Orientation and Mobility Specialist

## Orientation and Mobility Specialist

**Position Title:** Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialist

**Reports To:** Head of Client Services

**Location:** 912 West Broadway Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76104

**Position Type:** Full Time, Salaried and Exempt

**Salary Range:** $55,000 - $75,000

The mission of the **Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth** is to encourage and empower blind and significantly visually impaired children, youth, adults and seniors to achieve their desired level of independence through competitive employment, specialized training and client services (at no charge).

The Client Services department provides orientation and mobility (O&M) services for people with vision loss to assist with increasing independence, safety and achieving personal goals. The Orientation and Mobility Specialist will empower individuals that are blind or visually impaired by helping them to develop skills and knowledge to enable them to travel safely, independently and confidently.

**CORE RESPONSIBILITIES**

1. Teacher and Trainer
2. Referral Coordination and Documentation
3. Resource and Donation Management
4. Education and Advocacy

Teacher and Trainer

• Ability to establish trust and rapport with a diverse case load of clients from Tarrant, Denton and surrounding counties that Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth serves.
• Identify goals using approaches like the Person-Centered Planning process which is directed by the person receiving the support and services.
• Flexibility to teach and train in a variety of locations including public spaces, client home, Lighthouse Fort Worth office, transportation systems, and dense city or rural environments.
• Skillset to teach and train O&M in a one-to-one or group, depending on approval by referral partner organization and Head of Client Services.
• Encourage clients to overcome obstacles for increased independence and confidence.
• Solutions oriented, with ability to empathize with various problem-solving techniques.
• Ability to prioritize and independently manage weekly schedule, travel requirements, client needs and agency meeting expectations, all while maintaining organization and efficiency.
• Familiarity and demonstrated practice using the 9 Areas of the Expanded Core.
• Design, Implement and Adapt an O&M Training Plan for each client or group receiving O&M services, with a projected completion date and recommended training hours to align with Lighthouse Fort Worth client services performance measures.
• Ability and willingness to manage and coordinate with volunteers to assist O&M client needs, home visits, community outreach, supplies inventory and donations program.
• Coordinates, manages, prioritizes and develops a weekly schedule to meet with numerous clients and internal employees for O&M training.
• Manage and prioritize referrals from partner agencies, community organizations, Lighthouse Fort Worth employees and their direct supervisors, and those interested in services that may reach out by phone, email or walk into the office.
• Adapts teaching strategies and materials to address specific client learning styles.
• Displays flexibility and adaptability to modify instructional objectives and lesson plans based on unexpected circumstances and client needs.
• Ability to evaluate client progress and recommend strategies for continued self-learning.
• Assist and empower clients to develop a self-advocating strategy and support network.
• Be able to conduct objective assessments to then make objective recommendations.
• Communicate effectively with professionalism, kindness, empathy, and patience with a diverse case load of clients that may exhibit a dynamic range of emotions or appear to be difficult.
• Train new eligible Lighthouse Fort Worth employees with O&M, as applicable, and provide ongoing O&M support for employees, as needed.
• Willingness to complete 20 hours of blindfold travel per year to remain competent in your teaching skills, as recommended by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
• Assertive, empathetic and direct communicator to establish the O&M professional role, training timeframe, visit purpose and overall expectations.

Referral Coordination and Documentation

• Completes in person assessment of customer skills according to the partner organization referral to determine training needs and or to develop training plans.
• The O&M Specialist will manage and coordinate all partner referrals, including TWC O&M training referral documentation and follow-up.
• Build and cultivate long term relationships with community referral partners as an ongoing performance measure to sustain long term relationships with community partners agencies.
• Completes all documentation in the Client Services Database, Casebook, to track weekly, monthly and annual performance measure goals.
• Complete case notes and all required documentation within the required time, according to agency documentation compliance.
• Identify, recommend and implement O&M performance measures to report weekly, monthly and annual goals in line with Client Services and Lighthouse Fort Worth outcomes.
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365 CoPilot, assistive technology, and Case Management Databases.

Resource and Donation Management

• Have a broad and clear knowledge of O&M aids including rigid, folding and adapted canes, electronic travel aids, human and dog guides, and optical and non-optical devices.
• Awareness of local, state and national organizations providing services, which include guide dog schools, modes of public transportation, agencies and other organizations that serve people with vision loss.
• Assist with sharing internal and external company information, forms, policies and procedures to internal employees and the general community using preferred formats (ex. large print and braille.
• Lead, inventory and coordinate O&M supplies disbursement program which includes canes, and additional O&M devices, as applicable and available.

Education and Advocacy

• Advocate for the rights of all individuals with visual impairments to receive appropriate services
• Advocate for increased accessibility of all local transportation systems and connect with other professionals and the broader community by joining advisory councils or attending committee meetings and general community meetings, as applicable.
• Conduct presentations to staff, public, community organizations, colleges, universities, and other entities, as aligned with core responsibilities and staff availability.
• Represent the Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth and the interests of the blind community at local community events, boards, committees, coalitions and peer support groups in a positive and supportive manner, as available.
• Develop and maintain positive, working relationships with other O&M specialists, Blind/Visually Impaired (BVI) professional groups, Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI), persons with vision loss, and advocacy groups locally and statewide to continue to lead the Lighthouse Fort Worth O&M program with best practices and lived experience insight.
• Collaborate with internal employees and external partner organizations to ensure all clients receive appropriate accommodation and resources related to transition, job retention, self-employment, or vision related services.
• Assist internal organizational department heads in assessing job tasks, machinery and equipment for job modifications, job training, and job accommodations.
• Design, teach and schedule ongoing Blindness Awareness Trainings (BAT) for staff, employees, the public, employers and businesses, the community, family, friends, and relatives of Lighthouse.
• Promote the Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth and increases the advancement and growth of the client services department in the number of persons served within the service area while evaluating and improving the scope of services provided.
• Provide consultation, guidance, direction and support to family, friends and others in the community as needed regarding accommodating a person with vision loss.
• Participation in continuing professional education and development activities such as reading literature, attending conferences and colleague collaboration.

**QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS**

Qualifications and Knowledge

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated professionalism in attitude, dependability, teamwork, positive behavior, teaching, documentation skills and standards of ethical integrity with a strong mission alignment to the Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth.
• Performs other duties, as assigned.

Education and Training

1. The O&M Specialist **must meet** **one** of the following criteria as required by the TWC:

• Be certified by the [Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals](https://www.acvrep.org/certifications/coms) (ACVREP) or the [National Blindness Professional Certification Board](https://www.nbpcb.org/nomc/) (NBPCB) **or;**