Family Advocate – Overdose to Action (OD2A) – Department of Public Health and Environment

City and County of Denver • Denver, CO

7d • $27 - $40 • Onsite

About The Position

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. This is a position with an expected end date of 8/31/2028, and the potential to be extended. Denver's Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) is dedicated to advancing Denver's environmental and public health goals. DDPHE works collaboratively with city, state and community partners to conduct education, community engagement, and enforcement to promote healthy people, healthy pets, and a sustainable environment. DDPHE oversees a number of services related to public health and the environment and is comprised of seven divisions: Division of Shared Services and Business Operations; Community & Behavioral Health; Public Health Investigations; Denver Animal Protection; the Office of Medical Examiner; Emergency Management and Medical Operations; and Environmental Quality. For more information on DDPHE’s programs and services, visit the DDPHE website at: Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. We foster an inclusive culture by respecting the values, customs, and authenticity of everyone and by implementing equitable public health strategies so Denver communities can thrive. As the Family Advocate, you will be working directly with the public to offer emotional support, guidance, information, and resources following a death due to overdose. The family advocate will work on a larger team of advocates and, while overdose deaths will be the primary case type, you’ll also be assisting on other types of death related cases. The Family Advocate is a core position within the Family Advocate Support Team (FAST). As such, the person hired will participate in FAST functions, meetings, trainings, projects, and other assignments as needed. They will also be required to assist the Family Advocate Coordinator with various responsibilities including (and not limited to) mentoring and training interns within the internship program, public speaking engagements, development of program materials and child fatality review meetings.

Requirements

• Education Requirement: Graduation from high school or possession of a GED, HiSET or TASC Certificate.
• Experience Requirement: Three (3) years of experience performing technical or administrative work assisting in an environmental public health program as related to the assignment.
• Education and Experience Equivalency: A combination of appropriate education and experience may be substituted for the minimum education and experience requirements.
• License/Certification Requirement: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.

Nice To Haves

• More than 5 years of experience working with traumatized individuals.
• Is a team player who embodies the values of cooperation and teamwork to achieve collective goals.
• Is fluent in Spanish.
• Is motivated by challenging casework.
• Is solutions oriented.
• It is important to understand this position requires you to work with bereaved individuals on a daily basis. Contact with bereaved individuals will be over the phone, via electronic communication, and in person.
• The work is focused on traumatic types of death and loss, including child deaths.
• Working within our office, you will be exposed to graphic information, photographs, physical bodies of deceased individuals, and unpleasant odors at times.

Responsibilities

• With the support of your supervisor, you will implement and facilitate a preestablished grief support group on a rolling basis throughout the year.
• Provide advocacy and outreach to people impacted by traumatic deaths due to overdose.
• Provide crisis intervention and implements de-escalation tools with care, compassion and understanding, and most importantly, without judgement.
• Provide information on the death process, including dissemination of autopsy reports, in an empathetic, supportive manner to the grieving person(s) and offer community resources as appropriate.
• Develop and modify informational materials for dissemination to the public.
• Collaborate with all Medical Examiner units in the office, as well as agency partners.
• Along with all department staff, this position will actively participate on an emergency preparedness and response team to support DDPHE’s responsibilities outlined in the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. This may require being ‘on-call’ from time to time to help respond to emergencies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED