Director, Children and Family Advocacy Program

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is a national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. Our mission is to advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development. An important component of our work is to train and educate people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities aged 0-26 about their rights under state and federal laws so they can challenge exclusion and discrimination, and advocate effectively for their full participation in their schools and communities.

Our Children and Family Advocacy work is centered on educating and empowering parents to participate and advocate effectively in the early intervention and special education systems and prepare youth with disabilities to advocate for themselves. Much of this work is done by education advocates through our federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (PTI). All of our advocates are parents or family members of children with disabilities with lived experience navigating complex systems of care and dealing with the multitude of barriers families face in securing a free, appropriate public education for their child.

Job Responsibilities

Under the general direction of the Executive Director, DREDF’s Director of the Child and Family Advocacy Program will:

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the Child and Family Advocacy Program and the Parent Training and Information Center (PTI). Ensure the timely provision of services to diverse families and community support organizations in 32 Northern California counties.
• Support and mentor PTI education advocates, support staff, and/or volunteers in a demanding and fast paced environment. Lead weekly PTI team meetings, in person, where possible. Perform goal-setting exercises and conduct performance reviews with education advocates and support staff annually. Assess team professional development needs responsively, and on an ongoing basis.
• Manage budgets and complex data reporting and analysis requirements for all PTI-related grants. Ensure compliance with all deadlines and deliverables.
• With the support of the Executive Director and on a five-year cycle, facilitate all grant writing-related deliverables for DoE (Region 5) and NCC4 (Region 4) grants, in advance of deadlines.
• Attend grant progress meetings and all meetings as required by grant deliverables, including but not limited to grant-required travel to annual national and state meetings, as appropriate.
• Per community requests and mandated grant requirements, and as aligned with disability-related legislative updates at the intersections of education, parents, youth and disability access: research, design, oversee and/or deliver hybrid and in-person training catered to these stakeholders and other community organizations at local, state, and federal levels.
• Develop and implement assessment tools pertaining to DREDF PTI training effectiveness; implement team changes based on these results.
• Monitor DREDF technical assistance and training requests to ensure provision of timely, accurate and effective assistance that is aligned with grant requirements and organizational priorities. Provide technical assistance and training when necessary. Review, utilize and document family input from DREDF service evaluations to continuously monitor and improve DREDF services
• Develop and implement outreach and disability access public awareness campaigns for, and cultivate relationships with, community stakeholders and historically marginalized and underserved families with disabilities.
• Participate in local, state, and federal task forces and advisory committees examining current topics and mechanisms for meaningful systems change at the intersection of disability access, education, and parent advocacy (e.g., Foster Care Task force, CADRE, Transition Task Force, Alameda County Special Needs Committee, North Coast Education Justice Collaborative, and others).
• Coordinate with DREDF legal team on high-impact litigation involving disabled children and youth. Provide technical assistance to legal aid organizations serving low income families in CA.
• Participate in DREDF Management Team to elevate PTI issues requiring attention, and to support the organization's mission and vision toward the development and implementation of DREDF’s strategic plan.
• Represent the organization in media interviews related to disability and education civil rights as a subject matter expert, as needed.
• Research and write the monthly “Special EDition,” addressing education and disability advocacy issues.

Qualifications

We want to find the best candidate for the job and want to hear from candidates with diverse lived experiences. We encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our qualifications described.

Minimum Requirements:

• Minimum two years supervisory or management experience, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the IDEA and related education laws impacting the rights of parents, youth and families with disabilities, transition aged youth, and youth with disabilities in specialized settings (like foster care).
• Lived experience with disability as a parent, family member or disabled person.
• Ability to travel extensively throughout Northern California counties. Annual regional and national grant-related travel is also required.
• Weekend work may be required for this role depending on business needs.
• Ability to manage multiple and competing priorities in high stress and conflict situations.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate both within an organization and with partner organizations to deliver training and public awareness, particularly to vulnerable and marginalized communities and families.
• Demonstrated budgeting and data management and analysis skills
• Demonstrated effectiveness in organization, time management and communication.

Desired Qualifications:

• ASL/Spanish or other bilingual and cultural competency skills.
• Experience navigating and facilitating the technical aspects of virtual webinar and meeting platforms.