Community Liaison, Bureau of Government Affairs

Job Description

Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live.

As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises from New York Citys yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and racial and social justice work, among others.

Our Agencys five strategic priorities, building off a recently-completed strategic planning process emerging from the COVID-19 emergency, are:

1) To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies, with a focus on building a response-ready organization, with faster decision-making, transparent public communications, and stronger surveillance and bridges to healthcare systems 2) Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease, including addressing rising rates of childhood obesity and the impact of diabetes, and transforming our food systems to improve nutrition and enhance access to healthy foods

3) Address the second pandemic of mental illness including: reducing overdose deaths, strengthening our youth mental health systems, and supporting people with serious mental illness

4) Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for womens health

5) Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change

Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity as a foundational element of all of our work, and a critical foundation to achieving population health impact in New York City, the NYC Health Department has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling racisms impacts on the health of New Yorkers and beyond. In 2021, the NYC Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis. With commitment to advance anti-racist public health practices that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity and access, the NYC Health Department continues to work in and with communities and community organizations to increase their access to health services and decrease avoidable health outcomes.

PROGRAM AND JOB DESCRIPTION:

With over 7,000 staff, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is a world-renowned agency with a long tradition of protecting and promoting the health of its residents. Its 100-plus programs protect and promote the health of the world's most culturally and linguistically diverse city.

The Office of External Affairs (OEA) manages many of the agency's most critical interactions with the public, from raising awareness and promoting healthy behaviors to advancing policies and responding to health emergencies. Housed within the Office of External Affairs, the Community Affairs unit within Bureau of Government Affairs is responsible for channeling public health information to and from elected officials, community-based organizations, community boards, and the general public.

The Community Affairs Unit is looking to hire a Community Liaison who will report to the Executive Director.

The Community Affairs Unit is responsible for channeling public health information to and from elected officials, community-based organizations, community boards, and the general public. As the point person on all public facing outreach initiatives, the Community Liaison provides conceptual and grassroots level support to programs by planning and executing community outreach plans.

The Community Liaison will help the Department maintain good relationships with elected officials, community boards, civic organizations, and other stakeholders by responding quickly and accurately to requests for information, organizing speakers for community events, problem solving and informing members of the Department initiatives.

The Liaison will also actively participate in agency emergency preparedness and response work bearing upon public health emergencies and emergencies that have a public health component, such as communicable disease threats, outbreaks and pandemics, extreme weather, explosions, and fire, and cyber-attack.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

Respond in a timely, concise, and intelligible fashion to inquiries from local elected officials, community boards and the general public.

Attend and represent the Department at community board meetings, town halls, public meetings in response to day-to- day operations and public health emergencies.

Disseminate public health information to community stakeholders and the public.

Provides staffing and supporting role to the Public Information Officer (PIO) during public health emergency activations.

Participates in public health emergency trainings.

Coordinate logistics of convening community/public forums with other city agencies and stakeholders (e.g., hospitals).

Liaise with community groups to provide information on resources and public health guidelines/protocols.

Special projects as assigned by the Executive Director of Community Affairs.

**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 Drivers 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 postings 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 Educations website at StudentAid.gov/PSLF.

"FINAL APPOINTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET APPROVAL

This position MAY be eligible for remote work up to two days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work Pilot Program.

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or

2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or

3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.