NYC DEPT OF HEALTH/MENTAL HYGIENE
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is a world-renowned agency with a long tradition of protecting and promoting health in the nation’s most culturally and linguistically diverse city. Our 7,000-plus team members bring an extraordinary array of languages, cultures, and experiences to bear on the work of public health. The Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness (CHECW) seeks to eliminate racial and other inequities resulting in premature mortality. With an unwavering grounding in history and structural analysis, CHECW works to increase visibility of the harm perpetuated by centuries of racist, socially unjust policy while pushing towards redress for the most affected NYC communities. CHECW addresses inequity across community and health-care systems in partnership with community, faith-based, and health-care organizations. CHECW’s work focuses on the social determinants of health, including environmental and commercial determinants, and addresses both upstream and downstream factors to improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers. CHECW employs anti-racism approaches to reduce and minimize unfair exposure to risk and to advance health justice and social change.
One important area of focus is perinatal health, especially eliminating the inequities in maternal and child health outcomes that currently exist in New York City. CHECW’s birth equity work is centered in three Bureaus of Neighborhood Health (one each in the Bronx, Harlem, and Brooklyn), which partner with community stakeholders to address health inequities and the drivers of premature mortality. Poor maternal and infant outcomes result from longstanding structural inequality, among other factors. Therefore, the Bureaus of Neighborhood Health (BNH) provide tangible resources, practical support, community capacity-building, and workforce development; partner with health systems to improve the provision of care; and inform policy through broad-based coalitions.
Each BNH hosts a Family Wellness Suite, which supports the portfolio of perinatal health programs within that bureau. Physically, the Family Wellness Suites (FWS) are safe, welcoming, and supportive spaces where families and individuals can connect to community resources and city services, such as workshops to lower the risk of chronic diseases and promote health and well-being, fitness activities, classes to support fathers, referrals to social-service and medical providers, referrals to doulas (childbirth-support professionals), and other programs to support a healthy pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn. The FWS’s support the work of the Citywide Doula Initiative, Healthy Start Brooklyn, the Breastfeeding/Lactation Equity Initiative, and other grant-funded perinatal health programs and initiatives.
The Citywide Doula Initiative (CDI) advances the Health Department’s birth equity work by providing doula services in neighborhoods that face elevated social and health burdens. The work of the CDI falls into three broad categories: providing no-cost, professional doula support to eligible residents; building and strengthening the city’s doula workforce; and partnering with hospitals to create a doula-friendly environment and refer patients to doula services. The Doula-Community Liaisons will divide among them the 33 neighborhoods served by the CDI, conducting direct outreach and forming partnerships with health and social-service providers who serve those neighborhoods.
Each Doula-Community Liaison will be based in one of CHECW’s Bureaus of Neighborhood Health and will report to the Family Wellness Suite Coordinator at that site.
Responsibilities:
Serves as a liaison between public and private-sector clinical and social service providers within an assigned catchment area, ensuring rapport is established between all service providers to best care for program participants;
Conduct outreach activities for the FWS, CDI, and Breastfeeding/Lactation Equity Initiative through tabling at events, street outreach, and presentations to community members within the catchment area, paying special attention to community led coalitions, and tenant associations ; ensuring residents have access to relevant subject matter flyers, brochures, incentives, and other outreach materials are always on hand;
Facilitate referrals and coordination of care for perinatal health programs; develop resources for health and social service needs that are identified by the CDI doulas, BNH health promoters, and other community engagement and partnership staff;
Elicits support and participation from community through direct recruitment of clients and recruitment of community members to be trained as doulas, Community Breastfeeding Educators, and Certified Lactation Consultants;
Represent the Health Department at community board meetings, town halls, and public meetings to promote programming and community engagement;
Facilitate monthly outreach meetings for BNH perinatal health programs and initiatives.
Responsible for tracking client participation in workshops and trainings being offered, maintaining an accurate data base of residents that attend;
Collaborate on the Coordinated Intake and Referral system as part of the Citywide Doula Initiative;
Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qual Requirements
Qualification Requirements
1. High school graduation or equivalent and three years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to duties described above; or
2. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to “1” above.
Preferred Skills
Strong understanding of and commitment to birth equity
Experience in outreach and recruitment for a community-based doula, health, or social-service organization
Comfortable with direct outreach at clinics, social service agencies, and in the community
Strong coordination and organizational skills
Detail oriented; able to manage projects and work independently
Strong written and oral communications skills
Positive attitude, strong work ethic, and excellent customer-service skills
Proficient with Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Additional Information
**IMPORTANT NOTES TO ALL CANDIDATES:
Please note: If you are called for an interview you will be required to bring to your interview copies of original documentation, such as:
A document that establishes identity for employment eligibility, such as: A Valid U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card/Green Card, or Driver’s license.
Proof of Education according to the education requirements of the civil service title.
Current Resume
Proof of Address/NYC Residency dated within the last 60 days, such as: Recent Utility Bill (i.e. Telephone, Cable, Mobile Phone)
Additional documentation may be required to evaluate your qualification as outlined in this posting’s “Minimum Qualification Requirements” section. Examples of additional documentation may be, but not limited to: college transcript, experience verification or professional trade licenses.
If after your interview you are the selected candidate you will be contacted to schedule an on-boarding appointment. By the time of this appointment you will be asked to produce the originals of the above documents along with your original Social Security card.
**LOAN FORGIVENESS
As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at StudentAid.gov/PSLF.
“FINAL APPOINTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET APPROVAL”
To Apply
Apply online with a cover letter to https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov/. In the Job ID search bar, enter: job ID number # 565294.
We appreciate the interest and thank all applicants who apply, but only those candidates under consideration will be contacted.
The NYC Health Department is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and culturally responsive workforce. We strongly encourage people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and gender non-conforming persons to apply.
All applicants will be considered without regard to actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, age, prior record of arrest; or any other basis prohibited by law.
NOTE: This position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate in your resume that you would like to be considered for the position under the 55-a Program.
Work Location
Some travel will be required for all positions:
throughout the Bronx for position based at 1826 Arthur Ave
throughout Brooklyn for the position based at 259 Bristol Street
throughout Harlem for position based at 158 East 115th Street
throughout Queens and Staten Island for the position based at 485 Throop Avenue
Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
To apply for this job please visit a127-jobs.nyc.gov.