Child Fatality Family Interview Specialist - Term Limited

Department Information

This position is only open to Colorado state residents.

This position is term-limited, meaning employment cannot be guaranteed beyond November 1, 2028.

This is a Part-Time position working .75% FTE, i.e up to 30hrs a week.

We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Be BOLD and make a real difference . . .

Do you desire a career that provides you with opportunities to improve the world around you? The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is seeking diverse individuals from all backgrounds to apply for a career position that makes a direct impact on improving the lives of Colorado residents. Our mission is to advance Colorado's health and protect the places we live, work, learn, and play. Our vision is to create a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations thrive.

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference, consider joining the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Our tobacco-free campus offers free parking and is conveniently located near RTD bus lines, Glendale City Set, and the Cherry Creek bike path. In addition to a great location and rewarding, meaningful work, we offer:

• Employee wellness programs and facilities

• Extensive internal professional development opportunities on a wide variety of subjects

• Bike to work programs, including access to storage lockers and bike racks

• Distinctive career advancement opportunities throughout the State system

• Strong, yet flexible retirement benefits including a choice of the PERA Defined Benefit Plan or the PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans

• Medical and dental health plans

• Paid life insurance

• Short- and long-term disability coverage

• 11 paid holidays per year plus generous personal time off

• Mentoring program with opportunities for mentors and mentees

• Tuition assistance for college-level courses including Masters degree programs

• Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible schedules, and

• A variety of employee resource groups

We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

(This posting may be used to fill multiple vacancies and may be extended.)

Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, go to: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/pslfFlow.action#!/pslf/launch

Description of Job

The Work Unit

At the Prevention Services Division (PSD), we are guided by a core belief: that ordinary people working together can change history. Our organizational goal is to inspire people to take action, empower them to change their world for the better, and connect them so they can achieve more together than they can alone.

PSD consists of roughly 283 employees who partner with public and private partners across Colorado to improve the health of all Coloradans. Our team of professionals develop, review, implement, and evaluate public health interventions proven to promote healthy living, prevent chronic disease, protect against injury, and ensure access to health care and opportunities for a healthy lifestyle. The Division is committed to the professional development, collaborative effort and sustained wellness of its workforce. We believe that all people - no matter their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, education level, age, language, religion, ability or geographic location - should have the opportunity to live healthy lives and thrive in their natural environment.

The Children, Youth and Families (CYF) branch is the organizational entity within the Prevention Services Division that plans, designs, implements, and evaluates public health interventions related to women, children and youth, including children and youth with special health care needs, with a goal of maximizing the health and well-being of Colorado's maternal and child health population. Special emphasis is placed on evidence-based practices; databased decision-making, training, technical assistance, community partnerships, and integration of various branch program efforts to assure health outcomes are maximized. We believe that all people - no matter their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, education level, age, language, religion, ability or geographic location - should have the opportunity to live healthy lives. The branch consists of the following four sections: Family Adversity and Fatality Prevention Section, MCH Workforce Development Section, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Section, and Maternal and Child Health Section.

The Position

A key staff member of the Child Fatality Prevention System, the public health child death review and prevention process in Colorado, this position is responsible for:

• Creating a process for conducting next-of-kin interviews with family members and/or caregivers of an infant who died of a Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID);

• Outreaching to family members and/or caregivers to explain the interview process and purpose in detail

• Coordinate interviews including interview modality, dates and time of the interview, appropriate ADA accommodations, translation services, and legal documentation (if required);

• Conducting the interviews and incorporating the findings into the development of a case narrative for use in the review process;

• Develop appropriate referrals for additional support for family members after the interview;

• Serving as the expert on the findings of the interviews during child fatality review meetings;

• Leading infant death scene investigation improvement efforts; and

• Applying health equity, social justice, and intersectional lenses to the development and implementation of the family interview process and in efforts to improve death scene investigations in Colorado.

