Public Health Advisor (Public Health Services, STD/HIV Services), Grade 21

This is a grant funded position. The position is currently funded through 6/30/2024. Continued employment in this position beyond this date is contingent upon renewal of grant funding.

About the Position:

This position is located in the Department’s Public Health Division’s HIV/STI Services. The Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Services include screening, diagnosis and treatment of STIs, HIV rapid testing and linkage to care, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and other prevention interventions. Partner Services is conducted for reportable STIs where contacts of infected patients are confidentially notified and referred for testing and treatment as needed. HIV Services, supported through the federal Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds, include the HIV Clinic for medical care and treatment for people living with HIV, medical case management and person-centered support services, oral health services, medical nutrition therapy, mental health and substance abuse counseling, housing services and Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS Program (HOPWA). Montgomery County is one of 57 jurisdictions in the nation named in the Ending the HIV Initiative (EHE) to reduce new HIV infections by 90% by 2030. The Public Health Advisor will report to the HIV/STI Program Manager and work as part of the Partner Services Team to conduct HIV/SIT surveillance activities which include planning and carrying out tasks associated with conducting day-to-day testing, counseling, and investigatory and outreach services pertaining to STI/HIV cases occurring in Montgomery County.

The Public Health Advisor will:

• Conduct comprehensive HIV/STD prevention, intervention and surveillance activities per established Maryland laws, rules and regulations
• Conducts partner notification interviews and refers persons to treatment services
• Manages assigned STI cases for follow and partner notification per MDH guidance and protocols
• Contacts private physicians and laboratories to explain the objectives and functions of STI disease control Work within clinical setting to provide disease surveillance and partner services for individuals referred from clinical team
• Provide linkage to care services to identified people living with HIV not in care
• Attends required trainings and meetings on STI/HIV related topics

Employees will need to operate a motor vehicle to transport supplies, and equipment, to other locations to perform these duties and would require the need to lift and carry, and manage stairs with equipment, and supplies.

This position requires Basic and/or Advanced proficiency in the Spanish/English language. The selected candidate will be required to pass a language proficiency exam assessing oral communication, reading comprehension, interpreting, and (for advanced proficiency) translating text from the Spanish language to the English language and vice versa.

Selected candidates for this position will be subject to a pre-employment medical exam, drug and alcohol screening.

The anticipated salary range for this position is (minimum) $61,788 - $80,008 (maximum).

OHR reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position/IRC.

Montgomery County Government is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources via email to OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov . Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

Montgomery County Government also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, please refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference .

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for interview.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law : Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code . Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.

Experience: Three (3) years of experience in either public health investigation or health education related to HIV/STD

Education: Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in one of the Social or Biological Sciences, Health or related field

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted

License: Possession and maintenance at all times of valid Class "C" (or equivalent) driver’s license from the applicant's state of residence.

No Preferred Criteria. All applicants will be reviewed by OHR for minimum qualifications. Those applicants who meet minimum qualifications will be rated Qualified, placed on the Eligible List, and may be considered for an interview.

Preference for interviews will be given to applicants with experience in the following:

• Knowledge of HIV/STD disease process, public health intervention principals and processes, and program management.
• Knowledge of HIV/STD testing, treatment and reporting policies, guidelines, and laws.
• Knowledge of confidentiality laws and HIPAA
• Ability to establish effective working relationships across organizational, community, and cultural lines.
• Ability to work independently exercising sound judgement.
• Ability to use time management strategies to maximize work productivity and meet deadlines.
• Computer experience and working knowledge of Microsoft Office products.
• Prior experience with electronic medical records and/or surveillance database.