Public Health Prevention Service

Health Agency Information

Requesting a Prevention Specialist

Each year, the Public Health Prevention Service (PHPS) recruits, trains, places, and funds employment-related expenses for up to 25 Prevention Specialists to work in state and local health agencies.

As CDC field assignees, Prevention Specialists are not limited to working in categorically funded programs. Therefore, they offer health agencies the opportunity to meet unmet, documented needs. Appropriate projects include data collection, analyses, program planning, implementation, management, and evaluation leading to development of program management or applied epidemiology skills.

Prevention Specialists

Prevention Specialists have the following qualifications:

• master's degree in public health or a management-related field from an accredited college or university;
• strong desire for a career in public health practice in a state or local health agency;
• 1-year of public health-related work experience that includes work experiences in program planning, implementation, and evaluation; and
• experience gained during two, 6-month assignments in different programmatic areas at CDC.

Prevention Specialists have the following qualities:

• the ability to function as part of a multidisciplinary team;
• proven leadership and management abilities;
• experience in assimilating and analyzing complex information;
• critical thinking and analytic problem-solving skills;
• the ability to adapt quickly to changing environments; and
• linkages to CDC program activities and key personnel.

PHPS Program Responsibilities

The PHPS program will provide

• an annual application process for obtaining the services of a prevention specialist that is open to all eligible health agencies;
• an opportunity for successful applicant agencies to interview and rate selected Prevention Specialists best suited for the job;
• 1 year of training at CDC for each prevention specialist before the health agency field placement;
• salary paid directly to the prevention specialist while he or she completes the 2-year field assignment at the health agency;
• benefits, including health insurance, vacation, and sick leave, as well as some relocation expenses to the health agency; and
• ongoing support for the prevention specialist while on assignment, including conference calls, newsletters, site visits, and other activities.

Health Agency Responsibilities

The requesting health agency must provide

• round-trip travel expenses related to the health agency’s representative participating in the interview process conducted in Atlanta, Georgia;
• written assurance through a CDC statement of agreement (SOA) that the prevention specialist will accomplish a core set of public health activities through varied work experiences during the 2-year field assignment,
• office space and equipment, including desktop computer, Internet and fax access, telephone, clerical, and other support;
• supervisory and mentoring time, assessment of the prevention specialist’s professional development, and participation in an annual evaluation survey of the PHPS program; and
• local travel for Prevention Specialists’ to participate in field assignment-related activities and training opportunities, as well as participation in national or professional conferences, as appropriate.

Application Process

All health agencies with the capacity to provide a challenging assignment that allows for the development and application of core management skills are eligible to apply. However, only two Prevention Specialists will be assigned to the same state during any 2-year placement cycle.

Applicants must demonstrate the following:

• how a prevention specialist will assist the health agency in addressing a documented, unmet need that could not otherwise have been undertaken. (Ideally, work assignments will integrate activities across categorical programs to enhance overall prevention capacity.);
• the infrastructure and resources required to support the prevention specialist and contribute to ongoing learning environments through appropriate supervision, mentoring, and exposure to varied work and training opportunities; and
• work assignments for the Prevention Specialists that are meaningful and provide opportunities to assume leadership positions in the management of public health programs, including planning, implementing, and evaluation of prevention programs.

How to Apply

For instructions for developing assignment proposals (including letter of intent (LOI) and a full application), and the criteria that will be used to evaluate and select the 2-year field assignments see Guidance for Developing Health Agency Field Assignments .

The first phase in applying for a prevention specialist is to submit a 2-page letter of intent (LOI). See a sample LOI .

A public health agency whose LOI is accepted will be invited to submit full applications detailing the professional development assignments for Prevention Specialists. See a sample full application .

PHPS performance requirements serve as the framework for structured training, experiential learning, and work experiences for prevention specialists. For a list of the PHPS performance requirements, see Performance Requirements.

Timeline

Request for Application (2008)

Application Review (2008)

* Public health agencies invited to submit full applications will receive bio-sketches for the 2007 PHPS class and will have the opportunity to participate in Open Recruitment. Open Recruitment is a 2-week period that allows for open discussion between Prevention Specialists and public health agencies. Following Open Recruitment, Prevention Specialists will identify public health agencies they wish to invite to Atlanta for formal interviews.

Interview Process (2008)

**After Open Recruitment, PHPS will invite selected public health agencies to Interview Day in Atlanta for formal face-to-face interviews with interested Prevention Specialists. This year, Interview Day will be held at the PHPS office on Saturday, July 12, 2008. Primary supervisors are expected to participate, and all travel-related expenses are the responsibility of the public health agency.

Matching Process (2008)

The field placement will begin in early October 2008 and end in October 2010.