The next-of-kin interviews enhance the understanding of the family's experience, social background and life stressors such as experiences of racism and discrimination, lack of access to food and housing, barriers to care, relationship challenges, and other experiences that are often not captured fully in a coroner's report, death investigation report, or medical records. The synthesized information from these interviews is also used at the state and local levels to help the program and program partners understand how and why children die in the state. These interviews also provide an opportunity for families to share directly about the loss of their loved one and receive bereavement support.

Predominantly supervised by CDPHE but works closely with the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner to develop processes and pilot next-of-kin interviews with SUID cases that occur in Denver County. Collocated at the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner for part of each working week and is exposed to unpleasant smells, scene photographs, autopsy photographs, and other sensitive information. Works with highly confidential and sensitive information and must sign and honor a confidentiality agreement.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Must meet one of the following or any combination of experience/education to meet the qualifications:

• Experience Only:

Six (6) years of relevant experience in behavioral health, victim advocacy and/or victim services, counseling, nursing, community outreach, public health or other health related fields.

OR

• Education and Experience:

Graduation from an accredited college or university in behavioral health, victim advocacy and/or victim services, counseling, nursing, community outreach, public health AND two (2) years of relevant experience in behavioral health, victim advocacy and/or victim services, counseling, nursing, community outreach, public health or other health related fields which in combination is equal to six (6) years.

Substitutions:

• A master's or doctorate degree in behavioral health, victim advocacy and/or victim services, counseling, nursing, community outreach, public health, or a closely-related field may substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications and Essential Competencies

The preferred experience, competencies and abilities are highly desirable for this position and will be considered in selecting the successful candidate:

• Strong communication, listening, and interpersonal skills to be able to connect and establish trust in conversations with individuals who have lost a loved one;

• Experience providing trauma-informed care, including counseling skills related to addressing grief and loss;

• Ability to support families throughout the next-of-kin interview process and connect them with relevant resources;

• Ability to review, process, and communicate difficult subject matter related to child death;

• High level of emotional intelligence that facilitates the ability to sense others' reactions and non-verbal cues, and actively manages own reactions and behavior based on that information;

• Ability to take detailed notes and prepare well-written, well-organized reports based on individual phone and in-person interviews;

• Ability to serve as an objective, unbiased storyteller;

• Knowledge and understanding of factors that contribute to child health and fatality, including an understanding of racial equity and racial disparities and the impact of racism and systemic disadvantage on health outcomes;

• Ability to coordinate and manage time with various partners including families, translators, and internal staff;

• Strong qualitative analysis skills, including the ability to synthesize, interpret, and report on complex information, collect and research data, use intuition and experience to complement data, and identify and understand the implications of recommendations.

Conditions of Employment:

• Pursuant to CDPHE policy, a background check is required for all positions at CDPHE.

• Hybrid work schedule, in-office and remote.

• Must have a current Colorado Drivers License

• Must be willing to travel up to 50% of the time as position requires.

• This position may travel in and out of state to meetings, trainings, and conferences. As this position is collocated at CDPHE and Denver Office of the Medical Examiner, there is an expectation that they can travel to both offices 1-2 times per week.

• This position will require you to work in the coroner's office weekly. This will mean exposure both directly and indirectly to death, odors, photos, videos, and unpleasant/upsetting stories about how people (including babies, children, young adults, etc.) have died.

APPEAL RIGHTS:

If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.

An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), postmarked in US Mail or hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgment of the department's action.

For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to spb.colorado.gov; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at (303) 866-3300; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.

Supplemental Information

A complete application packet must include:

• A completed State of Colorado application.

• Unofficial transcripts if using to verify educational requirement

• If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214 attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.

The Selection Process

• All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications proceed to the next step.

• Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process. Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position may be a structured application review, which involves a review of the information you submit in your application materials by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) against the preferred qualifications.

• A top group, of up to six candidates, will be invited to schedule an interview with the hiring manager.

E-Verify: CDPHE uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States to be appointed to this position. CDPHE does not sponsor non-residents of the United States.

ADAAA Accommodations:

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Dan McKenna, at daniel.mckenna@state.co.us or call 303-692-2060, option 5.