Health Education Specialists

Health Education Specialists typically perform the following tasks: • Prepare and distribute health education materials, such as reports, bulletins, and visual aids, to address smoking, vaccines, and other public health concerns. • Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with agencies and organizations interested in public health care. • Maintain databases, mailing lists, telephone networks, and other information to facilitate the functioning of health education programs. • Document activities and record information, such as the numbers of applications completed, presentations conducted, and persons assisted. • Develop and present health education and promotion programs, such as training workshops, conferences, and school or community presentations. • Collaborate with health specialists and civic groups to determine community health needs and the availability of services and to develop goals for meeting needs. • Develop, conduct, or coordinate health needs assessments and other public health surveys. • Supervise professional and technical staff in implementing health programs, objectives, and goals. • Develop operational plans and policies necessary to achieve health education objectives and services. • Provide program information to the public by preparing and presenting press releases, conducting media campaigns, or maintaining program-related Web sites. • Develop and maintain health education libraries to provide resources for staff and community agencies. • Design and conduct evaluations and diagnostic studies to assess the quality and performance of health education programs. • Develop, prepare, and coordinate grant applications and grant-related activities to obtain funding for health education programs and related work. • Provide guidance to agencies and organizations on assessment of health education needs and on development and delivery of health education programs. • Design and administer training programs for new employees and continuing education for existing employees. • Develop educational materials and programs for community agencies, local government, and state government.