Education Specialist - Children's Pavilion - Days

• The Education Specialist serves as a vital liaison between healthcare providers, patients, families, and school systems to ensure children with medical, cognitive, or developmental conditions receive appropriate educational support.
• This position is responsible for assessing the academic impact of medical diagnoses, facilitating communication with schools, and advocating for educational accommodations and services.
• Through direct interaction with families, collaboration with educators, and participation in care planning, the Education Specialist helps ensure that each child’s medical and educational needs are aligned to support their academic success and well-being.
• Essential Job Statement Meet with patients and families in person or by phone to identify and assess school-related challenges and educational needs.
• Request and review academic records from schools to gather relevant information that supports educational advocacy and planning.
• Participate in virtual school meetings with families and educational teams to communicate medical information that informs educational decisions and supports individualized learning plans.
• Based on recommendations from clinical providers.
• Administer educational assessments, including cognitive and academic achievement tests, to evaluate learning profiles and identify support needs.
• Collaborate with clinical provider to write medically informed letters to schools that align patients’ diagnoses with appropriate educational accommodations and services.
• Coordinate return-to-school support by checking in with families and schools to address barriers and ensure a successful academic transition Prepare medical documentation and guidance for students transitioning to college to support their unique healthcare and academic needs.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of all school interactions, testing results, and documentation shared Develop communication strategies and documentation templates to streamline provider-to-school communication.
• Performs other duties as assigned and/or participates in special projects to support the mission of VCUHS and department.
• Provides assistance to team members.
• Accepts alternate assignments as required.
• Patient Population: Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide equitable care appropriate to the age of the patients served on their assigned unit.
• Demonstrates knowledge and related competencies of the principles of growth and development of the life span and possesses the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interprets the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to their age, specific needs and to provide the equitable care needed as described in departmental policies and procedures.
• Pediatrics (1-12 years), Adolescents (13-17 years), Adults (18-64 years) Employment Qualifications Education Required: Bachelor’s degree in Education from an accredited program Education Preferred: Master’s degree in Education from an accredited program Independent Licensing/ Certification Licensure Required: Professional license with endorsement In Special Education, K-12 from the Virginia Board of Education Licensure Preferred: N/A

Minimum Qualifications

Years and Type of Required Experience: Previous experience with special education regulations, IEPs and transition plans. Other

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required: Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clinic staff, school divisions, to include private school programs, and community representatives. Regular, predictable attendance on site, and ability to take calls while away from the facility. Other

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Preferred: Experience with assessment and evaluation of students with chronic illness and disabilities. Working Conditions: Periods of high stress and fluctuating workloads may occur. General office environment. May be exposed to physical altercations and verbal abuse. May be exposed to adverse weather conditions; cold, hot, dust, wind, etc. May be exposed to high noise levels and bright lights. May be exposed to human blood and other potentially infectious materials.
• Individuals in this position are required to exercise universal precautions, use personal protective equipment and devices, and learn the policies concerning infection control. Physical Requirements Physical Demands: Lifting/ Carrying (0-50 lbs.), Lifting/ Carrying (50-100 lbs.), Push/ Pull (0-50 lbs.), Push/ Pull (50-100 lbs.), Stoop, Kneel, Squat, Bending Work Position: Sitting, Walking, Standing Additional Physical Requirements/ Hazards Physical Requirements: Hear alarms/telephone/tape recorder, Reach above shoulder Hazards: Exposure to dust/fumes, Exposure to high pitched noises Mental/Sensory – Emotional Mental/Sensory: Strong Recall, Reasoning, Problem Solving, Hearing, Speak Clearly, Write Legibly, Reading, Logical Thinking Emotional: Fast-paced environment, Steady Pace, Able to Handle Multiple priorities, Frequent and intense Customer Interactions, Noisy Environment, Able to Adapt to Frequent Change Days EEO Employer/Disabled/Protected Veteran/41 CFR 60-1.4.

Who We Are

• Inventing better care, day by day by discovery Sound outrageous? It absolutely is. Sound impossible? That’s never stopped us before. Sound like hard work, intense research, collaboration with experts around the world, sheer brainpower meets unrelenting willpower? That’s. Exactly. Right. We’ll do whatever it takes to offer the best in care and empower the best in quality of life. And it’s an approach that works — whether it’s a patient who undergoes a new, life-saving procedure or a clinical researcher who finds promise in a new cancer treatment, exciting new medicine is happening at VCU Health. We have it all:
• One college and four health sciences schools
• An academic medical center
• A Level I trauma center
• One of only two NCI-designated cancer centers in Virginia
• The region’s only full-service children’s hospital
• More than 800 physicians in 200 specialties
• With a community health center, dedicated research teams, facilities and valued partners in every field Our medical teams are top notch. And we’re not too shy to boast of internationally known physicians, some recognized as the best in the country, top-ranked local specialists and all-around all-stars at every level. From our very first years to our most recent advancements, we are driven to learn more, dig deeper, teach passionately and never rest in order to be a true leader in discovering what’s possible in health and recovery. We are a comprehensive system of care and a pioneer of health. Read VCU Health Year In Review for more about our accomplishments.