Health Impact Assessment in Illinois,
Economic Development & Land Use Policy
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY – SUMMER 2012
Illinois Public Health Institute
The Illinois Public Health Institute is seeking a Master’s-level
research intern to assist in identifying strategic opportunities for building
capacity for Health Impact Assessments (HIA) in Illinois, particularly in
relation to land use and economic development policy.
The Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI) is a partnership
of public, private and voluntary organizations that seeks to maximize health,
wellness and quality of life for the people of Illinois. IPHI administers a number of
partnership-driven projects addressing specific program areas, including the
Center for Community Capacity Development (CCCD), the Center for Health and
Information Technology (CHIT), and the Center for Policy and Partnership
Initiatives (CPPI).
IPHI stands at the nexus of public health planning and
policy, with programs, partnerships or projects in Reducing Health Disparities,
working on the State Health Improvement Plan, Training and Technical Assistance
for local health department (LHD) assessment and certification, a pilot for
voluntary LHD Accreditation, Quality improvement and performance management
training and technical assistance, the development of a statewide Public Health
Web-based Data Query System, coordination of stakeholder engagement for
large-scale health information system design initiatives, and leadership and
advocacy around preventing obesity in Illinois.
IPHI is a leader in building cross-sectoral collaboration in
Illinois, facilitating partnerships between public health, community
organizations, planning agencies, active transportation advocates, schools, universities,
and elected and appointed officials to achieve policy and systems change.
“Because programs far beyond the reach of the health sector
can have powerful health effects,
decision-makers in every sector must consider the health effects of all
policies and programs, not only those with obvious direct links with health.”
(RWJF Commission to Build a Healthier America, 2009). Health Impact Assessment
(HIA), defined as “a combination of procedures, methods, and tools by which a
policy, program, or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the
health of a population, and the distribution of those effects within the
population” (1999 Gothenburg consensus statement), is an powerful tool for
achieving the health in all policies approach articulated above. The Illinois
Public Health Institute has been building its capacity to provide technical
support for HIAs and promote implementation of this rapidly emerging tool in
Illinois.
The selected intern will assist in defining the Illinois
Public Health Institute’s strategic direction for building capacity for HIA in
Illinois. The primary focus of this work will be on land use and economic
development policy analysis. We
anticipate that some of the analysis will also relate to housing and
transportation. IPHI’s work in this area
is rapidly evolving, so the selected intern will have the opportunity to
contribute to multiple aspects of Health in All Policies and HIA work that
develops during the internship. Specific
projects that the intern can expect to work on include:
Compile a list of tools and specific strategies that
facilitate integration of health into local and regional land use and economic
development policies.
Interview key informants in primarily ‘non-health’ sectors to
identify potential avenues for cross-sector collaboration, characterize how
health is or is not an active consideration in policy-making, as well as assess
awareness of HIA and interest in applying the tool.
Write Illinois-specific case studies of successful integration
of health into land use and economic development decision-making.
Scan for current projects or policies in Illinois, in the
above indicated sectors, that have potential for an HIA.
Research health impact pathways tying land-use and economic
development policies to health outcomes.
Contribute to HIA projects that emerge during the
internship.
The ultimate goal for this project is to support IPHI’s strategic
approach to cross-sectoral collaboration. At a minimum, the intern will: 1) produce a
policy brief that summarizes key opportunities and tools for cross-sector
collaboration and a Health in All Policies approach in land use and economic
development and 2) highlight the stories of two Illinois communities that
successfully integrated health into land-use decision-making. Additional written products may include
internal research memos, resource guides, HIA pathway diagrams, and drafts of
external technical assistance tools.
Qualified applicants will be Master’s level students who possess
the following: excellent verbal and written communication skills; strong
organizational skills; ability to take initiative on projects; comfortable
working independently and in a team; an interest in improving the public health
through policy and systems change.
Experience or coursework related to policy analysis, urban
or regional planning, economic development, community development, and/or housing
are highly desirable.
The intern will have a designated space, with a desk and a
computer at Illinois Public Health Institute, 954 West Washington, 4th Floor,
Chicago, IL 60607.
This internship may require work outside the office and in neighboring
communities. Depending on the partnerships and projects that develop during the
course of this internship, there may occasionally be the opportunity for the
intern to assist with trainings or data collection in relation to a specific
HIA. All local travel would be reimbursed by IPHI.
The duration and time commitment will be negotiated between
the successful applicant and her internship supervisor, and be further defined
according by the internship requirements of the student’s school. Generally, the selected candidate will be
expected to produce at least 250 hours of work during this time. Interns will be expected to track their own
hours worked and meet all negotiated requirements.
This internship will be expected to begin as soon as
possible in June and will conclude no later than the end of August. Generally, work will be carried out between
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. IPHI will be happy to work with the student’s
institution to support course credit or practicum requirements.
This is an unpaid position.
No phone calls, please.
To apply, send the following three items to Jessica.Lynch@iphionline.org:
a personalized cover letter referencing the candidate’s
relevant experience and training and how they fit the internship opportunity
a resume or curriculum vitae
one writing sample, no longer than five pages
Applications without all three requirements will not be
considered.
The Illinois Public Health Institute values diversity and is
dedicated to the principals of equal opportunity. All jobs and internship opportunities are
open to everyone equally. It is the
policy and practice of IPHI not to discriminate against any applicant because
of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual
orientation, status as a disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam Era, or any
other personal characteristic which is not a relevant qualification to the
specific position.