ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST (50080035)

Job Role Summary

The Environmental Health Specialist promotes individual and population public health by providing the essential services of public health within a variety of settings. Responsibilities include inspecting properties, homes, and businesses; identifying health, safety, and environmental hazards; providing or participating in community health education and health promotion activities; ensuring compliance with a broad range of local health and environmental codes, regulations and policies; participating in multi-faceted health, safety, and environmental projects and initiatives; and providing information to individuals, families, agencies, and groups regarding public health and environmental issues or code enforcement data/updates. Environmental Health Specialists also make necessary referrals to other departments within the Marion County Public Health Department and other City social service agencies to link clients with needs.

Essential Duties

• Conducts routine, required inspections and/or audits to ensure compliance with the Health and Hospital Code of Marion County, Chapter 10 (Residential) and Chapter 19 (Commercial) codes and the Indiana State Statue of Abandoned vehicles.
• Maintains expert knowledge of Chapters 10, 19, and 21 of the Health and Hospital Code of Marion County.
• Surveys assigned district for housing, sanitation, trash, and junk vehicle violations.
• Provides health education and technical assistance to individuals and/or groups regarding compliance with current local public health and environmental codes, regulations, and policies.
• Investigates complaints and conducts proactive inspections to identify Housing and Neighborhood Health violations and concerns and initiates appropriate enforcement or corrective actions.
• Follows In-Person and Virtual Court Protocols.
• Conducts inspections, performs necessary data entry and documentation, and provides expert testimony in Administrative Hearings and Environmental Court when compliance cannot be obtained on an enforcement case through any other means.
• Provides expert testimony to obtain court orders to inspect, clean, tow, or vacate a property when compliance cannot be attained through any other means.
• Possesses the ability to think critically and on-demand to explain why a cited violation is considered a health or safety hazard.
• Participates in response teams to prevent, minimize, and contain adverse health events and conditions resulting from communicable diseases; food-borne, water-borne, and vector-borne outbreaks; chronic diseases; environmental hazards; injuries; and health disparities.
• Responds to public complaints and inquiries on environmental or public health matters.
• Deals with challenging clients and situations that can become hostile or pose a threat; knows how to use tact and sound judgment to prevent or remove themselves from these situations.

Associated Job Duties

CONTINUED FROM ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Attends and actively participates in neighborhood, taskforce, partner agency, or other community meetings. Prepares necessary reports for reference and/or dissemination in community meetings.
• Educates the public on Housing and Neighborhood Health issues and the public health rationale for environmental health regulations.
• Provides environmental health information, interpretation, and regulatory compliance advice to individuals, industry organizations, the general public, and other agencies.
• Works closely and in coordination with other governmental agencies to address code enforcement and nuisance issues. Those government agencies include are not limited to: the City of Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services, Department of Metropolitan Development, Department of Public Works, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indianapolis Fire Department, State Fire Marshal’s office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Indianapolis Animal Care Services, Child and Adult Protective Services, and Central Indiana Council on Aging.

• Delivers targeted, culturally appropriate information to help individuals and groups understand local environmental public health policies, regulations, and code.
• Utilizes appropriate methods for interacting effectively, professionally, and respectfully with persons of all ages; diverse cultural backgrounds; socioeconomic status; education level; gender expression; lifestyle; and physical abilities.

• Adheres to ethical principles and Marion County Public Health Department policy in the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of data and information.
• Seeks out and/or participates in professional growth and development opportunities such as continuing education; participating in professional committees, organizations, and work groups; and contributing to a work environment where professional development is encouraged.
• Participates in public health emergency preparedness exercises and in the response to public health emergencies, as directed.
• May be called upon to work a COVID-19 or other public health response assignment.
• Participates in a minimum of two H.O.P.E events totaling a minimum of eight (8) hours annually.
• Performs other duties as assigned consistent with job classification.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required with a concentration in Environmental Health, Public Health, or closely related area preferred.
• Access to reliable transportation to all assigned work locations.
  

Licenses/Certifications Required

• National Incident Management System (NIMS)/Incident Command System (ICS) 100a and 700 certifications to be completed within four (4) months of employment.
• Valid Indiana driver’s license, current certificate of vehicle insurance.
  

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of the core functions and essential services of public health, public health principles and disease process.
• Knowledge of environmental sciences and environmental public health principles.
• Basic understanding of environmental public health protection programs, laws, regulations, and policies processes in Indiana and Marion County.
• Knowledge of data collection, analysis and interpretation techniques.
• Knowledge of federal, Indiana State and local environmental regulations that are applicable to a practitioner in a local public health agency.
• Knowledge of code enforcement techniques and evidence gathering.
• Must be able to work in stressful conditions and under time restraints.
• Ability to read and interpret maps or demonstrate proficient use of navigation applications.
• Ability to interpret and accurately apply ordinances.
• Demonstrates effective written and oral communications, including conveying technical information to non-technical community members.
• Demonstrates ability to interpret and apply public health protection regulations.
• Demonstrates ability to work independently and in teams.
• Demonstrates basic knowledge and use of computerized data management systems.
• Demonstrates knowledge of and usage of field equipment.
• Knowledge of emergency preparedness at home, work, and community settings.
• Knowledge of incident command structure and its use.
• Knowledge of departments within the Marion County Public Health Department to integrate services with, but not limited to the following: Community Based Care (Public Health Nurses); Social Services; Rodent and Mosquito Control; WIC; Immunizations; Healthy Families; the Babe program; Vital Records; Water Quality and Hazardous Material Management; Indoor Air; Vector-borne Disease Prevention; Food and Consumer Safety; Healthy Homes, Environmental Consumer Management, and Senor Care; and Environmental Health and Safety Management.

Working Environment

• General office setting in health department facilities, as well as community sites including clients’ homes, apartments, hotels/motels, commercial properties, or other private property.
• Work performed in the community is sometimes subject to conditions that range from inclement weather to dangerous conditions such as snow/ice, cold, heat, noise, wetness/humidity, vibration, sudden temperature changes, and poor illumination at the job site.
• Travel to and from field locations, often in high crime areas, may subject worker to increased risk of driving hazards and damage or vandalism to personal vehicle.
• Community locations, including clients’ homes and apartments, may subject worker to exposure to communicable diseases such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, and monkeypox; insects and disease vectors such as fleas, ticks, roaches, and bed bugs; hazardous materials; chemicals, toxins, mold, and noxious odors; animals such as dogs, rats, mice, and bats; and criminal activity. Personal protective equipment is recommended and required in some instances.
• In all settings, employees in this classification may occasionally need to interact with members of the public who exhibit challenging, atypical, or hostile behaviors and/or communication.