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County of Alpine Adopted 05/07/02 PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM ASSISTANT DEFINITION Under supervision, to plan, coordinate, conduct and evaluate community health education and prevention programs in a major functional area; and to perform related duties as assigned. CLASS CHARACTERISTICS Public Health Program Assistants work under the supervision of the Public Health Program Coordinator and carry out and evaluate programs designed to motivate lifestyle change, prevent disease, promote health and decrease known risk factors associated with poor health. EXAMPLES OF DUTIES – Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: Plans, organizes, conducts and evaluates assigned public health education programs and activities. Identifies potential clients within the community who may benefit from services provided. Plans and implements program events, meetings, workshops, classes and other activities for specific audiences. Provides individual counseling and referrals as necessary. Prepares and disseminates educational materials throughout the community. Recruits, trains and supervises the activities of outreach volunteers. Collaborates with community agencies, organizations and targeted populations in the planning, implementation and evaluation of assigned programming. Collects and tabulates assessment data required for the evaluation of programs. Maintains complete and accurate budget and cost reports for assigned areas of responsibility. Prepares periodic and special reports as required. Assists in promoting services and programs within the community; makes public presentations to provide program information; prepares news articles, newsletters, fliers, advertisements, and other promotional materials. ---PAGE BREAK--- Public Health Program Assistant Page 2 Represents the department in meetings as required. Maintains awareness of current legislation, trends and issues related to assigned program area. Attends training, conferences, workshops, etc., as appropriate or required to enhance job knowledge and skills. Performs general clerical duties as required, including but not limited to preparing reports and correspondence, answering the telephone, processing mail, copying and filing documents, entering computer data, ordering supplies, etc. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Knowledge of: All federal, state and county laws, codes, rules, regulations and standards affecting program administration. Principles of health education. Socio-economic problems affecting health services. General health problems and needs of the community. Current facts, legislation, trends and issues related to assigned program area. Principles and practices of comprehensive program planning, implementation and evaluation. Methods of preparing and disseminating public health education materials. Counseling techniques. Local community resources. Principles and practices of data compilation and evaluation. Modern office practices and technology, including the use of computers for data and word processing and desk-top publishing. English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation. Record-keeping and report-writing techniques. Ability to: ---PAGE BREAK--- Public Health Program Assistant Page 3 Learn, understand, interpret and apply federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, policies and procedures pertaining to program administration and operations. Organize, promote and conduct health education programs under the direction of the Public Health Program Coordinator. Develop appropriate media and educational materials. Acknowledge and understand the cultural and traditional values of diverse or minority population groups in the development and delivery of effective program services. Prepare and monitor program budgets. Understand and follow oral and written instructions independently. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work. Represent the department effectively in meetings with others and make presentations to various groups. Prepare clear and concise records, reports and recommendations. Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Use computers effectively for word and data processing and records management. Perform required mathematical computations with accuracy. Work flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends. Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in public health or closely related field. Experience: One year of experience in public health education. \ Substitution: Additional experience in public health education may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis. ---PAGE BREAK--- Public Health Program Assistant Page 4 Other Requirements: Possession of a valid California driver’s license and satisfactory driving record. TYPICAL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Requires the ability to sit at desk for extended periods of time and intermittently walk, stand, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl and reach while performing office duties; lift and/or move up to 15 pounds frequently and up to 50 pounds occasionally; use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools and controls. Must be able to maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, communicating with others, reading and writing, and operating office equipment and hand tools. Must be able to use a telephone to communicate verbally and a keyboard to communicate through written means, to review information and enter/retrieve data, to see and read characters on a computer screen.