Washington County Behavioral Health Division within the Department of Health and Human Services is looking for a Mental Health Prevention & Promotion Specialist, Senior!

To learn more about our Division, please use this link: Behavioral Health

About the Opportunity:
This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule including 2-3 days/week remote work.

The primary responsibilities of the Mental Health and Promotion Specialist, Senior will include:

• Provide direct communications/public information through public presentation, outreach, and other media channels as assigned. Provide information and outreach to youth, adults, and groups to promote community knowledge around suicide trends and mental health services, mental health knowledge and resources, evidenced based prevention practices, and suicide prevention strategies.
• Identify needs for public information and develop educational/informational outreach work plans.
• Monitor and analyze media data including trends from external and internal sources to determine effectiveness and to inform strategy.
• Explain sensitive information clearly to the public and exercise sound judgment within established guidelines. Provide communication/speech in public settings, to audiences of various social, cultural, ethnic, educational, and economic backgrounds.
• Collaborate and coordinate trainings with Tri-County (including Multnomah and Clackamas) leads for evidence-based suicide prevention trainings.
• Work in partnership with the Washington County Suicide Prevention Coordinator to identify trainings and other mental health prevention and promotion opportunities to address the needs of our diverse community.
• Facilitate learning spaces for trainers who provide Big River program trainings or other identified programming when needed.
• Provide presentations and trainings to community members, community partners, and other stakeholders around mental health and suicide prevention awareness and best practices.
• Establish and maintain certification in the core Suicide Prevention evidence-based training models (ASIST, QPR, MHFA, CALM, etc.).
• Arrange and coordinate community involvement functions, open houses, meetings, conferences, workshops, and training seminars.
• Provide the role of cultural, social, and behavioral factors in the accessibility, availability, acceptability, and delivery of education and communication services.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with individuals and groups who come from diverse backgrounds and represent members of the public, coworkers, and/or vendors.
• Contribute to a sustainable workplace by being a responsible steward of resources.

Who we are looking for:
The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in providing presentations and trainings to a wide variety of audiences, virtually and in-person. Possessing knowledge of or experience in the mental health disorders and suicide prevention field is important. Also, possessing the ability to effectively facilitate learning spaces and provide technical assistance for community trainers of evidence-based programs is vital to the success of this position. Additionally, strong communication and customer service skills and dependability is a plus. It is essential to hold a strong value for equity, diversity, and inclusion. We are looking for candidates who enjoy interacting, connecting, and collaborating with others.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and that candidate may come from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role, even if you believe you do not meet all the hiring criteria described above.

Why Washington County?
Are you interested in challenging, meaningful, and rewarding work? Join Washington County in our commitment to advancing racial equity. Our Board of Commissioners worked closely with various community stakeholders and subject matter experts to develop an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Resolution . Adopted in February 2020, this resolution commits to the equitable delivery of Washington County's services, resources, and opportunities for growth and development to every county resident.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

Mental Health Prevention & Promotion Specialist, Senior is a working title. This position is classified as a Senior Program Communication and Education Specialist. Classification descriptions are typically written broadly. To review this classification, please use this link: Senior Program Communication and Education Specialist .

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience :

• A Bachelor's degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Affairs, Public Relations, Education, education in program-related area, or related fields. AND
• Two (2) years of progressively responsible work experience involving the development and coordination of public information or community outreach programs, including demonstrated experience in communications and media relations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual/Multi-lingual (Spanish/English) preferred, but not required.

Additional Licenses, Certificates, Physical Abilities And Specialty Requirements

• Possession of a driver's license valid in the State of Oregon and an acceptable driving record per Washington County policy. To review the Driver's License and Record Policy for Washington County, please use this link: Driver's License & Records Policy.

Background Investigation:
Please be advised that this position is required to pass a criminal background check post offer.