Child and Youth Education ServicesROLE STATEMENT

The School Liaison Officer is responsible for assisting military families in addressing educational issues especially during times of transition and deployment. The challenges of the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) can be especially stressful for military families with children who have special needs. Services offered to exceptional military families are intended to recognize, support, and promote military parents and/or legal guardians as the first and primary advocates for the rights and needs of their children with special needs.

The School Liaison Officer SHOULD offer support to exceptional military families in the following ways:

provide information about programs and services available on the installation and in the local community,

make referrals to the appropriate special education or medical professionals, offer assistance in navigating the administrative systems within local education

agencies, protect the privacy of students and exceptional military families by properly

guarding medical and educational documents, including but not limited to, psycho-educational tests results, school transcripts, Individualized Education Plans, 504 Plans, and medical evaluations, and

be knowledgeable of the policies and regulations governing the delivery of special education in the service area.

School Liaison Officers are not and should not act as special education advisors. Acting only as facilitators, the School Liaison Officer should AVOID the following:

presenting him- or herself as a special education subject matter expert, attempting to ‘diagnose’ medical exceptionalities, recommending educational intervention services, violating the privacy of individuals and/or families by carelessly handling medical or

educational documents and information (these documents must be safeguarded in accordance with Navy Policy and FERPA and HIPPA guidelines),

offering to attend special education or medical meetings as counsel for the family, and making recommendations which directly or indirectly impact the quality of life decisions to

be only by parents and/or legal guardians.

The legal exposure for the individual School Liaison Officer and the Child and Youth Education Services program is heightened when working with programs dictated by federal law. For that reason, EXTREME care and the highest levels of professional discretion must be exercised at all times when dealing with exceptional military families.

By signing below, the School Liaison Officer agrees to comply with these guidelines and only those which serve to equip parents and/or legal guardians in their role as advocates for the exceptional military family member.

_____________________________________________ __________Signature Date