Position Description: Health, Safety and Housing Specialist
North River Commission (NRC) seeks a temporary, full-time Health and Safety Specialist. Excellent candidates will be dynamic and engaging with strong skills in community engagement, communications, and project management. The Health & Safety Specialist is an essential team member for delivery of programs serving a broad range of community stakeholders. The Health & Safety Specialist reports to and is supported by the NRC Housing, Health and Safety Director. This position also serves as staff to the Health and Safety Committee. This position is grant-funded until June 2024. NRC will continue to pursue funding for this position and work beyond June 2024.
North River Commission (NRC) seeks a temporary, full-time Health and Safety Specialist. Excellent candidates will be dynamic and engaging with strong skills in community engagement, communications, and project management. The Health & Safety Specialist is an essential team member for delivery of programs serving a broad range of community stakeholders. The Health & Safety Specialist reports to and is supported by the NRC Housing, Health and Safety Director. This position also serves as staff to the Health and Safety Committee. This position is grant-funded until June 2024. NRC will continue to pursue funding for this position and work beyond June 2024.
Full time and in person. Expected salary range is $25.00 to $30.00/per hour and is commensurate with work experience
Submit a cover letter, resume, and two references including name, email and phone number via email to: Dalia Aragon, Housing Health and Safety Director at dalia@northrivercommission.org
Submit a cover letter, resume, and two references including name, email and phone number via email to: Dalia Aragon, Housing Health and Safety Director at dalia@northrivercommission.org
Summary
The Health & Safety Specialist is responsible for community outreach and prioritization of solutions to redress the health inequities among residents in the Albany Park, North Park and Irving Park Community Areas through the agency’s partnership with Chicago Department of Public Health, Northwest Center and other peer agencies. The Health & Safety Specialist is central to the agency’s work with community members, peer organizations and health providers to identify and improve the social determinants of health. The position collaborates with community stakeholders to enhance public safety and quality housing. NRC’s work is grounded in equity and social justice. NRC creates equity, opportunity and prosperity for all.
The Health & Safety Specialist is responsible for community outreach and prioritization of solutions to redress the health inequities among residents in the Albany Park, North Park and Irving Park Community Areas through the agency’s partnership with Chicago Department of Public Health, Northwest Center and other peer agencies. The Health & Safety Specialist is central to the agency’s work with community members, peer organizations and health providers to identify and improve the social determinants of health. The position collaborates with community stakeholders to enhance public safety and quality housing. NRC’s work is grounded in equity and social justice. NRC creates equity, opportunity and prosperity for all.
Background
North River Commission is a community-based nonprofit organization founded 61 years ago in 1962 by concerned residents and neighborhood institutions. NRC unites 100’s of civic associations, businesses, schools, institutions and places of worship on the Northwest Side of Chicago to improve the quality of life for all constituents in our community by creating affordable housing, quality education, arts & cultural endeavors, environmental sustainability, open spaces, and thriving neighborhood businesses. NRC’s service area encompasses Addison to Devon, the Chicago River to Cicero.
Responsibilities
Health
- Attend Healthy Northwest meetings, conversations, trainings to ensure representation of communities served in health initiatives.
- Coordinate outreach, education, and engagement strategies to link people to social services, health resources, or other needed assistance including housing, victim services, and violence prevention.
- Responsible for building relationships and trust to allow for honest conversation about local health challenges, which may vary from chronic disease, opioid overdose, gun related injury or death, infant mortality, infectious disease related to housing conditions and beyond.
- Responsible for disseminating public health materials and messages to improve health literacy and health awareness, and improve health care access for community members.
- Work across different sectors to ensure broad participation of youth, seniors and families as well as across identity and racial groups.
- Collect data from surveys, focus groups, community meetings and other outreach activities, analyze data and develop reports, including performance reports.
- Lead implementation of the Albany Park Healthy Chicago Equity Zones Action plan, focused on Housing Stability and Public Safety.
- Support the Health and Safety Committee, establish annual priorities through community engagement, and foster strategic partnerships to achieve priorities.
- Foster professional development and connections among social service providers through the agency’s Social Service Network, including maintenance of the North River Social Service Directory, networking, and shared training.
- Facilitate and manage relationships with a broad array of stakeholders including community-based organizations, street intervention leaders, law enforcement, academics and other subject matter experts to implement violence prevention initiatives.
- Actively participate in forums, meetings and strategy sessions with community members and key stakeholders to best address public safety concerns and initiatives.
- With staff and board members, identify and secure funding for health and safety priorities from philanthropic, government, corporate and individual sources.
- Collaborate with Housing, Health and Safety peers to ensure delivery of housing, health, and safety services.
- Collaborate with NRC staff, leaders, and community members for delivery of NRC objectives and engagement of communities to identify and prioritize actions through meetings, direct outreach, and organizing.
- Assist with resource development including grant making and contracts with Executive Director and fundraising consultants.
- Position responsibilities are distributed among team members by the Housing, Health and Safety Director and will change as needed.
- Bachelor’s degree
- Highly collaborative with strong community organizing skills and experience with significant responsibility in project management, outreach, and building partnerships.
- Ability to build relationships in a mission-based environment that fosters support for NRC programs.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including professional and clear public speaking and presentations.
- Respects and embraces equity, diversity and social justice when interacting with peers, supervisors, community partners, landlords, and residents.
- Ability and commitment to working with diverse communities and organizations, including diverse socio-economic, racial, ethnic, religious, and other identity communities.
- Bilingual ability is preferred, especially Spanish.
- A commitment to community-based work and a desire to work in a flexible, friendly office environment and out in the community.
- Confidence in managing multiple projects in a demanding, deadline-driven, team-oriented environment.
- Experience in and knowledge of Albany Park, Irving Park and North Park Community Areas, preferred.
- Availability to attend evening and weekend programs, events, and community meetings. Travel within the City of Chicago, especially the community areas of Albany Park, Irving Park and North Park is required for programs, events, and meetings.
- Excellent computer skills.