Family Engagement Specialist

Title: Family Engagement Specialist

Location: Multiple Locations Statewide United States

Salary

$56,880.00 - $76,608.00 Annually

Location 

Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

Job Type

Full Time - Permanent

Job Number

2025-03833

Department

Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth

Division

Outreach B-5

Job Description:

Family Engagement Specialist/ASL Rater

Full-Time/Permanent 

This position can be located at any location in Washington state. The Outreach Headquarters is located in Federal Way, WA

Note - This is a full year (12 month) based position and is scheduled to work during annual school closures.

This position is expected to start August 16, 2025. 

This recruitment has been extended to widen the applicant pool and will tentatively close on July 10, 2025. We reserve the right to make a hiring decision at any time.  It is in your best interest to submit materials as soon as possible. Applicant materials are reviewed weekly. 

Our Agency: The Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth (CDHY) is an educational community and statewide resource committed to ensuring all deaf and hard of hearing students in Washington reach their full potential. Our agency offers a variety of services including academic, residential, outreach services, and professional development. CDHY celebrates all language experiences and deaf culture. We are committed to providing the best individualized learning experience for all students we serve.  Washington School for the Deaf is the campus school for the Center and offers educational programming for preschool through age 21 in Vancouver, WA. 

Our Staff: Our employees are more than just workers. They are part of a community, network, and family. Each staff member serves as a role model to students. We're looking for people that can contribute, grow, think, and dream. We thrive in a culture that embraces diversity and rewards imagination. CDHY is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion! Our agency strives to create an inclusive and diverse learning community with emphasis on access, success, and equity by recruiting, retaining, and ensuring the success of diverse students, faculty, and staff. CDHY aims to build a community that values and respects one another by providing the best learning environment for faculty, staff, and student success.

About the CDHY Outreach Team:

The Outreach Team offers services to deaf and hard of hearing students, their families, and the educators that serve them throughout Washington State. Our team consists of specialists in: American Sign Language, audiology, deaf plus, early intervention, educational interpreting, family engagement, listening and spoken language, literacy, school psychology, Signing Exact English, social-emotional learning, speech-language, teaching strategies and curriculum, and transition (birth-22). We offer support to students, families, early childhood programs, and school districts through direct services, state-wide events, and professional development opportunities. We are a state-wide resource dedicated to ensuring all deaf and hard of hearing students in Washington receive the support they need to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.  

About the position: 

The Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth's mission is to provide educational services to all Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) children in the state of Washington and to support their development by building connections between families and the professionals who work with them.  The Family Engagement Specialist (FES) supports this goal by working with parents and families in the home environment educating, empowering, and meaningfully engaging the families of DHH children. The FES focuses on educating parents/families about access to visual language, ASL, and early literacy skills, supporting language acquisition and early communication skills so that young children have a foundation to reach their full potential. This position also builds connections between local and state resources and systems, helps minimize duplication of efforts, and creates consistency in statewide services and information sharing.

Provide in-person and virtual home visits to families to instill a foundation of meaningful and accessible engagement with their children through teaching ASL and supporting language acquisition, communication development, and early literacy skills. Team with Birth-5 teachers of the Deaf (TODs) and other members of the team working directly with families and early childhood programs. Team with Birth-5 team members and other outreach consultants on preschool consultations and evaluations. CDHY Birth-5 services ensure   connections to early childhood programs, school districts, other family centered services, and supports transition to preschool.  

•  Utilizing the SKI HI Deaf Mentor Curriculum, Visual Communication Sign Language Checklist (VCSL), Northern Signs Evaluation tool, and other appropriate resources as determined by the CDHY Birth-5 Team.
• Compiling data for the purpose of evaluating child development and family mastery of information included in resources and curriculums listed above.
• Team with IFSP (Individualized Family Services Plan) members and attend annual 6-month review meetings for children on caseload.
• Share local, state and national resources with families and early childhood professionals.

Develop partnerships pivotal to capacity building and implement partnerships that support collaboration between families and professionals.

• Build capacity for greater family engagement among the staff.
•  Empower parents and other family members to create more parent/family leadership in their communities and in the state.
•  Work with other Birth-5 team members to create and maintain Family Resource Rooms  at the future CDHY Early Childhood Center on WSD Vancouver campus (opening Fall 2026) and other possible locations in  the state, to be determined.
•  Support families in learning ASL using lesson plans that include vocabulary and phrases from families' daily routines. Connect families with other DHH Specialists and services, role models and support systems, including Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side (GBYS) and Advocacy Support & Training (ASTra) programs.
• Continue to look for ways to enhance and expand partnerships, ongoing learning and more meaningful family involvement with both young children and early childhood programs as a whole.

Team with other birth-5 team members to create a calendar of meaningful events, activities and communication that significantly enhances families comfortability and engagement at family centered events, local school programs, and WSD, encouraging language growth, and deepening support for students aimed at improved developmental skills, early academic, and social success.

• Collaborate with other birth-5 team members and the CDHY Tech department to create an online calendar which can be easily accessed by all families and professionals.  Keep the calendar updated with educational and social events, actively connect with all DHH programs and classes across the state to gather and disseminate events in a timely manner.
• Work with other Outreach Team consultants to develop and distribute a periodic newsletter highlighting upcoming activities, events and information.
• Communicate updates for the CDHY website and social media, as appropriate and necessary.

Work with the other Family Engagement Specialists, early childhood TODs, birth-5 SLP, and other consultants on child and student consultations and evaluations, specifically focused on ASL and communication development.

• Assess ASL skills development through the lens of a native ASL user having knowledge of ASL linguistics, taking notes and using tools such as Visual Communication Sign Language (VCSL) checklist and Northern Signs Expressive & Receptive assessment tools.

 Conducts special projects and research as needed.

Attending and/or participating in required training and professional development through the Department of Children Youth & Families (DCYF) Early Supports for Infants & Toddlers (ESIT) Part C program, including obtaining the ESIT Developmental Associate credential. Attending other professional development opportunities focused on ASL acquisition, early child development, Deaf Culture, working with families, and other applicable early childhood information, etc.

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent. 
• Working knowledge of current principles in family engagement; current local, state, and national laws, public policies, legislative issues, and political processes important to the concerns of parenting involvement in Washington.
• At least 2 years of professional experience working with families of young children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. 
• Experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative professional relationships.
• Proficient in computer skills, including use of email, Internet, Microsoft Office programs: Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent written and in-person communication to clearly and concisely provide resources to families who may have no familiarity with deaf/hard of hearing early childhood services and programing.  
• Ability to maintain positive relationships with families who may be dealing with complex issues. 
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to independently complete assigned work. 
• ASL fluency.
• Ability to pass federal and state criminal background screening.
• Willing and able to act as a mandated reporter of child abuse and neglect.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in DHH early childhood education, related field and/or related experience.
• Experience working with parent and community groups.
• Experience working with professionals in DHH education or related field. 
• Knowledge of ASL linguistics.
• Experience with evaluating ASL assessments of young children or students.

CDHY is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please provide your resume, cover letter and at least 2 professional references.  

Must be able to pass federal and state criminal background screening.

The position is hybrid working assignments with both teleworking and in-person assignments.

Requires up to 50% travel. Must be willing and able to travel frequently by vehicle, air and train. 

Must have valid driver's license prior to beginning work.

This position is in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). For membership questions, contact the local Union Representative.  

This position is eligible for full benefits (medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, life insurance, and retirement).  

Salary information: 

Salary is set using the State of Washington General government pay scales (Range 53).  

Vacation and sick leave accrual, paid holidays, personal holiday, personal leave day, and overtime eligible after 40 hours of work in a week.