The Community Policy and Prevention Coordinator is part of the leadership team within Adams County Health Department (ACHD) Health Equity and Strategic Initiatives Division.

This position leads multiple public health initiatives in the community to affect policy, systems, and environmental change resulting in promotion of mental health and wellness promotion while reduce health inequities. Plans, develops, implements, manages, and evaluates population health strategies focused on primary prevention through stakeholder and community engagement, a focus on evidence-based and informed practices, and coordination across programs. Serves as an advisor to ACHD and Adams County initiatives to integrate community-based health promotion into programs, plans, and policies. Supervises and provides guidance to staff associated with these programs, many of which are grant funded. Collaborates with regional, state-wide, and community organizations as well as other ACHD programs to support population-based prevention initiatives.

Program Administration

• Develops goals, objectives, and work plans for programs. Coordinates implementation of strategies and activities to achieve work plan goals and objectives.
• Stays abreast of trends and developments in public health, chronic disease prevention, and other topics related to current work plans.
• Organizes program data for use in grant reporting and ACHD annual reports. Conducts formal and informal performance management activities, including continuous quality improvement, development and maintenance of outcomes-based performance tracking, and program evaluation activities.
• Participates in grant writing process, as well as in negotiation of budgets and implementation plans with funders. May lead processes to identify and secure funding to address community health gaps.
• Supports and participates in implementation of ACHD’s Community Health Improvement Plan and Strategic Plan as related to chronic disease prevention, tobacco control, and youth health promotion strategies.
• Maintains regular communication with manager and division leadership regarding program progression, successes, and support needs.
• Incorporates health equity strategies into all programs and identifies underlying factors perpetuating inequity that need to be addressed.

Leadership and Supervision

• Supervises staff and operations of multiple programs including selection of staff, training, delegation and review of staff work, documentation of performance, and coaching.
• Provides back-up and coverage for manager as needed.
• Creates a team culture of collaboration.
• Leads development of program procedures, processes, and action plans with team and identifies areas of alignment with other initiatives within HESI Division and ACHD.
• Responsible for convening or facilitating and sustaining multiple community- based coalitions and/or supporting community engagement efforts with stakeholders.
• Coordinates with manager to respond to the changing public health environment through problem-solving and adapting programs as needed using change management tools and best practices.

Collaboration and Community Engagement

• Assists in the development of messaging and communications aimed at increasing the awareness of prevention initiatives and the importance of health promotion and disease prevention in priority settings.
• Leads cross-sector or cross-jurisdictional alignment efforts to ensure consistent messaging across programs and in the community.
• Collaborates internally and externally across multiple sectors to provide stakeholders with education on evidence-based strategies and best-practices in program, policy, systems, and/or environmental changes for population health.
• Builds and maintains relationships with community and business leaders as well as partner organizations to understand community assets and priorities, create connections across organizations, and ensure achievement of program objectives.
• Seeks knowledge and understanding of patterns and relationships involved in systems contributing to public health challenges and gaps, and engages with the community to identify, influence, and/or implement program, policy, systems and environmental changes to address these needs and reduce health inequities in priority settings.
• Uses assessment data, community input, and evidence-based practice guidelines to make recommendations for strategies to improve the public health policy landscape, considering the varied needs of specific populations, such as issues related to age, gender, culture, and health inequities.
• Advocates for resources that improve health equity and support community-based primary prevention in community settings.
• Supports diverse perspectives in developing, implementing, and evaluating policies and programs that affect community health.
• Serves as an ambassador for the broad work of the Health Equity and Strategic Initiatives Division, including the interrelated nature of risk and protective factors across health outcomes.
• Identifies opportunities for regional and state collaboration.
• Represents ACHD on community prevention committees and other relevant groups when strategies, outcomes, and capacity align.

Commitment to Equity:

• Regularly assesses work and supports changes to remove systemic barriers and build systems that address inequities
• Integrates Health Equity into all areas of work.
• Creates and maintains partnerships and processes that support and integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of Adams County Health Department work.
• Prioritizes transparency and supports an open-door culture.
• Integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion into internal and external goal setting.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Duties

Completes trainings identified as appropriate for this level employee. Employee participates in all exercises and drills on emergency preparedness and response, as required. Employee responds, as required, to support emergencies, incidents and events with a public health and medical impact.

