Summary

The Civil Service title of Public Health Educator is competitive class and the position will be filled provisionally pending a possible Civil Service examination. At this time there are no exams scheduled by State Civil Service.

This is the first level of Professional Public Health Education work. Assignments are normally limited to those tasks, which do not require advanced training or experience but require the application of the principles of behavioral sciences in public health programs in order to encourage the improvement of maintenance of health. The work is performed under the supervision of the supervisor of the particular program being promoted or the Director of Public Health. Does related work as required.

Examples of duties

Organizes or works with community groups and directs educational efforts to influence public attitudes and behavior with regard to given health needs;
Conveys public health information in writing, orally or in person and or through electronic means, with linguistic and cultural proficiency in an appropriate format and health literacy level of the population being served as outlined in the Public Health Communications Plan;
Conducts information sessions at clinic meetings to expose new patients to the basics of bodily function and health maintenance;
Participates in studies and surveys of public health education needs in the community and evaluates the materials and methods used to determine the effectiveness of the program;
Assists program director with statistical evaluation of program, writing of reports, budget preparation etc. Prepares news releases and material for media;
Establishes and maintains liaison with community and governmental agencies to provide understanding and support of Public Health programs and services;
Solicits screens and evaluates new educational materials available.
May participate in the Performance Management Quality Improvement Committee, which includes quality improvement and quality assurance activities;
Provide educational seminars, classes or facilitates groups and participate in community partnerships and coalitions to promote population health;
Participates in Emergency Preparedness Planning and response efforts and real world events;
Coordinates Health Promotion/Health Communications and outreach efforts to increase community engagement and utilization and awareness of Public Health programs and services.

Qualifications

Good knowledge of the basic principles, practices and techniques of Public Health Education, skills in educational techniques and methods of communication; ability to establish and maintain cooperative relations with community agencies and different ethnic groups; good judgment; initiative and resourcefulness; physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position; Adheres to Public Health Organizational and individual Core Competencies. .

Supplemental information

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either:
A. A baccalaureate degree in health education, health science, public health, health promotion, community health, or health communications from a regionally accredited or New York State-registered college or university; or
B. A baccalaureate degree in education, nursing, epidemiology, wellness and fitness, or nutrition from a regionally accredited or New York State-registered college or university and one year experience in health education; or continued over
C. A baccalaureate degree in marketing, human services, social work or psychology from a regionally accredited or New York State-registered college or university and two years experience in health education; or
D. A master's degree in public health or health education from a regionally accredited or New York State-registered college or university.A local public health educator must satisfactorily complete 15 hours of continuing education in health education related topics approved by the New York State Health Department within one year of appointment.

Special Requirements: Possession of a valid New York State Driver’s license or otherwise demonstrate the ability to meet the transportation needs of the job.

SPECIAL NOTE: EDUCATION: Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside theUnited States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee.