The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the go-to nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has raised over $1.9 billion and launched more than 1,300 programs impacting a variety of health threats from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like rotavirus and HIV, to emergency responses, including COVID-19 and Ebola. The CDC Foundation managed hundreds of programs in the United States and in more than 90 countries last year. Visit
www.cdcfoundation.org for more information.
Position Highlights:
Position Title: OFRT Next-of-Kin Interviewer
Location: In-Person (Reside in Trenton, NJ)
Position End Date: 10/31/2024
Salary: $87,975 Plus Benefits
Overview:
The CDC Foundation is working with CDC and state and local authorities to provide surge staff to support surveillance, prevention and response activities within the State Funded Projects program. The CDC Foundation seeks candidates for an Overdose Fatality Review Team (OFRT) Next-of-Kin Interviewer. The NOK Interviewer will assist New Jersey’s 25 Overdose OFRTs with conducting next-of-kin interviews. In accordance with Department of Health regulations and guidance, the NOK Interviewer/Social Worker contacts, interviews, or obtains information from a family member, friend, or loved one of an individual whose death is being reviewed by the local OFRT or subcommittee. The NOK Interviewer will collect information about the decedent’s life to identify factors that contributed to a death to identify missed opportunities for prevention and intervention.
Qualifications:
· Bachelor or Master of Social Work degree preferred, Bachelor or Master degree in public health, psychology, sociology, or a related field also acceptable.
· Two to four years of experience working in a relevant field preferred.
· Ability to conduct phone and in-person interviews with relatives, friends, or associates of drug overdose decedents in a sensitive, impartial manner.
· Ability to actively listen, ask pertinent questions, and establish trust with those interviewed.
· Strong emotional intelligence to interpret individuals’ tone and nonverbal cues and to empathize with interviewees’ needs and circumstances while maintaining professionalism.
· Ability to navigate difficult conversations with a trauma-informed perspective, cultural competency, and sensitivity to diverse perspectives.
· Skills in crisis interventions, including making assessments, navigating and deescalating a situation, and providing critical support.
· Ability to take detailed notes and prepare well-written reports based on individual phone and in person interviews.
· Strong organizational and time-management skills.
· Ability to adhere to data privacy and confidentiality requirements.
· Ability to identify and prioritize self-care and understand secondhand trauma.
· Baseline knowledge of or willingness to learn about substance use disorder and the importance of non-stigmatizing language.
Responsibilities:
• Coordinate and conduct interviews with family members, friends, and loved ones of a overdose decedent.
• Support families throughout the NOK process and connect them with relevant resources and bereavement support materials, including ones you may develop.
• Transcribe NOK interviews into a clear, succinct narrative to be shared with the OFRT.
• Attend the respective OFRT meeting to present the NOK narrative and recommendations from the interview.
• Develop and maintain relationships with participating agencies on the OFRT to facilitate information sharing and connection to the families.
• Create resources and materials about the NOK process to be shared with OFRT members, community partners, and agencies to educate about the NOK process.
• Other duties to support NJDOH OFRT initiative assigned by Supervisor or NJDOH Leadership
· If position requires local travel, employee must pass pre hire and annual motor records check and carry minimum auto liability coverage.
Special Notes:
This position requires the regular operation of a motor vehicle during the course and scope of employment as an essential function of the job. As such, Employees in this position must possess and maintain a valid driver's license in their state of residence, must self-report motor vehicle violations/convictions, and must provide proof of acceptable insurance coverage with mandatory minimum coverages as set forth within the Driver Safety Motor Vehicle Policy (“Policy”). All offers of employment and continued employment for this position are contingent upon meeting all minimum qualifications of this Policy.
This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by both the CDC Foundation and New Jersey Department of Public Health in order to best support the State of New Jersey in their public health programming.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disabilities, veteran status, and all other characteristics protected by law.
We comply with all applicable laws including E.O. 11246 and the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 governing employment practices and do not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria in accordance with 41 C.F.R. §§ 60-300.5(a)(12) and 60-741.5(a)(7). As a federal government contractor, we take affirmative action on behalf of protected veterans.
The CDC Foundation is a smoke-free environment.
Relocation expenses are not included.
