Infant Mortality Prevention Specialist

The Healthy Texas Mothers and Babies (HTMB) Infant Mortality Prevention Specialist serves as a statewide contact for perinatal and infant health knowledge and information which includes providing advanced consultative and technical support to and collaboration with individuals, employers, communities, community-based organizations, professional groups, DSHS staff, and other interested stakeholders interested in advancing infant health in Texas. Identifies collaborative opportunities for addressing community health factors and health disparities in perinatal and infant health and promotes health, wellness, safety, and healthy lifestyles and environments to assure positive health outcomes for perinatal and infant populations. Serves as a subject matter expert on perinatal, and infant health and safety issues to identify the need for program and policy development or improvement and to inform broader policies, programs, and service delivery and to allow policy makers to make informed decisions on issues impacting overall perinatal and infant health. Reports on activities pertaining to perinatal and infant health in the Title V Block Grant Application and the Title V Five-Year Needs Assessment. Coordinates the development of materials, resources and communications to promote perinatal and infant health. Reviews legislation and policies specific to perinatal and -infant health. Works under limited supervision of the Healthy Texas Mothers and Babies Branch Manager and with the subject matter expert staff across the Healthy Texas Mothers and Babies Branch as part of the Perinatal and Infant Health Team with considerable latitude for use of initiative and independent judgment. 

Essential Job Functions (EJFs): 

Attends work on a regular and predictable schedule in accordance with the agency leave policy and performs other duties as assigned. 

Serves as a subject matter expert in the physical, developmental, nutritional, mental, social, emotional, and environmental health and safety of infants. Serves as part of a team as a statewide contact for perinatal and infant health. Performs complex educational, consultative, and technical work in collaboration with individuals, employers, communities, community-based organizations, professional groups, DSHS staff, and stakeholders interested in the advancement of infant health in Texas as well as the general public.  

 Consults on, assesses, plans, develops, implements, evaluates, coordinates, and/or oversees programs and activities related to promotion of perinatal and infant health and safety. May lead or assist in identifying and securing related grants and/or contracts; assists with contract and/or grant monitoring and oversight. Coordinates programming and initiatives to address infant mortality and morbidity and health disparities and to promote perinatal and infant health and safety and dissemination of recommended practices in perinatal and infant nutrition and care including breastfeeding and infant sleep safety. Identifies and facilitates the resolution of complex policy problems related to physical, social-emotional, and mental health and development, safety, and health systems for the perinatal and infant health populations. Coordinates with community partners and works with state-, regional-, and national-level partnerships, programs, and activities in review, planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of program and policy options through workgroups, individually, and as part of a team. Guides and facilitates interaction among agency programs to obtain necessary input and information for policy and program development and analysis. Identifies collaborative opportunities across administrative boundaries by addressing issues, such as health care equity, chronic disease and injury, healthy lifestyles, breastfeeding, infant sleep safety and health disparities to assure positive infant health outcomes, including a life course approach. (40%)

Participates in ongoing Title V activities such as participation in development of sections of the Block Grant Application and the Five-Year Needs Assessment related to infants health. Develops responses to legislative and ad-hoc requests for information. Develops and reports on activities in support of the Title V performance measures related to perinatal and infant health. Writes, reviews, edits and/or updates educational and resource materials and communications on issues impacting perinatal and infant physical, developmental, nutritional, mental, social and emotional health and safety and collaborates with other DSHS programs as appropriate. Coordinates and oversees material development, maintenance, and stakeholder inquiries related to perinatal and infant health materials as assigned. Prepares bill reviews and analyses and serves as a resource to legislative hearings as assigned. Prepares briefing documents for DSHS leadership and programs and facilitates information sharing by focusing on the most pressing health challenges the perinatal and infant populations face. (30%) 

Reviews, analyzes and interprets qualitative and quantitative data as it relates to perinatal and infant health. Based on knowledge of data, and review of research and program innovations, identify trends in perinatal and infant health; assesses and prioritizes emerging issues. Sets benchmarks and monitors progress for Texas in meeting goals and objectives for improving perinatal and infant health. Provides consultation and leadership for priority setting, planning and implementing work plans and related best practices for the perinatal and infant populations. Includes in-depth analysis of health policy, guidelines, knowledge base, statistics, and practices as well as consultation with stakeholders. Synthesizes data and information, performs analysis of policy options, and articulates program and policy options in writing and in presentations. Develops mechanisms to disseminate information relating to perinatal and infant health issues and services. (25%)Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency’s obligations for disaster response and/or recovery, Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation, and/or serving on the State Medical Operations Center (SMOC) team.  Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location. (5%) 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): 

Knowledge of public health assessment, policy development, assurance, and system management processes.  

Knowledge of program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation.  

Knowledge of contract/performance monitoring and providing technical assistance.  

Knowledge of best practices related to preconception health, breastfeeding, infant sleep safety, preventive, physical, developmental, nutritional, social-emotional and mental health, development and wellness for the perinatal, infant and mother-baby dyad populations.  

Knowledge of the quality improvement cycle and associated tools. 

Knowledge of the maternal and child health public health environment in Texas and nationally, including knowledge of key policy issues related to perinatal and infant morbidity and mortality. 

Knowledge of population health science, epidemiology and research for the purpose of drawing conclusions, making recommendations, or developing formative or summative reports. 

 Skill in critical thinking and understanding, analyzing, and resolving problems.  

Skill in using personal computers, with knowledge of word processing and ability to learn other applications as required.  

Skill in preparing concise reports, including gathering, assembling, collating, analyzing and interpreting facts and data; devising and implementing solutions to problems; developing and evaluating policies and procedures. 

Skill in managing multiple tasks.  

 Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with professional and support staff and with internal and external stakeholders.  

Ability to think creatively and work independently.  

Ability to work collaboratively and productively with related DSHS programs, other agencies and organizations, and people from varying professional, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.  

Ability to establish goals and objectives and monitor progress toward achieving them.  

Ability to develop, evaluate, and interpret, programmatic and administrative policies and procedures 

Registrations, Licensure Requirements or Certifications: 

N/A 

Initial Screening Criteria: 

Experience working in a field related to public health, health policy, or maternal and child population health, preferably in population-based infant health promotion and infant mortality and morbidity prevention 

 A Bachelor’s degree in an area related to public health, health policy, or maternal and child health  from an accredited college or university is required. A Master’s degree in an area related to public health, health policy, and/or maternal and child health preferred;  

 Experience in program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation, preferably in infant population health 

Additional Information: 

Applicants selected for an interview will be required to complete an in-basket exercise.