The Bureau of Health Promotion for Justice-Impacted Populations (HPJIP) in the Division of Mental Hygiene aims to reduce the negative social and health consequences of criminal legal system involvement through innovative policy and practice change. By centering community, addressing racial inequities, honoring lived experience, and elevating trauma-and-resilience-informed-approaches, we promote evidence-based best practices to address the needs of those disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system.
Position Summary: Reporting directly to the Senior Director of Programs, the Senior Program Assistant will support operational workflows, cross-unit projects, and facilitate critical communications. This role requires a high degree of adaptability; the selected candidate should maintain schedule flexibility and travel between various office and program locations to provide direct, in-person support and meeting facilitation.
Schedule: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (35 hours/week; Travel required, with flexibility to ensure program needs are met) Full-Time / Exempt Job Duties and Responsibilities:
- Manage projects (which may involve Programs Unit, Epidemiology Unit, Policy Unit, or community input) related to key strategic areas for the Bureau. These areas may include strategies to prevent and address legal system involvement, behavioral health issues, and other relevant topics.
- Conduct literature searches and investigate best practices, and care for individuals and communities with legal system involvement and behavioral health concerns; review and summarize articles and guidance documents.
- Consult and collaborate with various offices within the Division and Department as well as external partners in the community.
- Coordinate development of indicators, data collection and reporting for the bureau for Quality Performance Review, Mayor’s Management Reports, Office of Community Mental Health requests and other reports.
- On behalf of the Senior Director of Programs, delegate assignments to program supervisors and collaborate with them to ensure timely completion.
- Review data and work products of program supervisors to ensure they meet the expectations of the Bureau and Division.
- Develop and administer tools and tracking sheets to organize Programs workflows.
- Organize internal and external meetings in person, e.g., prepare agenda, meeting materials, and minutes; draft communications to meeting participants; ensure appropriate follow-up on action items.
- Serve as Programs communication liaison, providing direct, hands-on support across locations.
- Develop content for internal and external webpages for the Bureau programs; ensure consistent messaging across public-facing materials.
- Collate, coordinate, assist with and conduct data collection, quantitative/qualitative data analysis and research to track all programming across both units for reporting purposes; develop and implement special projects to fill gaps in care as needed.
- Liaise with unit, divisional, and departmental offices for assigned projects.
- Draft reports, proposals, and presentations for internal and external distribution.
- Prepare the Senior Director of Programs for high level meetings through organized agendas, situational awareness, and presentation development.
- Manage special projects as needed including timely response to requests from internal and external parties such as the Executive Deputy Commissioner’s Office or City Hall.
- Work closely with Senior Director of Programs, to ensure program strategies are well-documented and executed effectively.
- Flexibility in schedule, including working other shifts, weekends, staying later or coming in earlier as needed to meet shifting programmatic demands.
- Must travel between offices/work locations on a regular basis, promoting effective communication and providing direct support with programs.
Preferred Skills:
- Bilingual capabilities with written and verbal fluency preferred to effectively communicate and support diverse population needs.
- Understanding of the NYC mental health system for persons with legal system involvement.
- Understanding of other agencies and systems in the legal system (e.g., courts, probation, incarceration, parole) highly desirable.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills; ability to plan, problem-solve, prioritize, and ensure the timely response to program requests and deadlines.
- Ability to work flexibly, adapt to schedule shifts, and multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to coordinate and facilitate others’ work, including managing logistics for in-person meetings.
- Experience coordinating and contributing to the development of grant applications (narrative and budget).
- Strong research and communication skills (written and verbal).
- Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to engage diplomatically with colleagues, leadership and external parties during on-site visits and collaborative sessions.
- Ability to act independently and exercise good judgment, escalate accordingly.
- Proficiency in Excel, Microsoft Project, Word, PowerPoint, Visio, and MS Teams.
- Strong Attention to detail, Problem-solving, Time management skills.
Why you should work for us:
- Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal/state loan forgiveness and repayment assistance programs that lessen your payments or even fully forgive your full balance. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website (https://studentaid.gov/pslf/)
- Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as: o a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment.
o additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund.
o a public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement. o a tax-deferred savings program and o a robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.
- Work From Home Policy: Depending on your position, you may be able to work up to two days during the week from home.
- Job Security - you could enjoy more job security compared to private sector employment and be able to contribute to making NYC a healthy place to live and work.
Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the U.S., dedicated to protecting and improving the health of NYC. Our mission is to safeguard the health of every resident and cultivate a city where everyone, regardless of age, background, or location, can achieve their optimal health. We provide a wide array of programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and social justice initiatives. As the primary population health strategist and policy authority for NYC, with a rich history of public health initiatives and scientific advancements, from addressing the 1822 yellow fever outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic, we serve as a global leader in public health innovation and expertise.
Come join us and help to continue our efforts in making a difference in the lives of all New Yorkers! Commitment to Equity: The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
The NYC Health Department is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation to all individuals. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact Sye-Eun Ahn, Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, at sahn1@health.nyc.gov or 347-396-6549.
Minimum Qualifications
- For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
- A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
- A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
- Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.
NOTE: Probationary Period Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.
Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.