Working/Functional Title
Tribal Health Extension Educator
Position Summary
Michigan State University Extension is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive organization, which requires all staff to contribute towards a vision for success. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our work, regardless of title or position within the organization. This means that all staff at MSU Extension are dedicated to the following:
- We work together to ensure that programming is delivered to diverse audiences, produces equitable impacts for all participants, and demonstrates partnership and inclusion for all groups.
- We embrace that it is everyone’s job to create a culture that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
- We ensure that every team member is prepared with the skills and resources to contribute to our welcoming and inclusive culture.
- We foster inclusion by recognizing and valuing diverse perspectives, skills, experiences, and work to create equal access to programming for communities.
- We commit to continuous learning for diversity, equity, and cultural competency, in order to achieve inclusive excellence.
- We understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential elements to our work and are vital to the organizational culture and programmatic success of MSU Extension.
- We embrace a culture of understanding, coaching and feedback towards achieving a vision of success for the entire organization and its staff.
- Together we will achieve success and we commit to these goals in our work, continued education, and ongoing efforts.
POSITION SUMMARY
As part of MSU Extension (MSUE) and the Health and Nutrition Institute (HNI), this position provides local as well as statewide leadership and expertise in health educational programs focused on teaching mindfulness, stress reduction, chronic disease and chronic pain self-management, healthy aging, and diabetes prevention and management (e.g., Dining with Diabetes, Diabetes PATH). The position will have local partner and statewide institute responsibilities and will collaborate across work teams, Institutes, and community groups, working with faculty, specialists, and educators for overall advancement of the needs of the Institute clientele. This position has a focus on delivering health educational programs to community-based adult audiences.
In this position, you will identify, design, implement, and evaluate research-based educational programs that meet current and projected outreach needs related to health and well-being to be responsive to mental health, physical health, and behavioral health needs of community members. Through your leadership, you will plan and implement community-based health programs for diabetes self-care management , stress reduction/ mindfulness (e.g., Stress Less with Mindfulness), and chronic disease and chronic pain management programs (i.e., PATH programs). Programming is delivered in-person and online virtually. You will be responsible for creating a steady, on-going calendar of programs that meet community needs year-round, and that rotate to produce a variety of offerings. Programs are taught alone and with other trained co-facilitators and delivered in coordination with community partners.
Through collaboration in grant-funded efforts, engagement with community members, and dissemination of research-based information through various methods, including in-person and multimedia programming and written communications, you will explore and implement programs that lead to public knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that contribute to healthier lifestyles for individuals and toward health equity for all. You will also develop, produce, and deliver health education that contributes to system changes, policies, and environmental changes of communities and institutions. You will use evidence-based and research-based sources for health education outreach materials with messaging and content that is accessible and inclusive and is consistent with the Health and Nutrition Institute.
Your work will include close collaboration with Tribal partners and colleagues at MSU and MSU Extension, as well as the diverse network of partner groups including county or regional human service collaboratives, healthcare systems, primary care or clinical clinics, county government departments, local area agencies on aging and prevention coalitions, and community human service groups. You will collaborate with the HNI Health Team and be part of grant-funded efforts of the institute. This position has potential to partner with faculty researchers and be a liaison in the community for local needs assessment, study recruitment, interventions, and research finding dissemination activities. Acting as a statewide point of contact, you will provide support for local programming in the Extension administrative district associated with the base county where the position is located and will be expected to deliver programs in multiple counties.
Although negotiable, there will be space available for this position to work from the Bay Mills Health Center, located at 12455 W. Lakeshore Drive in Brimley, Michigan.
This position may be eligible to utilize a flexible work environment, however, there is an expectation to work from the primary office location. The needs, responsibilities, and opportunities of an individual’s position and office location drive the ability and amount of work-location flexibility.
This position is a full-time, fixed term end-dated appointment, renewable annually based upon successful performance and continued funding.
Characteristic Duties/Responsibilities
- Identify, develop, conduct, and evaluate innovative educational programs that meet current and projected needs, and supports growth and understanding of critical issues facing people in Michigan.
- Develop and maintain positive working relationships intra- and inter-organizationally and create and promote positive public relations for MSU Extension and the HNI.
- Understand and support the Health and Nutrition Institute’s efforts in diversity, equity, inclusion, and Civil Rights, with a special emphasis on removing barriers from participation and reaching diverse populations, including but not limited to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status, socio-economic class, and other human differences in rural, suburban, and urban communities, and where applicable, increasing programmatic delivery to and participation of minoritized or otherwise underserved adult audiences.
- Develop and utilize appropriate media methods to communicate current and timely information, research results, and relevant industry updates, as well as a schedule of current and future activities.
- Collaborate with Tribal partners and MSU Extension staff to gather and report programming outputs and impacts, to demonstrate program effectiveness, and to guide future program priorities for MSU Extension, the HNI and work teams.
- Actively participate in professional development opportunities.
- Author, produce, and submit regular research-based educational materials and articles.
- Other duties or projects as assigned by the Instit
