Prevention Specialist

Location: Lynchburg, VA 24501

Position Summary

The Prevention Specialist is a community-based position that implements strategic substance use and suicide prevention initiatives as well as promotes mental wellness and resiliency across the lifespan. This position is responsible for providing public presentations, assessing community needs, creating various awareness deliverables, collaborating with community coalitions, evaluating program outcomes, and providing professional development to others on topics such as mental health, suicide prevention, and Trauma-Informed practices. The position calls for an individual who enjoys developing and maintaining effective working relationships within a diverse community, is detail-oriented, is an effective and creative problem-solver, and has a desire to support community-wide prevention efforts across multiple sectors. Travel within the community is required with occasional evening and weekend hours for scheduled community events. This is grant based position - please inquire during interview of any possible ending date associated with the grant.

Required Education and Experience

• A Bachelor's degree in a related Human Services field is required. (Health Promotion, Counseling, Social Work, etc).
• One year of related experience that includes working with high-risk youth and families; health promotion and education; the coordination of events and public outreach; creation and delivery of public outreach presentations; collaboration with community-based groups or an equivalent combination of training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Certified Prevention Professional preferred.

Related Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of the Strategic Prevention Framework and use of the Logic Model to evaluate and measure program outcomes by assessing prevention needs, developing a strategic plan, implementing effective community prevention programs, policies, and practices and evaluating their efforts for outcomes; Knowledge of child development, group dynamics, and behavior modification techniques; Knowledge of community mental health and public health in order to provide advocacy and enhance an individual’s access to community resources; Knowledge of the principles, procedures, techniques, trends, and literature related to prevention and substance abuse; Skill to develop reports, create presentations and communicate findings to both internal and external audiences; Willing and available to work modified schedules (weekends, holiday, etc.) as required; Ability to drive and must possess a valid driver’s license. May be called upon to travel to any Horizon worksite; transport clients, and provide services to clients at other locations. Regular attendance at training and Horizon meetings may require travel to a variety of Horizon sites; -Ability to participate in and successfully pass behavioral intervention training; includes both verbal de-escalation skills and physical skills techniques to be utilized with consumers as needed.

About Horizon:

Horizon Behavioral Health is located in the heart of Central Virginia surrounded by the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Whether your passions be hiking on the vast Appalachian Trials, kayaking through the James River Blueways, or a Sunday drive along the world-famous Blue Ridge Parkway, Lynchburg VA offers small-town southern charm with an active culture of music festivals, outdoor activities, and performing arts that placed it at the top of the list by Reviews.org as the 2019 best place for millennials to move. Horizon is also the proud recipient of the 2016 Giving Back Award, Best Place to Work in 2018, Best of Lynchburg for Counseling Services for multiple consecutive years, and again most recently for 2021

We offer a generous benefits package that includes participation in the Virginia Retirement System; life, health, dental, and vision insurance; annual leave, sick leave and holidays. Horizon participates in the NHSC, as well as PSLF educational loan forgiveness programs. If you are interested in continuing your education, working at Horizon qualifies you to receive discounts at some local universities.

To Apply – Please visit our online career center at www.HorizonBH.org

Horizon Behavioral Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).