Lighthouse Central Florida is a mission-driven, values-based organization providing an optimal blend of rehabilitation training services and real-world applications to help individuals of all ages, who live with any degree of vision loss to adjust to their reality with grace and confidence so they can remain active, productive members of our community.

We seek a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) who provides Orientation and Mobility (O&M) services, including appropriate low-vision training to clients, and assists in ensuring all Orientation and Mobility instruction meets or exceeds contract obligations and professional standards.

Essential Job Requirements:

• Conduct Orientation and Mobility evaluations, Comprehensive Functional Assessments, and other types of assessments (based on the client’s age) as required.
• Complete full and accurate documentation of each and develop required individualized service plans.
• Provide one-on-one community-based, center-based, and virtual instruction to clients.
• Develop engaging curricula, and implement safe, effective lesson plans and activities to align with Lighthouse’s instructional philosophy and achieve contract deliverables focused on the client(s)' age and skill level
• Make recommendations for additional training (in any skill area) to enable clients to reach their goals.
• Participate in decision-making to guide the direction of service development.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule as necessary to include, but not limited to:
  • Offering sessions outside of typical business hours
  • Attending some weekends and summer programming activities
• Ensure program quality by maintaining staff/client ratios, providing safe lessons while fostering maximum independence and soliciting client feedback
• Model the highest standards of client advocacy.

Case Management and Reporting

• Collaborate with Case Managers, counselor(s), and other staff as appropriate to expedite each client’s progress through service delivery.
• Review assessments/eye reports before beginning service with a new client
• Timely, accurate documentation of all client interactions within the client database, as necessary to meet agency and contractual requirements
• Obtain required client signatures on scheduling/attendance records
• Maintain the confidentiality of program participants per State and Federal regulations
• Reflect Lighthouse Central Florida’s mission, vision, and values in daily interactions with clients, staff, and all external and internal constituencies.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure the achievement of contract and grant deliverables.
• Support and assist in collaborative activities with community partners as assigned.
• Participate in community education and public awareness activities to develop collaboration with other agencies, municipalities, civic organizations, and schools to ensure that vision rehabilitation services are recognized as an essential resource to the community and known to individuals who can benefit from services.

Education:

Master’s Degree in Visual Disabilities or Special Education

License and Certification:

Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP) (COMS) certification, or eligibility for ACVREP certification required.

Experience:

• Work history demonstrating progressive levels of responsibility

Demonstrated Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of orientation and mobility principles and techniques
• Skilled in teaching Orientation and Mobility
• Possess oral/written communication skills
• Possess a working knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Possess an ability to utilize a client database for documentation, data retrieval, and running reports
• Must be able to interpret eye pathology reports concerning the impact on functional ability, and Orientation & Mobility
• Professional maturity, judgment, and objectivity
• Possess excellent interpersonal skills and effectively work with a variety of personalities and leadership styles
• Possess effective organizational and time management skills with attention to detail, as the position requires prioritizing tasks and working independently
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, management, business professionals, civic organizations, and the general public
• Ability to project a positive, compassionate image to the public
• Ability to adapt effectively to, and support, change
• Ability to maintain confidentiality when appropriate

Physical Demands:

• Moderate ability to move and lift items, usually up to 50 lbs.
• Stamina and ability to move about independently to provide Orientation and Mobility Instruction in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments; actively participate in a variety of indoor and outdoor field trips
• Prolonged standing and walking during instruction

Requirements:

• Maintain current COMS certification by the ACVREP
• Must have access to reliable transportation and regularly be able to independently travel distances consistent with training requirements for clients in varying weather conditions
• Must possess a valid driver’s license with no restrictions and the ability to travel as needed
• Pass Level II background check

For employees living with visual impairments, you must provide documentation from a physician of legal blindness. Legal blindness is defined as: "Central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses OR whose visual acuity, if better than 20/200, is accompanied by a limit to the field of vision in the better eye to such a degree that its widest diameter subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees." These conditions are based on the federal Javits-Wagner-O'Day work program for legally blind individuals.

The employment policy of Lighthouse Central Florida and Lighthouse Works is to provide equal opportunity to all persons. Our company, therefore, has committed to equal employment opportunity through a positive and continuing affirmative action program. Lighthouse Central Florida and Lighthouse Works will recruit, hire, train, and promote qualified individuals in all job titles and ensure that all other personnel actions are administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, and veteran status, or disability.

All descriptions have been reviewed to ensure that only essential functions and primary duties have been included. Requirements, skills, and abilities have been determined to be the minimal standards required to perform the positions successfully. In no instance, however, should the duties, responsibilities, and requirements delineated be interpreted as all-inclusive. Additional functions and conditions may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate.

The Americans with Disabilities Act may modify requirements to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. However, no accommodations will be made that may pose serious health or safety risks to the employee or others or impose undue hardships on the organization.