“People we serve come from all walks of life and so do we. We want to empower the potential of every team, and we know that teams perform best when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong."

A day in the life of a Family Engagement Coordinator includes working with FEC Sean Bostic to LISTEN and talk with families about their loved ones with disabilities. An FEC applies high organization skill with savvy such that they can work with high competence and tremendous energy in a way that seems very approachable, caring, and human to the families with whom the work. An FEC does so by providing quality, skilled, and compassionate listening to families such that HCDDS meets them were they are at. …so that they feel empowered… not feel judged, patronized, or put off. The FEC most often connects families to the RIGHT information they need and connect them to the RIGHT people who will best help them get what they need. This includes helping them to make calls, introducing them to the professionals who can best help them, etc.
FEC helps families navigate to the resources they need and get through initial obstacles in accessing the front doors of agencies and processes. To do all of that, the FEC contributes high quality support and requests the same level of help from collaborative partners, many of whom FECs have help develop. The FEC helps families get beyond what they see directly in front of them…get out of urgent, crisis, and/or chaos mode. Within any given day, the FEC is identifying important priority trends of families, making recommendations around those trends to the right people, and committing superb response in both timeliness and deliverables to families we serve and our collaborative partners (including Schools, ESC, 513BUS and many others). FECs constantly communicate with their allied FEC, Directors, and Community Relations folks in terms of what needs to be shared and acted upon. And every day, the FEC makes sure to represent HCDDS and ALIFE as a warm, welcome, excellent, action-oriented communicator. This is all in a day’s work.

• Deeply and intentionally listens to families. Develops, organizes, leads and facilitates targeted family support efforts for caregivers of all ages through a variety of listening formats. Work includes leading family orientations to HCDDS, Future is Now, related aging care giver forums, and other strong efforts in the Life Course Trajectory. Regularly seeks family feedback in a variety of ways and organizes focus groups, problem solving and task forces as needed. Further supports families by identifying gaps and trends through all listening forums. Responds by effectively connecting families to essential information, services, resources, and resource partners that best fits their identified needs and resolves identified trends. Informs and provides specific, formal reports to HCDDS for strategic planning and further quality response.
• Develops and sustains strong working partnerships with family networks and agencies including Good Life Network, UC UCEED, and all related type forums. Develops new partnerships with emerging promising people and agencies.
• Consults and provides accountable collaboration with other community organizations including DD providers, schools, aging partners, and other social service agencies to expand capacity to support families and promote inclusion.
• Works with Community Relations to develop and manages content on the family portion of the agency website, webinars, other media, and publications to assure information is complete, accessible, relevant, and engaging. Understand and communicate local, state, and federal issues that impact families and include in communications.
• Stays abreast of local, state, and federal changes that impact families of people with DD. Connects families and people served to effective advocates per issues of interest and concern.
• Travels to and gains access to different work sites in a safe, efficient and effective manner in accordance with established procedures.
• Demonstrates regular and predictable attendance; demonstrates a sense of teamwork and cooperation; maintains good working relationships with individuals, family members, community and staff; regularly informs supervisor of schedule.
• Performs other related duties as required or assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree
• Two years of related work experience with families with member with DD
• Possesses valid driver’s license and meets the agency’s driver’s insurability requirements.