HIPAA Statement

Maintain sensitive & confidential client information according to the HIPAA policy confidentiality requirements.

Equipment Used

Must demonstrate proficiency in using PPE; computer use including internet, email, Microsoft Office Suite; audio-visual and other teaching equipment; anthropometric equipment. Must be able to learn and become proficient with equipment and software programs as required to perform assigned duties effectively and efficiently.

Knowledge of:

• The public health model for community change, including policy and environmental change
• A diverse set of public health areas of focus, including substance use, tobacco use, and healthy eating.
• Techniques and best practices related to community engagement, coalition building and developing community partnerships.
• Social Determinants of Health and their impact upon mental and physical wellbeing
• Risk and protective factors associated with chronic disease and overall health, specifically pertaining to populations historically marginalized or whose needs have not been historically considered
• The underlying factors that lead to health inequity and how to address them through partnerships, programs, and policy.
• Principles of systems thinking and change management
• Needs assessment, program development, and evaluation techniques.

Skills to:

• Accurately scope out length and difficulty of tasks and projects, set goals and objectives, break down process into steps and develop project plans within and across the organization
• Create a climate in which people want to do their best; can motivate many kinds of team members and can support each person to be their very best through open dialogue and shared ownership
• Facilitate dialogue among diverse audiences to advance a common understanding and shared priorities
• Identify and engage unique partnerships to advance public health
• Look at trends and patterns in services to inform community health strategy
• Ability to negotiate, navigate and reach consensus among differing views and interests to promote health through changes to systems, policies and practices.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other ACHD employees, representatives of other agencies/organizations, and members of the community.

Ability to:

• Present information in a variety of settings with different stakeholders within the community both inside and outside of the organization.
• Facilitate group processes for inclusion and meaningful community engagement to advance dialogue to informed action.
• Adjust to a changing climate to achieve intended goals of the work.
• Learn how organizations work and how to advance community health promotion strategies within diverse settings
• Engage community and institutional organizations and community members to move toward a common goal
• Address health equity within diverse settings and speak to the systemic factors associated with Community Health Promotion priorities
• Supervise and mentor professional staff in a productive and positive manner.
• Prepare and maintain accurate routine records and maintain confidential information.
• Create a team environment within programs, divisions, ACHD and Adams County overall
• Identify unique partnership opportunities and ways to integrate health promotion into systems and policies

Commitment to Equity:

• Regularly assesses work and supports changes to remove systemic barriers and build systems that address inequities
• Integrates Health Equity into all areas of work.
• Creates and maintains partnerships and processes that support and integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of Adams County Health Department work.
• Prioritizes transparency and supports an open-door culture.
• Integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion into internal and external goal setting.

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. Years of experience may substitute for a degree, on a year to year basis. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be as follows:

Education: Requires a Bachelor’s degree received from an accredited college or university, preferably with major coursework in public health, public policy, behavioral health sciences, social work, community organizing, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.

Experience: Requires six or more years’ professional experience in community health promotion or chronic disease prevention, with progressively increasing responsibility, including a minimum of two years’ experience in public health and in leading projects that involve both internal and external partners. Supervisory experience preferred.

Working Conditions and Physical Abilities: This role remains in a semi-stationary position, often sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time. Occasionally, this role will move about to accomplish tasks by walking from one department to another; and requires reliable transportation to drive from one worksite to another. This position’s physical demands are assessed to be light work that includes moving objects from 14 pounds to lifting supplies up to 50 pounds.This role constantly communicates with others to exchange information by speaking, listening, and writing. Requires sufficient writing ability to communicate needs fluidly and accurately in grant proposals and program reports.This position can expect no adverse environmental conditions as work is performed in an office building.

Adams County provides a comprehensive benefits package to employees that goes above and beyond what is offered at most organizations.

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Benefits You Expect:

• AFLAC Supplemental Medical Insurance
• Basic Term Life & Optional Term Life Insurance
• Deferred Compensation Plan
• Dental/Vision/Medical Plans
• Generous Vacation/Sick leave
• Long-Term Disability
• Retirement Plan
• Short-Term Disability

• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Fitness Center
• Employee Health Clinics
• Flexible Work Schedules
• Recreation Center Discounts
• Remote/Hybrid work options, depending upon position
  • Sheriff's Office positions are not currently eligible for Remote/Hybrid work options
• Training & Tuition Reimbursement Programs
• Wellness programs