and accommodations. Educates families about education law, special education services, and different types of educational plans.
• Synthesizes hundreds of pages of medical records, school records, and assessment data into a concise recommendation report that this easily understood and applicable by schools. Writes layman’s term descriptions patients’ medical conditions and the connection to classroom challenges. Presents this material at school meetings.
• Contributes to the development of Individualized Education Plans, 504 Accommodation Plans, Individualized Health Plans, Response to Interventions, and other school accommodation and modification services. Receives training and maintains awareness of current federal and state education and disability laws.
• Applies advanced problem-solving skills to identify creative solutions to patients’ school challenges and communication barriers with school teams.
• Exhibits guiding behaviors that reflect Children’s values and support our mission and vision. Provides service in a manner that demonstrates awareness, empathy, and sensitivity to the family’s personal and cultural values and beliefs.
• Performs literature searches and participates in research activities to raise standards of practice and improve outcomes. Assists team in designing scientific research studies and drafting proposals.
• Supports dissemination of project results and outcomes to the department, institution, region, nation, international networks, and community. Professionally represents hospital and promotes program in medical, educational, and community-based forums. Presents program information and updates to clinical staff, family groups, and community partners.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:
• Master’s degree required.
• Two years of interdisciplinary and cross-functional experience in education. Current teaching certification or other educational specialist certification highly preferred.
• Experience providing direct instruction and educational support to students with varied ability levels.
• Knowledge of common curriculum, instructional, attention-behavioral, social-emotional, executive functioning, attendance, health-related, and other types of school accommodations and modifications.
• Experience creating and implementing Individualized Education Plans, 504 Accommodation Plans, Individualized Health Plans, Response to Interventions, and other school accommodation and modification services.
• Understands technical medical terminology: diagnoses, common comorbidities, treatments, and common neurodevelopmental sequelae.
• Collaborates effectively with multiple stakeholders in care coordination and on team-based projects.
• Strong computer skills: Microsoft Excel and Word, Outlook, internet, scheduling, and database maintenance.
• Exceptional organizational, planning, analytical, problem-solving, and cross-functional skills.
• Ability to work within deadlines on a consistent basis.
• Outstanding oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; presents conclusions and recommendations clearly and logically.
WORKING CONDITIONS
• Normal office environment where there is no reasonable potential for exposure to blood or other high risk bodily fluid.
• Monday through Friday work week, must have flexibility in schedule to attend off-site school meetings that may occur before or after school hours.
• Frequent travel within a 100-150 miles radius to support families, children, and schools is required. Reliable transportation is necessary.
*3 positions available*