Practicum and Workforce Development Seeing the bigger public health picture!
New! Career spotlight opportunities
There's so much you can do in public health. We are here to help all of our students uncover those possibilities and see the bigger picture. We believe that preparing our future health champions to be career-ready is part of our commitment to student success and supplying our graduates with the right tools, experiences, partnerships, and relationships to make an impact. As a result, developing our workforce is vital.
More specifically, MPH students, as part of their degree program, are required to complete a practicum, where they will apply what they have learned in the classroom and engage in practice activities aligned with their career goals and interest areas in the field.
The practicum is designed to further develop our students into public health champions and get them ready for a valued career in public health service. The practicum field experience is tailored to our student's needs and professional interest. The students take a primary role in researching potential sites and identifying potential mentors.
Would you like to serve as a practicum site for our students? Have ideas on how we can increase opportunities for our students to learn? Contact us!
Find Jobs in Public Health
Career Spotlights
Kentucky Opioid Response Effort (KORE) Recovery Implementation Specialist
Do you want to be part of a high-performing, collaborative team of behavioral health leaders? The Kentucky Opioid Response Effort (KORE) is looking for a talented and passionate individual to join our team as the State Opioid Response Effort (SOR) Recovery Implementation Specialist.
KORE is leading the way in Kentucky's recovery from the opioid crisis and this position plays a central role in our effort to expand access to recovery support for opioid and stimulant use disorder. This position holds primary responsibility for implementation of State Opioid Response Effort (SOR) recovery projects.
This is a federally funded time-limited (FFTL) position. This means it is a position that is paid entirely as the result of a federal grant. The duration of employment shall not exceed the life of the federal grant that funds the position. An employee appointed to an FFTL position is required to meet the minimum requirements for the classification.
Further, an employee appointed to an FFTL position is designated as an unclassified (non-merit) employee. An FFTL employee is eligible to receive benefits at the same level as a classified (merit) employee in a permanent position.
If you have questions about this advertisement, please contact Katie Marks at katie.marks@ky.gov
Apply by July 1st, 2023
Programs Manager for Infectious Disease (Northern Kentucky Health Department)
Do you want to make your community a better place to live by preventing disease, promoting wellness and protecting against health threats? Are you excited about being part of a team focused on making a difference? Does work/life balance appeal to you? Do you like new challenges?
If you answered YES, then it may be time for you to find the job you love right here at Northern Kentucky Health Department. The Population Health Division is accepting applications for a full-time (40+ hours/week) Programs Manager to oversee the provision of a broad range of heavily regulated, highly complex and/or varied professional public health programs, and to perform related duties initially for Infectious Diseases – HIV Prevention, Hepatitis C Prevention and Linkage to Care, Epidemiology Services and Data Analysis.
For immediate consideration, apply by June 9th, 2023. Position will remain open until filled.
HANDS Part-time Contract Family Support Worker (Franklin County Health Department)
This position serves under general direction of the Program Coordinator and/or appropriate supervisor. Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to:
- Conduct regular planned visits to establish a trusting rapport for eligible HANDS participant/s to assist parent/s and or families with child development, parenting skills, health services and other needed resources identified at assessment or during visits.
- Maintain confidentiality of program information obtained from home visit/s and exchanged while communicating with community and support service providers.
- Initiate and maintain regular and long term contact and provide support to parents during the prenatal period and extending up to, but not inclusive of the child’s third birthday, following parent visit assessment.
- The responsibilities include home visitations that may take place in the client’s home or another community site if justified, that include (a) monitoring of the child’s, mother’s and family’s progress by making referrals to community resources; such as prenatal health services, school, head start, etc.
- Tracking appointments to ensure they are being kept, performing follow-up services as identified and performing periodic evaluations of the participants’ changing needs, (b) preparation and maintenance of case records which shall be documented with contacts, services needed, reports and progress, (c) consultations and (d) crisis assistance.
- Confer with Program Coordinator and/or Supervisor in cases involving potential collaboration with other service providers. Perform support tasks as assigned.
Application closes July 19th, 2023
Woodford County Health Department HANDS Ongoing Home Visitor
The Woodford County Health Department is accepting applications for contractual employment for a full time HANDS Ongoing Home Visitor.
General Duties include:
- Provides visits to eligible clients through home visitation or telehealth visits to families. Work will require travel to family’s homes or within the communities served.
- Keep accurate logs of service visits, schedules and charting, and completes paperwork as set forth in HANDS program policy and guidelines.
- Provides outreach and resources for the HANDS program.
- Conducts, plans and schedules HANDS visits consistently in accordance with guidelines of the program.
- Facilitate obtaining resources through local community agencies for families.
- Discuss results of HANDS screenings or any developmental concerns and makes referrals, as appropriate.
- Distributes HANDS resources and materials to families and community partners.
- Promote the HANDS program at events, festivals, etc. to educate families on the program as well as develop partnerships to expand outreach in the community.
Completed application must be submitted electronically or delivered by close of business June 27, 2023.
Practicum Organization Host Sites
Practicum Organization Host Sites
- Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) Internship Program
- Kentucky Cancer Consortium, Lexington KY
- Arbor Youth Services, Lexington KY
- Lexington Clinic, Lexington KY
- WEDCO District Health Department, Georgetown KY
- Franklin County Health Department, Frankfort KY
- Jessamine County Health Department, Nicholasville KY
- Wild Health, Lexington KY
- Laurel County Health Department, London KY
- Markey Cancer Center Community Impact Office, Lexington KY
- Kentucky Injury Prevention & Research Center, Lexington KY
- Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network, Lexington KY
- Kentucky Department for Public Health- Maternal & Child Health, Frankfort KY
- Kentucky Department for Public Health-Epidemiology, Frankfort KY
- Madison County Health Department, Richmond KY
- Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, Lexington KY
- Center for Health Equity and Transformation, Lexington KY
- Bourbon County Health Department, Paris KY
- Central Kentucky Recovery Center, Lexington KY
- UK Athletics, Lexington KY
- New Vista, Lexington KY
Leadership Opportunities
Public Health & Primary Care (PHPC) Leadership Institute
Program Overview
The Region IV Public Health Training Center, headquartered at Emory University, has partnered with the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development at the University of Georgia to offer the Region IV Public Health & Primary Care (PHPC) Leadership Institute.
With funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the PHPC Leadership Institute provides training for individuals from the eight states that comprise the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region IV (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). There is no fee to participate.
The PHPC Leadership Institute is an 8-month experience providing 40 contact hours of interaction. The Institute consists of a virtual orientation; an in-person opening retreat; 5 virtual sessions lasting 2 hours each; and a final virtual 3-hour graduation session. In addition to these sessions, participants will be asked to complete approximately 2-3 hours of intersession work between the virtual sessions. Zoom video conferencing technology will be used for the virtual sessions.
Who Should Apply
Emerging public health and primary care leaders who:
- Work in governmental state, local, or tribal public health departments, tribal health organizations, or FQHCs/FQHC Look-Alikes
- Work in one of the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee
- Manage programs, supervise staff, and/or demonstrate leadership potential
- Work with underserved populations and/or are from under-resourced health departments or FQHCs/FQHC Look-Alikes
Deadline to apply has been extended to August 4th, 2023.