Clallam Mosaic, a local nonprofit, announced last week the promotion of two staff members to coordinator positions.

The appointments, Mosaic representatives said, will play a key role in supporting the organization’s mission of “empowering, engaging and supporting individuals with special needs, their families and caregivers.”.

Carah Pless leaves her role as Mosaic instructor to take the role of Parent to Parent Coordinator. She will be responsible for expanding the outreach of a program that provides information and one-on-one emotional support to parents and families of children with special needs.

“As a parent of a child with special health care needs I understand the importance of creating a community among families and the professionals that work with our children,” Pless said.

Pless, who has a middle-school aged son with special health care needs, brings deep compassion and understanding to her new role, Mosaic representatives said. She has an educational background in kinesiology and brings a long history of working in special education and recreation therapy fields.

Pless’s experience navigating schools and other administrative systems will provide is a valuable asset to Clallam County’s Parent to Parent Chapter, Moasic members said.

Continuing in her role as a Mosaic instructor, Karinn Larsen will take on added responsibilities as the new Community Guide and Engagement (CGE) Coordinator. The CGE program is a service contracted through the Developmental Disabilities Administration and provides one-on-one support to individuals with special needs to achieve personal goals.

The program facilitates community inclusion and creates informal community supports for individuals with disabilities.

ACGE coach for several months, Larsen will be able to expand her knowledge of community resources and inclusion challenges by taking on coordinator duties, Mosaic representatives said.

“I look forward to enriching lives, and having an impact on individuals and in our broader community, developing more inclusive activities and supports,” Larsen said.

Larsen, a Port Angeles native, is a nationally certified medical assistant. The mom of two school aged children, she will continue to co-teach in Mosaic’s literacy and health classes.

For more information about Mosaic and Community Guide & Engagement, visit www.clallammosaic.org. For more about Parent to Parent, visit www.clallammosaic.org/p2p.