Public Health Ambassador-Family Connection Network

ONLY PERMANENT EMPLOYEES IN THE TITLE AND THOSE THAT ARE REACHABLE ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISER CIVIL SERVICE LIST ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.

The Division of Family and Child Health (DFCH) of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is charged with the creation and oversight of programs, policies, services, and environments that support physical and socio-emotional health, and promote primary and reproductive health services, health equity, social justice, safety and well-being for New York City families and children. The vision of the DFCH is that every child, woman, and family recognize their power and is given the opportunity to reach their full health and development potential.

Within the DFCH, the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Unit plays a key role in operationalizing this vision by supporting and promoting breast/chest-feeding, infant safe sleep practices, and home visiting services to pregnant and parenting families through the implementation of citywide coordinated intake and referral (CI&R) system.

The Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health (BMIRH) envisions a world where all people live healthy, fulfilling sexual and reproductive lives, and where all children are wanted, born healthy, nurtured, and loved. To this end, the key goals of the Bureau are to promote early childhood development, improve sexual and reproductive health, and improve the health of mothers and infants.

The BMIRH Maternal and Child Health Unit (MCH) plays a key role in reaching these goals by promoting breastfeeding, infant safe sleep practices, and home visiting services to families welcoming newborn children. In 2004, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) launched the Newborn Home Visiting Program (NHVP), an effort to promote the agency’s Take Care New York goal of “Having a Healthy Baby.”

The program offers home visits to families with a new infant to facilitate the adjustment to parenthood, assure a safe living environment for families, provide topic‑specific education, and identify health and social issues that require referral to community‑based services. Home visiting programs have demonstrated beneficial impacts on early childhood health and development beginning in infancy.

The NFHV builds on the evidence of existing home visiting programs--the Newborn Home Visiting Program (NHVP), By My Side Birth Support Program (BMS) and Nurse Family Partnership. The program will be delivered by Public Health Advisors, Doulas, and community partners once fully operational. This Initiative incorporates a strong mental health and chronic disease focus, including screening for diabetes, hypertension, maternal depression, and anxiety, along with referrals to needed services.

The program will be delivered by Public Health Advisors, Doulas, and community partners once fully operational. The Integrated Model incorporates a strong mental health and chronic disease focus, including screening for diabetes, hypertension, maternal depression, and anxiety, along with referrals to needed services. A subset of families visited will be offered labor and delivery support by a certified doula. The goal is to improve maternal and child health and well‑being outcomes.

In 2017, New York City had an IMR of 4.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. In the last 10 years, NYC’s infant mortality rate (IMR) has improved 9.7%. However, the mortality rate remains three times higher for non‑Hispanic black New Yorkers as compared to non‑Hispanic whites. Once fully operational the program could offer over 16,000 families the program annually. Since implementation, NFHV has engaged over 10,000 families.

We are seeking a candidate who is able to inspire, influence…