JC-459477 – Digital Media and School Behavioral Health Response Lead

Overview

Job Description and Duties

This position supports the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) mission and strategic plan by partnering with education and health organizations at the state and local level to support the health, safety, and well-being of California’s 7.5 million students, staff, and their communities in the state’s 10,000 TK-12 schools. The Office of School Health develops and disseminates scientific guidance and policies; supports school-based health centers; and facilitates collaboration between state and local education and health officials.

The Health Program Specialist II (HPS II), serves as the Digital Media and School Behavioral Health Response Lead to project manage the development of smartphone and social media safe use guidelines and other behavioral health prevention curriculums in partnership with Staff Services Manager I (specialist) in CDPH Maternal Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH). The HPS I will work closely with researchers and program specialists within the Office of School Health (OSH), with mental and behavioral health leaders across the Office, as well as contractors, and other internal and external partners. A primary role of the position is to devise and align behavioral health strategies and recommendations for children, youth, and families around safe digital technology use, and other emerging issues in schools.

In collaboration with the digital technology response lead in the CDPH Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Division in the Center for Family Health, the HPS II is responsible for providing leadership, direction, and technical consultation to the departmental efforts around guidance on digital technology use by children and youth. The HPS II co-leads, in partnership with SSM I (specialist) from CDPH MCAH, cross departmental efforts on the creation of community driven, evidence-informed harm reduction health guidance around digital media and technology use by children and youth. The HPS II partners with contractors, researchers, content experts, and program specialists in addressing other emerging behavioral health issues and co-leads the development of population-based prevention curricula and other health education communication products and materials. These efforts will center youth engagement, community voice and expert advice, integrate CA-specific data, and integrate with national guidance and recommendations in this space.

The HPS II co-leads, in partnership with SSM I (specialist) from CDPH MCAH, a multi-disciplinary team of managerial, professional, and technical staff, as well as external partners and focus groups, on highly sensitive and complex cross-cutting efforts to promote healthy child and youth behaviors related to digital technology use and other emerging school behavioral health issues. The HPS II coordinates multiple workgroups, liaises with other statewide initiatives (such as the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI)), and ensures that programmatic policies align across CDPH and the CA Health and Human Services Agency.