OD Stat Project Assistant

Equal Opportunity Employer

The mission of the Health Federation of Philadelphia is to promote health equity for marginalized communities by advancing access to high-quality, integrated, and comprehensive health and human services.  Health equity is at the heart of all our work. We believe in and are firmly committed to equal employment opportunity for employees and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion, disability, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status.  This commitment applies to all aspects of the Health Federation of Philadelphia’s employment practices, including recruiting, hiring, training, and promotion.

SUBSTANSE USE PREVENTION AND HARM REDUCITION DIVISION OVERVIEW

Many  cities have been impacted by the overdose crisis, but Philadelphia has been hit especially hard. The City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health has responded by creating the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction (SUPHR), a team focused on improving the health and well-being of people who use drugs in Philadelphia.  SUPHR has 10 teams: Bereavement (Philly HEALs), Communications, Community Engagement, Environmental Services, Epidemiology, Harm Reduction, Medical, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (Philly LIFTS), Operations, and Overdose Fatality Review (OD Stat). The team's mission is to prevent overdoses and other health issues by offering services and shaping policies to promote the dignity, autonomy, and health of people who use drugs. To name just a few things, SUPHR offers overdose prevention trainings, support to families with babies born with NAS, and same day pay program focused on creating job opportunities while cleaning communities. Since so many Philadelphians have been touched by the overdose crisis, SUPHR also provides counseling to children and adults who have lost someone in their life to an overdose. Behind the scenes, SUPHR works with other City agencies, hospitals, and community groups to ensure that everyone is working together to combat stigma and encourage harm reduction efforts. SUPHR recognizes that many communities have been dealing with substance use for a long time, and SUPHR is invested in giving communities the tools they need to keep people who use drugs, their loved ones, and the larger community healthy and safe.

JOB SUMMARY

This position will serve as the project assistant for Philadelphia’s multi-disciplinary drug overdose death review team (OD Stat). This team will convene on a quarterly basis to conduct confidential case review of 6 fatal overdoses per meeting.  The primary goal of OD Stat is to conduct a systematic investigation of overdose fatalities to identify missed opportunities for prevention that will lead to policies, programs or changes to laws that can help prevent overdose deaths and better serve people at risk for overdose. The OD Stat Project Assistant will be part of the OD Stat Staff Group, a small group of representatives from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) and the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and disability Services (DBHIDS). The Staff Group is responsible for preparing quarterly lists of overdose decedents for review, requesting human service and/or health encounter information about these individuals from both City and non-City agencies, and consolidating the findings to create individual case histories. In between meetings the Staff Group will be responsible for tracking the implementation of policy or programmatic recommendations. The individual fulfilling this role will assist with Staff Group duties and all related data requests, collection, management, and analysis.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Under the supervision of the OD Stat Administrator, the OD Stat Project Assistant will perform the following essential job functions:

  • Participate in OD Stat Staff team activities and support the coordination of each member’s responsibilities.
  • Ensure timelines and action plans for case review are met.
  • Manage the data collection processes and ensure all timeframes are being met.
  • Maintain contact and communication with partner agencies and organizations.
  • Ensure the collection of quality, complete, and informative data.
  • Input information into a specialized database for housing and consolidate information obtained for selected cases.
  • Assist in the development of OD Stat related reports and presentations.
  • Record meeting minutes and follow-up items for involved parties.
  • Assure privacy and confidentiality of cases selected for review.
  • Perform other tasks related to opioid and substance use initiatives, as requested.

EDUCATION

Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree program in public health, public health administration or a related field; AND one (1) or more years of fulltime work experience in program coordination, or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary level of skill, knowledge and ability.

SKILLS/EXPERIENCE

  • Computer proficiency, particularly in MS Word, MS Excel, MS Teams, MS Outlook, and online research databases.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • Effective management skills.
  • Excellent organizational skills.
  • A strong ability to maintain extremely sensitive and confidential information.
  • Ability to collaborate with Executive Staff.
  • Ability to host virtual meetings.
  • Ability to maintain organization and meetings minutes for multiple committees.
  • Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines.
  • Ability to take initiative, work independently, and use innovative techniques and ingenuity to prepare reports and presentations.
  • Ability to coordinate complex timelines and schedules.
  • Ability to analyze and think critically to apply reasonable judgment and critical thinking skills.
  • Ability to work as part of a team, to prioritize and handle multiple tasks, and to work independently in a high-pressure environment.
  • Curiosity about the functions, policies, and protocols of City departments and services. Experience in Local or State government is a plus, but not necessary.
  • Sensitivity to and experience working with ethnically, culturally, and sexually diverse individuals, communities, agencies and organizations.

Work Environment:

Standard office setting with extended periods at workstation and periodic use of office equipment. Our team is currently hybrid with both virtual and in-office days, however this position is mostly remote with in-person participation required on an as-needed basis.

Position Type:  Full time, grant-funded position; continuation of the position depends on continued availability of funds.

Work Schedule:  Full-time position, typical hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Flex office schedule options available with supervisor’s approval.

Travel:  No travel required

Physical Demands:  None apart from standard office work

Salary and Benefits:  $58,000 with a comprehensive benefits package that can include:

  • Medical with vision benefits
  • Dental insurance
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Life, AD&D and long-term care insurance
  • Short- and long-term disability insurance
  • 403(b) Retirement Plan, with a company contribution
  • Paid time off including vacation, sick, personal and holiday
  • Employee Assistance Program

Eligibility and participation is handled consistent with the plan documents and HFP policy. 

DISCLAIMER

The Health Federation reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description in any way the Company desires. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an employee assigned to this position. This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties, including essential duties, responsibilities and/or skills to be performed by the employee occupying this position. This job description is not an employment contract, implied, or otherwise. The employment relationship remains “at will.” The aforementioned job requirements are subject to change to reasonably accommodate qualified disabled individuals.