Healthy Communities Specialist (Health Department)

Full Job Description

This position will be opened until the first review and is a bargaining unit represented position.

Why Join Snohomish County?Snohomish County’s commitment to life-work balance and an inclusive culture.

The County offers outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities to our employees, and we also enjoy flexible work schedules, telework options and a convenient downtown Everett, WA.

location. Snohomish County believes in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and is committed to embedding these values into our workplace culture.

Snohomish County is located on the Puget Sound; we are situated near some of the country’s most scenic national parks and is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S.

Definition:
The Healthy Communities Specialist works closely with internal teams and external partners to support programs focused on substance use disorder (SUD) prevention, opioid overdose prevention, and behavioral health. In this role, the specialist helps implement initiatives, tracks project performance, and ensures that outcomes are monitored and reported effectively. Success requires experience managing complex, multi-partner projects, coordinating diverse stakeholders, and keeping everyone aligned around shared goals. Candidates should be able to demonstrate experience working with behavioral health or SUD programs, monitoring funded program outcomes, and leading projects that involve multiple organizations.

Work is performed under general supervision. Assistant Division Director, Program Supervisor, or designee, defines objectives, priorities, and deadlines; and assists incumbent with unusual situations, which may not have clear objectives or precedents. Incumbent plans and carries out assignments and handle problems and deviations in accordance with experienced judgment, instructions, policies, procedures and/or accepted practices. Incumbent is expected to operate with considerable latitude and apply sound judgment and teamwork. Work is evaluated for technical soundness and conformity to practice and policy.

Requirements

Examples of Work Performed:

• Participates as a member of a team(s) in the development of project planning and implementation. Maintains projects throughout implementation and administers project activities.
• Designs and implements public health prevention projects, training, or presentations based on knowledge and theories of behavior change and best practices or proven research, with the goal of policy development or systems change.
• Reviews and reports on county and city level data resulting in action plans that designate high risk populations and makes recommendations on best practice strategies having the most potential to increase prevention and reduce unhealthy behaviors or environmental impacts.
• Provides resources and technical assistance to communities, organizations, and professionals regarding health promotion activities. Assists in developing resources and structures of support so communities can continue interventions in a coordinated manner.
• Participates in the review and synthesis of existing evaluation data to determine the effectiveness of programs and policies; collaborates with epidemiologists to design evaluation tools as appropriate to accurately measure program and/or project success.
• Recruits and supports targeted community members to participate in community-based prevention efforts, such as youth, elderly, and/or disparate population groups.
• Develops, facilitates, and supports community and regional partnerships.
• Assesses, promotes, and supports the implementation of system, policy, and environmental changes where appropriate.
• Promotes inclusive strategies to engage multiple sectors of the community with an emphasis on equity.
• Collaborates with communications team for media coverage, public service announcements, community information meetings, social marketing, public forums, and special events.
• Tracks and reports activities and challenges to Program Supervisor or designee. Provides required agency, funding source, and contract documentation to Program Supervisor or designee as needed.
• Participates in all staff and team meetings; prepares reports as required/requested.
• Responsible for the coordination and preparation of consultant agreements, supplemental and amendments; ensures compliance with state, federal and local regulations.
• Coordinates with other county staff as necessary on final document for approval as to form when applicable; includes project summary documentation; and identifies potential areas of concern.
• Acts as a liaison with county risk management with applicable projects
• Aids sub-agencies, consultants, subcontractors for federal, state, and local guidelines.
• Informs consultants and appropriate officials of non-compliance with established federal, state, and local guidelines.
• Reviews incoming billing for compliance with terms and conditions of the contract and work authorization prior to submission to supervisor.
• Prepares required reports on project status and maintains related records.
• Writes, manages, and ensures compliance with local, state, federal and foundational grants to fund project work.
• Participates in and supports emergency preparedness and response activities, including preparedness for the division, agency, and community.
• Design and implement substance use prevention projects, training, or presentations based on knowledge and theories of behavior change and best practices or proven research, with the goal of policy development or systems change.
• Provide leadership, consultation, and technical assistance to community groups, professionals, and individuals on substance use prevention best practices.
• Provide leadership, consultation, and technical assistance internally and with external stakeholders around the opioid settlement funds.
• Analyze data to identify gaps within substance use prevention system and work with existing community groups, coalitions, boards, and service providers to increase their capacity to address those gaps and develop community health programs, strategies, and policy implementations

Associated Duties:

• Participates in opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Performs other related duties as requested by the Program Supervisor.
• Protects the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal law.
• Adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines, including timely completion of mandatory trainings.

Qualifications

Qualifications: Skills for the position may be gained through education, certification, relevant job experience or a combination, such as:

• A bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Health Education, or a closely related field.
• Three (3) years of work in project management, community engagement/organizing/mobilization, systems change, policy development, or contract administration.

Licenses, Certifications, and Other Information:

• A master’s degree in public health, health education, or a closely related field, preferred
• One (1) year experience in community organizing, system change work and/or policy development in a public health agency of the three years required, preferred
• Paid or volunteer work in public health, preferred

• Successful completion of a background check pursuant to RCW 43.43.830.