Prevention Services Manager

Somerville is a city that upholds progressive principles for both employees and residents alike. If you are looking for a culture that embraces innovation, empowerment, and collaborative involvement, Somerville not only embraces these talents but encourages them. Creative, hands-on collaboration with passionate dedication are at the core of the City’s workplace culture.  Challenging and fast-paced, Somerville also offers a generous benefits package that embodies a strong work-life balance. Not only is it a “Model City”, as termed by The Boston Globe, but it is also a model employer.

Statement of Duties

The City of Somerville seeks a Prevention Services Manager. The position is responsible for managing and implementing behavioral prevention programs related to mental health, substance use (tobacco, opioids, cannabis, and others), and other related issues.

Essential Functions:

• Leads and manages Prevention Services programs
• Supervises Prevention Services staff for the Health & Human Services Department; responsible for coordinating team schedule and accountable for accomplishing goals
• Plans, develops, and conducts educational classes and trainings with a wide variety of private and public agencies on specific skills for practical guidance in substance use prevention and related issues, including but not limited to: drug prevention, conflict resolution, family dynamics, respectful communication, peer relations, goal setting, bullying, mental health and violence interruption
• Plans prevention education and training in accordance with established practice and research-based prevention theory
• Consults with various community advisory councils on developing programs for substance use prevention; works with community groups in a proactive manner to assist in the implementation of the various primary prevention and early intervention of these programs
• Fulfills and adheres to all grant requirements.
• Utilizes social media to advertise and educate
• Creates financial, statistical and narrative reports as necessary
• Coordinates data collection for needs surveys
• Leads and coordinates policy changes via local and state markets
• Coordinates local events and meetings
• Facilitates local and regional meetings regarding prevention programs.
• All other duties as assigned

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree and five to seven (5-7) years’ experience, with at least three (3) years in a supervisory role; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Master’s degree preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Knowledge of federal, state and local public health regulations; working knowledge of public health issues and prevention programs. 

Ability:  Ability to work independently; ability to prepare and organize presentation materials; ability to evaluate and monitor community and environmental health projects; Ability to travel to off-site locations; ability to meet and deal with the public effectively and appropriately; ability to handle problems and emergencies effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to operate a computer; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to deal appropriately with city employees, city officials and the general public.

Skill: Public speaking skills; excellent research, planning and organizational skills; supervisory skills; computer skills.  Bilingual or multilingual language skills in Spanish, Portuguese, and/or Haitian Creole is preferred but not required.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements.  Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing.  May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers. 

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Send your resume and cover letter by May 2, 2018 to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.