This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
This position is remote at the discretion of the supervisor and based on business needs. The employee may still be required to report to the agency address listed on this announcement
At The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) we are dedicated to the Colorado for All philosophy - working toward a Colorado where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
We support the basic human rights of our neighbors regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education level, disability, socio-economic status, or any other visible or invisible identity. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we strongly encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply.
Be BOLD.... Make a REAL difference . . . and join us in serving our communities in advancing Colorado's health and protecting the places we live, work, learn, and play, to create a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations thrive.
Mission - To advance Colorado's health and protect the places we live, work, learn, and play.
Vision - To create a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations thrive.
CDPHE offers:
Free parking and access to RTD bus lines.
Flexible working arrangements
Retirement ( PERA options), Medical and dental health plans
Defined Benefit Plan or the PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans
Paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability coverage
11 paid holidays per year and generous personal time off
Tuition assistance
Wellness programs
Professional development opportunities on a wide variety of subjects
Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. For more information, go to: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/pslfFlow.action#!/pslf/launch
The Work Unit: The Health Equity Branch partners with community-based organizations, healthcare entities and local public health agencies (LPHAs) in Colorado by promoting health equity and implementing strategies tailored to address the varying complex causes of health disparities that often stem from structural racism or the historical disenfranchisement and discrimination of marginalized groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, lowincome populations, people living with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and members of the LGBTQ+ community among others.
The Health Equity Branch works collaboratively to set strategic priorities, collect and disseminate data, identify and implement effective strategies, and align resources within the division and across the department and other state agencies. The Health Equity Branch includes the Community Action and Engagement (CA&E) Unit. The team’s goal is to ensure that all Coloradans have access to adequate health care services and resources to improve health and well-being. They do this by creating regional and population-specific support networks that aim to advance health equity and address social determinants of health. This Unit consists of several lines of work focused around establishing a regional support network for local communities, primarily addressing the impacts of communicable diseases as they relate to community health and supporting access to immunizations. CA&E activities include, but are not limited to, the provision of educational opportunities, referral for cultural/community health navigation, connection to wrap-around resource support, and in-person community engagement and outreach. The Community Action and Engagement team is responsible for being a resource to direct health equity programming across the state to assure community needs are met in populations experiencing a disproportionate impact of communicable diseases. 3 Revised 3/11/2025 DCPHR, and the Health Equity Branch, operate on the belief 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.
What You Will Do: This position exists to provide cultural navigation with the intention of building trust between newcomer communities and public health teams, to provide recommendations to public health teams on increasing cultural humility in public health activities, and to conduct community outreach and education across the state of Colorado. The position requires fluency in speaking, reading, and writing in English and Spanish in order to serve as a bridge between community members and public health teams. This bilingual language ability is imperative for transcreation of community outreach messaging. This position travels statewide to support disease control, prevention, response and outreach activities.
Key Responsibilities:
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Serves as a liaison between state and local public health teams and community members to advance health equity and increase cultural humility in service provision, outreach, education, disease control, preparedness, and disease control response.
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Collaborates with state and local public health teams on statewide disease control, response and prevention services for newcomer communities, with the majority of support being provided in the community.
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Attends statewide community events to conduct outreach and education to community members
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Collaborates with the Health Equity Branch, public health teams, and contractors to establish methods and best practices for incorporating cultural navigation support into a variety of activities, in-person or virtually.
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Participate through navigation in case responses and outbreak investigations that affect historically marginalized communities, either virtually or in-person.
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Provide cultural navigation as a participant in disease control and prevention service provision statewide, such as in-person administration of vaccinations for historically marginalized communities.
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Advise public health teams on tactics to alter educational messaging and communications campaigns to be more culturally sensitive.
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Recommends best practices and areas of program improvement as it relates to cultural navigation.
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Builds positive relationships with immigrant serving providers within the community. • Supports and strengthens relationships with CBOs and LPHAs in partnership with other members of the Community Action & Engagement Unit to improve/facilitate outreach, education and data/reporting, including promotion of the Mobile Public Health Clinic Program (MPHCP).
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Supports and strengthens relationships with CBOs and LPHAs in partnership with other members of the Community Action & Engagement Unit to improve/facilitate outreach, education and data/reporting, including promotion of the Mobile Public Health Clinic Program (MPHCP).
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Supports and strengthens relationships with LPHAs and community based organizations in partnership with community coordinators to improve/facilitate outreach, education, data and reporting.
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Plans, organizes, and implements community outreach programs and events in collaboration with community partners, community-based organizations, and other entities in that region.
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Serves as a point of contact for individuals and/or organizations during activities integrating cultural navigation, particularly during in-person events that occur statewide.
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Responsible for meeting the community where they are and in the most equitable manner possible and for understanding the scope of community needs in coordinating a well-rounded program of culturally responsive support options.
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Responsible for working with Community Action and Engagement Unit staff, local and state public health teams, and contracted cultural navigators to support data collection and reporting needs, including providing any necessary data from onsite events.
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Utilizing data to inform recommended best practices and areas of improvement for cultural navigation initiatives.
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Makes data informed suggestions for improvement of workflows, policies, and procedures for activities integrating cultural navigation.
Residency Requirement:
This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.
Class Code & Classification Description:
C7C2TX
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL II
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience Only:
Five (5) years of relevant experience in community health outreach or public health, health care administration or in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position
OR
Education and Experience:
A combination of related education in public health, health care administration and/or relevant experience in community health outreach or public health, health care administration or in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position equal to five (5) years
Preferred Qualifications and Essential Competencies
Relevant years of State service contribute to a candidates position-related knowledge, skill, ability, behavior or other posted competency should be considered as a preferred qualification and given weight under the process.
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Experience with at risk populations
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Experience working with confidential records
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Excellent communication skills in building trust and rapport, motivating and problem-solving
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Excellent planning and organizing skills and be able to adapt to a constantly changing environment.
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Cultural sensitivity and an ability to build rapport with diverse individuals in multicultural setting
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Ability to function in high-stress or emotionally charged situations.
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Flexible team player who thrives in environments requiring the ability to effectively prioritize and juggle multiple concurrent projects.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
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A pre-employment background check.
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Speaking, reading and writing both Spanish and English
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Travel 90 hours per month to attend community events, disease prevention, control and response events with priority populations, meeting with partners and professional development opportunities and may require overnight stays.
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Critical Status: Must be expected to work and/or remain at their worksite in delayed start, early release, or closure situations.
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Critical Status: Must be available in the event of an emergency, (e.g., bio-terrorist attack, chemical attack, disease outbreak or all hazards) and be required to report to work immediately at the regular or alternate location. During this time, travel restrictions may be in place.
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Critical Status: Must be available in the event of the activation of the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and be required to report to work immediately at the regular or alternate location. During this time, travel restrictions may be in place.
Appeal Rights:
An applicant who has been removed from an employment list or removed from consideration during the selection process may request a review by the State Personnel Director.
As an applicant directly affected by the results of the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file a written appeal with the State Personnel Director.
Review of the completed, signed and submitted appeal will be timely on the basis of written material submitted by you, using the official appeal form signed by you or your representative. This form must be completed and delivered to the State Personnel Board by email at dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the Department’s action.
For further information on the Board Rules, you can 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/board-rules.
A complete application packet must include:
Completed State of Colorado application.
If using education to qualify for this position a copy of your transcripts (unofficial acceptable) or diploma must be provided with application. Transcripts must be attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.
If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214 must be 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, 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.
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 at cdphe_benefits@state.co.us or call 303-692-2060, option 5.
