Substance Use Prevention Community Health Education Coordinator - Health Department

Salt Lake County invites you to explore our exciting career opportunities. We seek highly enthusiastic individuals to enrich our County with your experience and talent. If you enjoy working in a team environment that is committed to changing the lives of its community, please keep reading.

At Salt Lake County our culture is woven into all aspects of our work and our employees’ lives, from the way we treat each other to the way we support the community.  To promote and foster a fun and healthy work environment, we appreciate employees through great benefits, a healthy work life balance and room to grow and develop.

Peers who are motivated to make a difference in the lives of those we serve. We serve Salt Lake County and envision a safe and beautiful place for all to live to work and have fun. Salt Lake County is about connecting people and championing our community.  Community is more than a place…. It’s our heart and service that bring us together.

Working for Salt Lake County is more than just a paycheck.  A career with Salt Lake County includes several benefits and perks.  We support our employees with 12 Holidays, up to 24 vacation days, 12 sick days and one personal day every year. 

Represents the Division of Community Health Services in countywide health education, health promotion, and risk reduction programs. The Health Educator supports the Substance Use Prevention (SUP) Program in advancing evidence-based strategies for substance use prevention, health promotion, and risk reduction across Salt Lake County. This position builds and strengthens relationships with community coalitions, decision makers, contracted service providers, community partners, and public health staff to support prevention initiatives and improve community health outcomes.

The ideal candidate is a self-directed, creative problem-solver and strong relationship builder who enjoys working in the community and collaborating with diverse partners. The position requires strong presentation and training facilitation skills, the ability to interpret community and program data, and excellent organizational, professional writing, and time-management skills. The successful candidate will be eager to learn and apply prevention science and evidence-based strategies to prevent substance use and misuse. Occasional travel throughout Salt Lake County is required.

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Health Promotion, Health Education, Community, Public Health Education, or other closely related field, plus two (2) years of related experience; OR a combination of related education and experience.

Due to the nature of this position, the successful applicant must pass a required background check through fingerprinting and enrollment in the continuous RAP Back (Record of Arrest and Prosecution Back) program in accordance with current County Human Resources policy requirements.

A valid Driver’s License accepted by the State of Utah is required at the time of hire. A valid Driver’s License issued by the State of Utah must be obtained within six (6) months of hire to operate a County vehicle.

Work duties are typically performed in a general office setting.

Travels to locations throughout the County.

• Coordinates activities of Health Promotion staff to meet the requirements of state and federal grant contracts.
• Assists in developing, planning, and implementing Countywide health education, behavior risk reduction, and outreach programs.
• Assesses health education needs and priorities of various populations using appropriate assessment tools.
• Monitors and evaluates program compliance and program budgets with grants and contracts expectations.
• Coordinates collection of data measuring effectiveness against established program criteria, integrity, and compliance.
• Develops, implements, and coordinates community health programs, guiding community leaders to address population-based health issues.
• Provides training to program staff about needed health promotion topics.
• Helps management team with organizing and sustaining community health coalitions.
• Provides connections between Salt Lake County Health Department and community groups and coalitions.
• Recruits membership to community health coalitions among government agencies, healthcare organizations, businesses, community, educational, special interest groups, and the general public.
• Develops and prepares required reports, documents, statistical information, and presentations.
• Assists in developing accurate and credible press releases, public service announcements, and developing health information.
• Responds as part of the Department Emergency Communications Team.

• Federal, state, and local regulations related to medical, healthcare, and public health law
• Preventive health strategies, risk reduction techniques, lifestyle behaviors, and interventions that promote or compromise health
• Techniques of effective program development/design
• Sources of health-related information
• Individual and group learning methods
• Evaluation methodologies including instrument design, data collection, analysis, and reporting techniques and procedures
• Principles, methods, and techniques of conducting field and/or special studies and investigations using scientific research methods and techniques
• Medical terminology
• Conflict resolution and/or reduction methods
• Effective training methods and techniques including team-building skills
• Public relations and media relations methods and techniques
• Computer operations and uses, including word processing, graphics, spreadsheets, and printing

• Develop effective strategies for conducting in-service training programs
• Think creatively and develop new approaches to behavior change and interventions
• Design and implement evaluation instruments, scientific studies, needs assessments, data collection, and reporting mechanisms
• Interpret concepts, purposes, and theories of health education; predict the impact of societal value system on health education programs
• Utilize and adapt interpersonal and team player skills to employees
• Work with minimum supervision and act independently
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Prepare and explain data by written, graphic, or verbal methods
• Prepare materials for media and public dissemination; select a variety of communication methods and techniques in providing health information

This position works Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, and may require some evening and weekend work due to program needs. This position is hybrid, with two days in the office required.