Access to Family Support Resources for Vulnerable Pregnant Persons in Montgomery County PA
Type: Unpaid Internship
Division: Maternal and Child Health
Reports to: Janet Panning, Field Supervisor MCH
Location: Norristown (requires travel across county)
Position Summary:
The goal of this internship is to improve access to family support resources in the county. The main deliverable of the internship is to update and improve the “Parent and Infant Resource Guide”. The larger internship objective is to use this guide as a starting point to improve access to resources for Montgomery County’s vulnerable populations.
Core Responsibilities:
Orientation: The student will be oriented to the County (including the Office of Public Health, Maternal and Child Health, Health and Human Services, etc.) during the first few weeks of the internship. Orientation will also include an introduction to the Maternal and Early Childhood Education Consortium, Pottstown Action Committee, and other non-profit and collaborative stakeholders. Orientation will also include any specific areas of interest that the student would like to include that are related to the internship.
Research: The next few weeks of the internship will be used to research county populations to determine what resources are needed and how best to connect people to resources. This research will begin with available data sets such as Census data and State Bureau of Health data sets but will also move beyond data sets to gather information from local communities through meetings with stakeholder groups and individuals. Students will then create a plan for connecting people to resources in the county. The plan will include updating and distributing the current Parent and Infant Resource Guide and translating the guide into Spanish and other languages, using social media and other methods of communication to share materials, using community groups or meetings of faith communities and others to share information.
Implementation: Once the plan is created, students will start to implement the plan, initially through updating the 2020 Parent and Infant Resource Guide. Deliverables will include the Outreach Plan, the updated Parent and Infant Resource Guide, and other materials that are created during the internship.
Evaluation: The last part of the internship will include a time to evaluate the following:
· Process outcomes – how many of what materials were distributed, conveyed, etc.
· Stakeholder evaluations – what feedback do we get from communities and other stakeholders?
· Other measures of success – to be determined
· Evaluation of the internship – what can be improved? What should remain unchanged?
Required Skills:
· A second language such as Spanish is a plus
· Student working toward a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in public health, health education, epidemiology, or a related field
· Strong verbal and communication skills
· Self-motivated and the ability to work under minimal supervision
· Works well both independently and as part of a team
· Experience using Microsoft Office products
· Must have reliable transportation
Notice: OPH Interns must sign and abide by OPH Confidentiality and HIPAA policies. Interns may not ride in county employee vehicles.
General: Montgomery County is the third most populated county in Pennsylvania. Located to and northwest of Philadelphia, the county is geographically diverse, ranging from farms and open land to densely populated urban neighborhoods in the southern and central portions of the county. OPH Interns will have the opportunity to learn about many facets of public health. For more information on OPH services, see: https://www.montcopa.org/1138/Programs-and-Services.
Students who identify with a group that is racially/ethnically underrepresented in the health professions and who have demonstrated an interest in issues affecting underserved populations are particularly encouraged to consider this internship.