Public Health Intern

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The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. As one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation, we are at the forefront of research and innovations to improve the efficacy of public health statewide, nationally, and internationally.

PHI was distinguished as one of the top 50 “Best Non-Profit Organizations to Work For” by the Non-Profit Times in a national search.

Position Summary

Oregon Public Health Institute (OPHI), fiscally sponsored by Public Health Institute, improves health and advances equity by bridging the gap between communities impacted by injustice and institutions that hold power and resources. The team is based in the Portland Metro. Our mission is to improve health, advance equity, and respond to public health needs. OPHI’s history includes building community-led initiatives that decolonize structures that perpetuate inequity; providing staffing support and passthrough grantmaking services that emphasize connection with communities; providing technical assistance and training for CBOs, government, healthcare, and other partners; and conducting program assessment and evaluation.

We have served diverse communities, clients, and partners, ranging from local culturally-specific, community-based organizations to government and national funders. All of OPHI’s work is focused on collaborating with populations that experience health inequity, especially Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color communities to dismantle structural racism and systemic drivers of health inequity.

About the Internship:

OPHI is looking for an intern who is enrolled in a Master of Public Health program in Oregon to join our team for three (3) months. Candidates should be graduate degree students who are concurrently be enrolled in their Practice Experience or MPH internship course. This is a time-limited part-time position where weekly hours are not to exceed 19 hours/week that provides some flexibility on the intern’s schedule and project needs. This work will largely take place remotely, with an option for some in-person meetings.

OPHI will work with the intern to develop a workplan that supports the mission of our organization and the needs of our projects while also bringing valuable and relevant learning experience for the intern.

Full pay range for this position: $23.06 to $32.12 per hour. The typical hiring range for this position is from $23.06 (minimum) to $27.59 (midpoint) per hour. The starting wage is determined based on the candidate’s knowledge, skills, experience, as well as budget availability.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

The essential duties and responsibilities for the position may vary depending on the assigned project and the project scope of work co-developed with the student. Duties and responsibilities may include work on one of the following projects:

• Supporting OPHI’s work on the Northwest Environmental Justice (EJ) Center which provides frontline communities in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington with free, direct technical assistance, training, cohort learning and leadership development, ethical storytelling, systems change and accountability. Student work would likely focus on conducting a landscape scan of Washington State to identify areas most likely to experience inequalities and outreach to identify communities to invite to education and listening events, which might include support with the following tasks:
  • Identify 20 community connectors in each state who can help organizers reach EJ communities.
  • Review what environmental justice communities have already identified as technical assistance, training, and storytelling needs via published reports, websites, and conversations with community connectors.
  • Inform the first round of adaptations to Northwest Environmental Justice Center services.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
• Support OPHI in conducting an assessment of what other statewide/regionally focused public health institutes across the United States focus on and how they interact as part of their state/region’s public health ecosystem through activities such as:
  • Research into the budgets, staffing, and programmatic focuses of other public health institutes.
  • Facilitate interviews, surveys, and/or working group sessions with other public health institutes.
  • Based on results of the research and conversations above, develop a report summarizing findings related to 1) the current state of the existing public health institutions; 2) an assessment of the need and level of support to administer the activities; 3) provides recommendations for OPHI on work and approach adjustments.
• (Contingent on project award to OPHI) Through a potential award to OPHI from Oregon Health Authority, support OPHI in systematically identifying and documenting all public and private funding opportunities available for community-based organizations (CBOs) and other community led, grass roots initiatives in Oregon. Activities might include:
  • Identify contact information, funding source (private, city/county, state, federal), priority populations and portfolios for each funder organization; and geographic service area(s).
  • Crosswalk inventory with Healthier Together Oregon’s (HTO’s) priority goal areas to identify areas of overlap and opportunities for collaboration and collective impact.
  • Recommend how OHA can align new funding to CBOs to best complement other public and private funding to CBOs.
  • Develop summary report of CBO equity funding landscape assessment, including an executive summary that can serve as a standalone document for further dissemination to interested parties.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be currently enrolled in the second year of a Master’s degree program in public health at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health or Oregon State University.
• Students should concurrently be enrolled in their Practice Experience (OHSU-PSU) or MPH internship (OSU) course while completing their internship.

Other Qualifications

• Understand and complete responsibilities in assigned timelines, ask for clarifications when needed.
• Ability to work up to 19 hours per week, with some meetings during business hours to meet with OPHI staff and other partners.
• Proficient computer skills (including Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member.
• Excellent interpersonal skills – comfortable communicating with diverse range of organizations.
• Energetic and eager to learn new projects and ideas.
• Demonstrates an understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism concepts and issues, especially as they apply to health equity.
• Detail oriented.
• Strong project management skills.
• Creative and resourceful.
• Knowledge of either the community development, public health, or health sectors preferred.
• Some work experience in community development or public health preferred.

PHI WORKFORCE MANDATORY COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY

Per the PHI Workforce Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, it is a condition of employment for all domestic based employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless they are granted a reasonable accommodation under applicable law.

New hires need to provide proof of full vaccination prior to their start date or apply for an exemption/accommodation within three business days after their start date. Depending on the circumstances, new hires who do not comply with this Policy, or who cannot be reasonably accommodated, will either have their employment suspended or terminated. Candidates who are non-compliant will have their offers rescinded.

EEO Statement

The Public Health Institute is committed to a policy that provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation, and to make all employment decisions so as to further this principle of equal employment opportunity. To this end, the PHI will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation, and will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are offered employment and employees are treated during employment without regard to these characteristics.

For further information regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, copy and paste the following URL into your web browser: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

ADA Statement:

The Public Health Institute is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Recruitment Team at least 48 hours in advance at Recruitment@phi.org.

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We’re so pleased the Public Health Institute is an organization you would like to work with. Do you have questions about this opportunity? If so, email our recruitment team at Recruitment@phi.org.

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