The Community Policy and Prevention Specialist is part of the Community and Behavioral Health (CBH) unit within Adams County Health Department’s Strategic Health Initiatives (SHI) Division. This position leads and implements community-driven Healthy Beverage and Commercial Tobacco policy and prevention initiatives across Adams County. Working with schools, community organizations, local governments, business leaders and health partners, the role ensures community and youth leadership are central to chronic disease prevention. This intrinsically motivated role facilitates coalition and youth engagement, develops and advances policy initiatives, and manages the Health Beverage Partnership contract, including subcontract oversight, grant monitoring, and reporting.
Leadership and Program Coordination:
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Serve as the primary subject-matter expert for Health Beverage policy strategies and school focused tobacco prevention strategies at the municipal and state levels.
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Demonstrate developed leadership abilities, including educating, mentoring, training, and developing community partners in program related areas.
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Lead the management of funding to sustain healthy beverage policy and prevention efforts, including the Healthy Beverage Partnership contract.
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Oversee subcontractor and fiscal partner grant management (invoices, deliverables, reporting and compliance).
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Communicate with funding agencies, contractors, vendors, partners, community members, and Adams County colleagues in a timely and respectful manner.
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Participate in Healthy Beverage Partnership steering committee planning discussions and provide recommendations to the partnership informing strategic direction and sustainability.
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Represent the department in regional and state-level workgroups to influence healthy beverage policy and chronic disease prevention strategies. ?
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Apply systems thinking to identify interconnections among factors driving chronic disease prevention and policy strategies.
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Use critical thinking and analytical skills to develop measurable objectives, conduct research as well as gather, analyze, and interpret data.
Healthy Beverage Policy Work:
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Work closely with community-based organizations (CBOs) to mobilize residents in community-driven efforts to implement municipal policy strategies that reduce sugary drink consumption, improve kids’ health and advance health fairness.
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Develop and deliver trainings to equip community members, youth, and partners with the tools to effectively engage decision-makers and advance healthy beverage policies.
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Build relationships with local businesses, city staff, and coalitions to support policy adoption.
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Conduct outreach and educational campaigns to raise awareness of sugary drink health impacts and healthier alternatives.
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Track and report policy progress, share lessons learned, and provide technical assistance to local public health agencies and CBOs.
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Provide technical assistance to CBOs pursuing healthy beverage policies, including sharing best practices and lessons learned from across the state.
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Provide advocacy and policy training to community members, youth, and partners to increase civic engagement and readiness for local policy change.
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Lead a community coalition to build local advocacy capacity and align partners.
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Coordinate communication efforts for the coalition, including creating flyers, fact sheets, social media content, and messaging tailored for community and decision-maker audiences.
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Collaborate with other local public health agencies to build community-driven efforts across the state to adopt and implement evidence-based municipal policy strategies that reduce sugary drink consumption and address health differences.
Tobacco Policy Work:
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Facilitate community-driven strategies to reduce tobacco use and exposure through policy, systems, and environmental change strategies.
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Partner with schools and districts to strengthen tobacco and vaping policies, conduct policy audits, and review student substance use trends.
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Support youth-led prevention and intervention initiatives.
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Track progress towards grant deliverables and report outcomes.
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Collaborate across county departments and with state partners to share best practices, leverage data, and strengthen local capacity for sustainable tobacco prevention work.
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Provide tailored technical assistance to schools and community partners that meet their specific needs, including policy assessments, focus groups, and data requests.
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Partner with organizations serving populations experiencing obstacles that impact tobacco misuse through targeted education and prevention.
Collaboration and Community Engagement:
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Collaborate internally and externally, with multiple partners, to provide interested/affected groups with education on evidence-based strategies and best-practices in program, policy, systems, and/or environmental changes for population health.
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Support multiple perspectives and build and sustain strategic partnerships 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.
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Ensure decision-making processes and policy approaches are inclusive of the impacted community.
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Support and sustain community coalition(s) based on need (i.e., facilitation, coordination, participation, training, transferring skills to community partners)
General Administration:
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Organize program data for use in grant reporting, ACHD annual reports, and other documents as identified.
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Complete all grant-related progress reports and documentation and actively participate in all grantee meetings and trainings.
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Conduct formal and informal performance management activities, including continuous quality improvement, development and maintenance of outcomes-based performance tracking, and program evaluation activities.
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Participate in grant processes and support processes to identify and secure funding that address chronic disease prevention gaps.
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Maintain regular communication with other ACHD programs regarding program progression, successes, and support needs.
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Perform other duties as assigned.
- Strong project management skills, including the ability to plan, organize, and execute multiple tasks and projects effectively to achieve program goals and meet deadlines.
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Knowledge of techniques and best practices related to developing strategic community partnerships, coalition building, and local policy development and implementation.
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Skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other ACHD employees, representatives of other agencies/organizations, and members of the community.
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Ability to present information in a variety of settings with different stakeholders within the community both internal and external to the organization.
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Demonstrated proficiency in using a computer, including internet, email, Microsoft Word, and Power Point. Must be able to learn and become proficient with equipment and software programs as required to effectively and efficiently perform assigned duties.
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Must have access to quality Wi-Fi if working remotely.
Education & Experience:
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Bachelor’s degree received from an accredited college or university, preferably with major coursework in public health, public policy, behavioral health sciences, health administration, social work, education, or a related field.
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Minimum three years prior experience in the following:
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Leading community outreach activities, including recruiting stakeholders, planning, task delegation, troubleshooting, and evaluation of processes.
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Leading, or working closely with leadership to advance policy, program, and systems change strategies.
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Experience using community-centered approaches to engage youth to advance health and social outcomes.
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Master’s degree preferred
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Must be in possession of, or have the ability to obtain, a valid Colorado driver’s license within 30 days of hire.
HIPAA Statement: Maintain sensitive & confidential client information according to the HIPAA policy and Title X confidentiality requirements.
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.
Working Conditions and Physical Abilities:
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Flexibility in work hours may be required to accommodate community events, meeting, and outreach activities.
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Travel within the community and participation in evening, weekend and on-call duties may be required.
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This role remains in a semi-stationary position, which may include sitting or standing for prolonged periods andoccasionallymovingaboutinanofficeenvironmenttoaccomplishtasks.
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This position’s physical demands are assessed to be light work.
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This role constantly communicates with others to exchange information by speaking and typing, and that includes repeating motions that include wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
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This position will be asked to self-assess accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of work assigned.
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This position can expect no adverse environmental conditions as the majority of work is performed in an office building.
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Note there will be frequent participation at both outdoor and indoor community events.
Adams County and the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office complies with Colorado’s Job Application Fairness Act (“JAFA”). JAFA prohibits employers from asking individuals to disclose their age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation on an initial employment application. However, additional application materials such as certifications and transcripts containing this information may be required for certain positions; if such additional materials are requested, applicants may redact information that identifies the applicant’s age, date of birth, or dates or attendance or graduation.
