1. A. Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:

The primary purpose of the unit is to provide support in developing community member expert leadership and increase community engagement in Sandhills Collaborative (Richmond, Scotland, Hoke, Montgomery Counties) to initiate and maintain interventions to improve health status through implementation of a Community Health Advisor program.

Tasks include effective promotion, marketing, and public relations to maximize service delivery goals and objectives.

Services range from the development of community members/resources within communities, to facilitating environmental system changes, to advocating for policy development, to implementing policy change across a 4-county region and partnership.
           
B.        Primary Purpose of Position:

This position will be responsible for the coordination, implementation, and evaluation of the community engagement / Community Health Advisor Program components of the Improving Community Outcomes for Maternal & Child Health ICO4MCH) Initiative in the 4-county regional partnership of Richmond, Scotland, Hoke, and Montgomery counties. The aims of this initiative are to improve birth outcomes, reduce infant mortality and improve health status of children ages 0-5. This position is responsible for assisting in the coordination and participation of all community engagement efforts. Work will include facilitating community change, partnership development, coalition building, community organizing and partner communications. A Community Health Advisor is defined as a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served whose relationship with the community enables the worker to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery.

ICO4MCH Initiative Aims:

• Improve birth outcomes, reduce infant mortality, and improve the health status of children ages 0-5, through use of collective impact framework and health equity lens.

This position will develop, implement, manage, and evaluate complex services in the Sandhills Collaborative regional area.  

This position will collaborate closely with the ICO4MCH staff, local health department staff, partnering hospital staff, community partners, and other organizations as needed to achieve public health outcomes.

C.        Work Schedule:             
             
The hours for this position are generally a total of 10 hours weekly, 20 hours bi-weekly. Must provide written documentation on task and responsibilities performed during the time period as well as total of community members served to be submitted bi-weekly before time sheet submissions to Program Manager.

II. DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:       
A. Duties, Responsibilities and Position Characteristics:

ICO4MCH Community Engagement Coordinator Responsibilities:

• Helping individuals, families, groups and communities develop their capacity and access to resources, including health services food, housing, quality care and health information
• Facilitating communication and client empowerment in interactions with health care/social service systems
• Helping health care and social service systems become culturally relevant and responsive to their service population
• Helping develop strategies to improve their health and well being
• Helping to build understanding and social capital to support healthier behaviors and lifestyle choices
• Delivering health information using culturally appropriate terms and concepts
• Linking people to health care/social service resources
• Providing informal counseling, support and follow-up
• Advocating for local health needs and resources
• Providing health services, such as peer lactation or tobacco cessation, positive parenting support.
• Translating and interpreting for clients and health care/social service providers

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES AND TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Understanding systems level change and a population level approach to public health
• Understanding of health equity, health disparities and social determinants of health and their effects on community health and need for health advocacy at the community-level.
• Ability to participate/lead coalitions and community members toward the goal of improving maternal and child health
• Ability to work independently.
• Strong organizational, time management and communication skills
• Knowledge of community engagement best practices.
• Be in attendance to quarterly Community Action Team meetings

Required Minimum Training:
Strong knowledge of the community to be served, training provided by appropriate evidence-based program. Additional experience preferred.

About NCAPHA

The North Carolina Alliance of Public Health Agencies, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1995 by a group of local health directors who needed a way to pool resources to negotiate more advantageous terms in vendor contracts. Over time NCAPHA, or The Alliance, became the go-to resource for its members providing solutions to the challenges facing them. We are committed to offering service solutions to help local health departments reduce costs and increase efficiencies. Our members include all 86 local and district health departments in North Carolina. The North Carolina Public Health Collaboration refers to the North Carolina Alliance of Public Health Agencies (the Alliance) and its two sister organizations: the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors (NCALHD) and the North Carolina Public Health Association (NCPHA). We work closely together, collaborating to advance public health in North Carolina.

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