Open Position

Health Outreach & Policy Associate – Southern California

Children Now is the leading nonpartisan research, policy development, and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting children’s health and education in California and creating national media policies that support child development. The organization also leads The Children’s Movement of California. For more information about Children Now, please go to our web site (http://www.childrennow.org).

Position

We are seeking a personable, detail-oriented, and self-motivated Outreach & Policy Associate to support Children Now’s health policy portfolio.  This position reports to the Senior Director of Health Policy and can be located in our Los Angeles office or work from a home office in another Southern California city, with work travel required.

Ideal applicants are outgoing individuals with excellent communications skills and the ability to tailor messages to resonate with specific audiences.  They exercise good judgment in a variety of situations and are flexible, collaborative, and solutions-oriented. Ideal applicants have a broad interest in children’s health policy issues so they can effectively represent all of Children Now’s health projects. They should also embrace Children Now’s comprehensive approach to addressing issues affecting children and may support other key policy areas including education, early learning and child development, and school-based services.

Primary Responsibilities:

The Associate will manage an exciting effort to outreach to former foster youth (age 21-26) and help connect them to Medi-Cal health coverage for which they are newly entitled thanks to health care reform. As part of that work, the Associate will:

  • Contribute to planning and strategy and ensure execution of all elements of the project.
  • Develop and maintain strong connections to the health coverage enrollment community (application assistors, community-based organizations, county workers, health plans, etc).
  • Create educational materials tailored to the target former foster youth audience.
  • Travel throughout California to educate county agencies, community-based organizations, and former foster youth themselves about this opportunity to enroll in free Medi-Cal coverage.
  • Produce and track quantifiable results, as measured by number of former foster youth 1) reached out to and 2) successfully enrolled in Medi-Cal coverage.
  • Work with a communications consulting firm to gain publicity for this new benefit for former foster youth.
  • Work closely with the rest of Children Now’s health team to support policy efforts to streamline the enrollment of former foster youth.
  • Work closely with the marketing and operations and research departments to support the communications, development, research and administrative needs of the organization;

The Associate will also assist with other health policy efforts, including improving children’s oral health; increasing children’s access to coordinated, ongoing, prevention-focused care (“health homes”); and the overall expansion of affordable, quality children’s health coverage options and health access. These efforts will include representing the organization with varied audiences and through presentations and conducting researching and writing to develop fact sheets and other publications as needed.  The position will also contribute to the organization’s outreach efforts including expansion of The Children’s Movement, and will actively engage in fundraising and development work, including writing reports and proposals, especially in relation to our health projects and performing other duties as required.

Qualifications:

  • Excellent attention to detail.
  • Knowledge about Medi-Cal enrollment, emancipating foster youth and transition-aged youth, and relevant Southern California agencies and organizations.
  • Very strong project management skills with highly organized processes, and the ability to coordinate team members in different office locations.
  • Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to effectively build and manage relationships with colleagues, partners, reporters, and funders.
  • Working knowledge of MS Office, including Word and Outlook.
  • Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s preferred.

Compensation

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Generous benefits.

Application Process

To Apply: Applications must include 1) cover letter, 2) resume, 3) brief writing sample preferably demonstrating applicant’s ability to outreach to target communities around health issues (no more than 5 pages; excerpts are fine) 4) three to five references. Please send and address all correspondence to:

Children Now
Attn: Health Outreach & Policy Associate Position Search
1404 Franklin Street, Suite 700
Oakland, CA 94612
Fax: 510-763-1974
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

E-mail applications with attachments in Microsoft Word or PDF format only. We do not accept phone inquiries regarding the position; please do not call. Position open until filled.