Environmental-Community Health Specialist

Chisago County•North Branch, MN

3d•$34 - $45•Onsite

About The Position

Join our team as an Environmental-Community Health Specialist and play a vital role in protecting and improving the health of Chisago County residents. This position combines environmental health, community engagement, public education, and policy development to address issues that impact population health. The successful candidate will investigate public health nuisance complaints, collaborate with community partners, and develop evidence-based strategies that promote healthier environments. Responsibilities include conducting outreach, supporting community health initiatives, analyzing data, and helping implement the Community Health Improvement Plan. This role offers the opportunity to influence public health policy, strengthen community partnerships, and address emerging environmental health challenges. The position also participates in emergency preparedness and response efforts to help ensure community resilience. If you are passionate about environmental health, prevention, and creating lasting positive change, we encourage you to apply and make a meaningful impact in our community.

Requirements

Knowledge of foundational public health work. Ability to apply principles of public health to communities, families, and individuals.
General knowledge of health promotion (population and community-based primary prevention).
Knowledge of community organization systems, norms, and resources
Knowledge of educational, training and consultation principles, practices, materials, and tools with various populations.
Ability to speak and present publicly.
Ability to establish effective working relationships with staff, community, and professional groups.
Ability to exercise tact, judgment, initiative.
Ability to work independently and set work priorities complimentary to the work of the Department.
Effective communication skills, both oral and written.
Employee must have demonstrated ability to work effectively and efficiently in a wide variety of computer programs and systems.
Ability to establish and maintain effective, respectful, relationships with clients, agency staff members, and the public.
Ability to apply previously acquired knowledge and skills to new situations.
Ability to communicate effectively using a variety of method.
Must be able to maintain positive working relationship with County Attorney, County Administration, Department Administrative team, and other county and community committees, State offices of the State of Minnesota for miscellaneous programs.
Bachelor's degree and moderate experience, or a combination of equivalent education and experience.

Responsibilities

Coordinates efforts to provide environment/population based public health initiatives with internal and external partners and acts as environmental health practice liaison.
Research best practices and evidenced based models for broad population health, with emphasis on those in relation to environmental factors (i.e... tobacco policy, asthma, climate change issues, well water, air quality)
Conduct surveys and collect data to review monitor and analyze environmental health approaches.
Develop, initiate, and evaluate environment/community health approaches and strategies as identified.
Develop environmental health prevention plans and reports.
Contribute to the community health assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation processes, ensuring that the CHIP is informed by current public health policies and emerging legislative trends.
Participate in identifying priority goals and objectives for the community health improvement plan (CHIP) that promotes policy changes and system-level improvements in public health.
Develop, implement, and evaluate community health strategies based on the community health assessment and improvement plan (CHIP) or other identified needs, advocating for policies that support the improvement of health outcomes.
Create and deliver health messaging to targeted populations for the purpose of development of health in all policies and the improvement of the population’s health in Chisago County.
Acts as a community resource for assuring environmental / public health best practice.
Provides technical assistance, resources, and training in environmental policy development, implementation, evaluation, and compliance with federal guidelines.
Seeks grant opportunities and assists with writing, reports, management, and evaluation of grants.
Engages the community through public presentations, meetings with organizational leaders, residents, and others to promote health in all policies.
Engage community partnership to build the community's health promotion capacity and strengthen systems that support community health and health policy. Identifies gaps in the community for partnerships to address a health needs.
Educates others on the focus of policy, systems, and environment initiatives.
Provides mentorship to staff regarding environment/community health initiatives.
Assists in developing the community health assessment and community health improvement plan to align with the environmental health needs of the community.
Collaborates with partners on Community Health Improvement Plan initiatives and strategies to improve population health, with a focus on environmental health.
Investigates public health nuisance complaints.
If appropriate, issue written orders to mitigate public health nuisances, lead hazards, or clandestine drug labs and take action to enforce orders if needed.
Collaborate and engage other agencies to address nuisance.
Conduct outreach and education on environmental health issues.
Participates with public health emergency response functions as trained and assigned within the department’s emergency response plan.
Collaborates and provides strategic direction with emergency plans in relation to environmental issues.
Other duties as assigned.
Participates in training as assigned.
Demonstrates adherence to miscellaneous County and HHS Department policies.