Public Health Assistant

Cornell University•Ithaca, NY

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The ACT for Youth Center for Community Action (ACT CCA) / Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Center of Excellence (ACT CYSHCN COE) is housed in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research (BCTR), which is located within Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology. The BCTR mission is to improve professional and public efforts to understand and deal with risk and protective factors in the lives of children, youth, families, and communities that affect family strength, child wellbeing, and youth development. Translational research, as defined by the College and the BCTR, is the systematic application of research findings into the development of innovative interventions, practices, and policies that may ultimately improve health and well-being. The knowledge derived from these interventions feeds future research. ACT for Youth advances the well-being of children, adolescents, and young adults by connecting research to practice in the areas of positive youth development and health. As the ACT for Youth Center for Community Action, we primarily support adults who work with adolescents; as the ACT for Youth CYSHCN Program Center of Excellence we primarily support local New York State health departments, families, and children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). We do this work by creating, identifying, and disseminating research-informed resources; developing and providing trainings; and supporting continuous quality improvement through evaluation services and technical assistance. While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a psychologically healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others. The Public Health Assistant will provide support to the ACT for Youth Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Center of Excellence (ACT CYSHCN COE), an initiative funded by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). ACT for Youth works with communities, families, and youth-serving organizations across the state to promote the health and well-being of children and adolescents. The Public Health Assistant will work closely with the Director of the CYSHCN COE, the Training Coordinator, the Family Engagement Specialist, and the Evaluation Coordinator to support our work with local health departments and the NYS DOH to strengthen services to children and youth with special health care needs and their families. The successful candidate will work closely with the project team on program planning, implementation, and evaluation; database and information management; data synthesis; and creating educational and other translational research products. This role requires communication with collaborators both on and off campus. Duties will include assistance with developing new materials, program documentation, project reports, event scheduling and logistics, and reviewing and summarizing youth development research to related to current issues and best practices for serving the needs of young people. This position will involve some NYS travel for needs assessments, meetings, and listening sessions.

Requirements

Associate’s degree and up to 2 years of relevant experience or equivalent combination.
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Excellent organizational skills
Demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team
Have strategies to ensure tasks are completed, including following up with team members, as needed.
Must be attentive to detail, be able to manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously, handle the demands of deadlines, and seamlessly move between changing priorities.
Must be able to initiate own work schedule and solve problems; must demonstrate initiative.
Ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
Must have experience with Windows Office applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint; willingness to learn new technologies as needed.
Must have experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting equity, access, inclusion and wellbeing.
Must have experience working with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Must have experience incorporating the perspectives of multiple communities, with respect to inclusion and belonging.
Must be passionate about working in an organization that values and promotes equity, inclusion, and wellbeing.
Must have the ability to cultivate and develop inclusive and belonging working relationships with students, faculty, staff and community members.
Must have and maintain a valid US driver’s license; may be required to operate a motor vehicle (your own vehicle or Cornell-owned) to travel to/from job sites.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in US without sponsorship. Employment will end upon the expiration of work authorization in the US. Continued employment in this position is subject to eligibility to work in accordance with US immigration laws.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in social science, human services, or public health
Experience in youth serving organizations

Responsibilities

Assist with program planning, implementation and evaluation (30%)
Prepare materials (print, presentation, webpages, etc.), including research summaries and materials for the public (30%)
Engage with stakeholders, including Local Health Department staff and CYSHCN and their families (20%)
Information management and reports (20%)
Other position-related responsibilities (5%)

Benefits

Comprehensive health care options
Generous retirement contributions
Access to wellness programs
Employee discounts with local and national retail brands
Health and personal leave
Three weeks of vacation
13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.
Tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program
Tuition aid for external education
Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program