Job Description

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is looking for people to join a team who will work with communities to develop and implement efforts aimed at reducing the impact of COVID-19 on their community.

The staff will work on-site at least 50% of the time in communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

The team will include 16 full-time temporary positions which includes 8 Regional Community Engagement Specialists and 8 Regional Evaluation and Performance Specialists.

These positions will be based in our DSHS Public Health Regional (PHR) headquarters/offices (Amarillo, Arlington, El Paso, Harlingen, Houston, San Antonio, Temple, and Tyler).

The Regional Community Engagement Specialists will lead community engagement and partnership efforts and the Regional Evaluation and Performance Specialists will lead evaluation and performance efforts.

The monthly salary range for these positions is $5,258 - $6,941. Currently, these positions are funded through 05/31/23.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE POSITIONS

• HTTPS://JOBSHRPORTAL.HHSC.STATE.TX.US/ENG/CAREERPORTAL/DEFAULT.CFM.

ONCE ON THE TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES JOBS CENTER WEBSITE:

• SELECT THE APPLICABLE CITY AND AGENCY (DEPT. OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES)
• OR SEARCH FOR RCES OR REPS IN THE SEARCH FIELD.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

• Through a CDC-funded initiative striving to reduce the burden of COVID-19 among vulnerable populations in Texas, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) seeks to develop and expand collaborative partnerships with key providers who have existing community or social service delivery programs for vulnerable populations, including rural communities.
• Community-level evaluation and performance efforts are critical to document the burden of COVID-19 on disproportionately impacted populations.
• To lead these evaluation and performance efforts, DSHS is building a dynamic team of Regional Evaluation and Performance Specialists (REPS).
• The REPS will be part of a high-level multi-disciplinary team who travel across Public Health Region (PHR) 1, and other areas as assigned, to work on-site in selected communities to reduce the burden of COVID-19. In PHR 1, the REPS will work on-site, up to 50% of time, in selected communities in one or more of the following three counties: Bailey, Dallam, and Moore.
• The Regional Evaluation and Performance Specialist will be based out of Amarillo.
• The Regional Evaluation and Performance Specialist is selected by, and reports to the Director of Public Health System Evaluation and Performance in the DSHS Office of Public Health Policy and Performance (OPHPP).
• The REPS works in close collaboration with the Director of Public Health System Evaluation and Performance with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgement.
• The REPS will also work in close collaboration with the Regional Community Engagement Specialist, PHR leadership teams, and other DSHS staff to address health disparities.
• The REPS leads the implementation of DSHS’ new health disparities evaluation and performance initiative by performing highly advanced (senior-level) consultative services and technical assistance work across the state.
• The REPS closely collaborates with community partners (e.g., social services, healthcare, and public health).
• This work involves:
  • 1. working with community and community partners to identify, collect, analyze, and report community-level quantitative data to address health disparities;
  • 2. developing, implementing, monitoring, and reporting of assigned health disparities project plans;
  • 3. assisting entities with developing, implementing, monitoring, and reporting of health disparities performance measures (e.g., input, process, output, and outcome measures);
  • 4. monitoring performance of assigned entities receiving health disparities funding (e.g., local health departments); and
  • 5. providing technical assistance on evaluating health disparities improvement initiatives identified and prioritized by the communities, ultimately seeking to increase COVID-19 and influenza immunization rates, and improving existing chronic diseases among vulnerable populations.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: DATA AND INFORMATION (25%)

• The REPS coordinates the collection, organization, analysis, and reporting of community-level quantitative data impacting health (e.g., healthcare access, employment, education housing, food insecurity, etc. data).
• The REPS will document, analyze, and report on other community-level issues impacting the burden COVID-19 has on the community (e.g., local healthcare utilization data).
• Based on input from the community and partner organizations (government agencies and community-based), the REPS is responsible for leading the design, development, and review of community profiles.
• These community profiles will be essential in guiding future DSHS planning efforts and the investment of additional resources in response to identified community needs.

PLANNING (25%)

• The REPS is responsible for the entire life cycle of any health disparities project plan (e.g., Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing).
• The REPS is also responsible for communicating with community leaders, community partners, PHR leadership, and other DSHS staff about the project plan to maintain interest in the health disparities work underway.
• This communication work will play a central role in helping align systems for improved community health.

PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND EVALUATION (25%)

• The REPS monitors and evaluates the performance of assigned local health departments and other entities receiving federal health disparities funding to ensure compliance and mitigate risks.
• The REPS will provide technical assistance and recommend corrective actions as needed to maximize the impact of this health disparities funding.
• The REPS will produce regular performance monitoring reports for OPHPP and DSHS leadership that will include updates on compliance with any recommended corrective actions and risk mitigation strategies.
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• The REPS will also develop and implement effective techniques for evaluating health disparities improvement efforts that will be shared with community partners.
• This will include providing technical guidance to partners on developing, implementing, reporting, and evaluating performance measures designed to capture the impact of health disparities activities.

IMPROVEMENT (20%)

• The REPS consults with community leaders, healthcare, public health, and social service agencies to design health improvement initiatives aimed to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable communities.
• These improvement initiatives will address factors that made a given community more vulnerable to COVID-19 and in so doing, will help increase the community’s resilience to the next natural disaster.
• In designing improvement initiatives, the REPS will ensure that improvement plans include an evaluation component that will allow stakeholders to evaluate the impact and return on investment of any improvement effort.
• This information will be important to ensure interested parties have the information needed to prepare future budget requests in support of ongoing or similar improvement efforts.

OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED (5%)

• Represents OPHPP and DSHS at meetings and conferences and performs other related work as assigned, which may include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation.
• OPHPP is an active partner in response activities.
• Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS ABILITIES: • Knowledge of health disparities. • Knowledge of how to conduct interviews, focus groups, listening sessions, and/or town halls with community and community partners. • Knowledge of performance measures (e.g., logic model). • Knowledge of project management. • Knowledge of public health, healthcare, and social services in Texas. • Skill in writing readable documents/reports dealing with complex subject matter. • Skill in communicating, both orally and in writing, for a wide variety of audiences. • Skill in managing multiple and competing priorities. • Skill in community relations. • Skill in quantitative research (e.g., data collection and analysis). • Ability to network and establish relationships with a wide array of organizations and entities. • Ability to work efficiently and effectively both individually and as part of a team. • Ability to demonstrate cultural sensitivity working with various populations and communities. • Ability to organize and develop work plans, coordinate assignments, and adhere to strict deadlines. • Ability to gather, assemble, correlate, and analyze complex facts and distill the findings into a coherent message. • Ability to maintain effective working relationships with a diverse range of internal and external contacts. • Ability to communicate with diplomacy. • Ability to work with a variety of leadership styles. • Ability to monitor contractor performance. • Ability to attend and/or convene meetings outside of work hours (e.g., evenings and weekends). • Ability to travel up to 50% of time. • Ability to have significant overnight travel.

REGISTRATION OR LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS:

INITIAL SELECTION CRITERIA: • Minimum of six years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in public health, social work, community health, sociology, public policy, or a related field; or four years and a Master’s degree; or a doctoral degree with two years of experience. Education and experience may be substituted for one another. • Experience working in or with communities of color or other underserved communities. • Experience conducting qualitative research (e.g., focus groups, and interviews). • Experience conducting quantitative research (e.g., surveys). • Experience with performance measures (e.g., logic model). • Experience with project management. • Experience with program evaluation. • Bilingual in English and Spanish (preferred). Consideration will also be given to known past job performance, if applicable, and demonstration of career stability and advancement.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: **NOTE: Candidates invited to an interview will be required to bring a writing sample the candidate created from previous work (e.g., presentation or report). IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION PRIOR TO SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION FOR THIS POSITION: *This is a temporary position that is grant funded through May 31, 2023. The selected candidate will be required to sign a Temporary Employment Agreement. *Must be able to travel up to 50% of time – including significant overnight travel. *Travel to Austin to on-board, pick-up or repair DSHS-issued equipment may be required. Candidates who applied to job posting #493733 will need to reapply to this new job posting to be considered.

MOS CODE: N/A

HHS agencies use E-Verify. You must bring your I-9 documentation with you on your first day of work.

Company Description

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is here to assist Texans who need services or help.