Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

Public Health Educator III

Opening Date: April 26, 2023

Closing Date: May 12, 2023

Job Class Code: 4374
Grade: 23 (Pro/Tech)
Salary: $45,136.00 - $60,881.60 / yr.

Position Number: 02000-4002

Position Location: This is a full-time position located in Augusta. This opportunity allows partial telework with management approval.

The Maine CDC’s Substance Use Prevention Team within the Tobacco and Substance Use Prevention and Control (TSUPC) Program is looking for an Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) & Substance Exposed Infant (SEI) Prevention Coordinator to enhance our primary prevention work to prevent ACE’s, substance exposure in infants, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

As the ACES & SEI Prevention Coordinator, you will join the Substance Use Prevention Team and will be responsible for establishing workgroups, collaborating with community partners, stakeholders, and other Department offices to move ACEs, SEI, and FASD prevention work forward in Maine. This will be accomplished through assessing state and local needs; promoting best practice programs and policies; providing technical assistance; and facilitating training to statewide and community partners. You will also work to apply for federal funding opportunities to grow Maine’s primary prevention capacity to address these important issues. This position is responsible for promoting and increasing awareness and understanding of ACEs, SEI and FASD and their impact on health outcomes; designing and supporting intervention strategies; and identifying and sharing tools and resources to assist state systems and communities in strengthening their resilience-building prevention strategies This is not a direct service position.

This position requires knowledge of both primary and secondary substance use prevention; public health; community mobilization; grant writing and management; environmental strategies; strategic planning; data analysis; and evaluation.

Core Responsibilities

As a key member of the Substance Prevention Team, your core responsibilities will include:

• Serving as the primary contact and subject matter expert for ACE’s, SEI and FASD prevention for TSUPC Program team

• Facilitating collaborations among community-based partners to understand the impact of trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on adult health outcomes, as well as enhance the capacity of communities to implement and evaluate resilience-building strategies in an effort to improve population health.

• Creating an FASD prevention plan for the state and overseeing its implementation
• Collaborating with other offices and departments like Maine Department of Education and Office of Child and Family Services on related projects
• Supporting and providing technical assistance to state and community partners
• Conducting a needs assessment of current services, programs, organizations who are doing or should be engaged in ACE’s, SEI, and FASD prevention work
• Organizing the annual Maternal and Child Health and Substance Exposed Infant conference
• Maintaining an inventory of research and best practices for building resiliency and preventing ACEs
• Leading relevant workgroups

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

A Bachelors Degree in Public Health, Community Health Education, Health Education and two (2) years experience in community or health education program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation. Directly related work experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred candidates will also have:

• Experience in substance use primary prevention and harm reduction initiatives
• Experience writing and managing federal grants
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse group of internal and external partners
• Ability to manage and oversee multiple programmatic projects/activities simultaneously
• Ability to work independently
• Knowledge of and experience with trauma-informed practices, social emotional learning (SEL), adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s) prevention, resiliency/mattering education and/or FASD prevention.
• Knowledge of risk and protective factors for substance use and youth brain development
• Understanding and ability to discuss the racial biases and equity issues that exist within systems that lead to trauma
• Ability to frame complex issues in easy to digest ways

Agency information:

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is dedicated to promoting health, safety, resilience, and opportunity for Maine people. The Department provides health and social services to approximately a third of the State's population, including children, families, older Mainers, and individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. The Department also promotes public health, operates two state psychiatric hospitals, and provides oversight to health care providers.

The mission for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), within which this position is located, is to develop and deliver services to preserve, protect, and promote the health and well-being of the citizens of Maine.

For additional information about this position Megan Scott, Substance Use Prevention Program Manager, Tobacco and Substance Use Prevention and Control Program, at megan.scott@maine.gov .

• To apply, please upload a resume and cover letter with your application.

• In your cover letter, you must provide the following information:

1) explain what prior education and/or experience you have had doing the elements under “Job Description,” above; and

2) explain which, if any, of the attributes under “Preferred candidates will have” section, above.

To request a paper application, please contact Ashley.Smith@Maine.gov .

Benefits

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Balance – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($10,150.80-$11,942.16 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.

• Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.

• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($350.40 annual value).

• Retirement Plan – The State of Maine contributes 13.16% of pay to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
• Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.

• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive four weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.
• Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics.

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Thinking about applying?

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If you’re currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your lived experience and passion set you apart.