Health Education Specialists

What the job really is

Provide and manage health education programs that help individuals, families, and their communities maximize and maintain healthy lifestyles. Use data to identify community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, policies, and environments. May link health systems, health providers, insurers, and patients to address individual and population health needs. May serve as resource to assist individuals, other health professionals, or the community, and may administer fiscal resources for health education programs.

At a glance

• Sector: Community & Social Service
• O*NET-SOC code: 21-1091
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Prepare and distribute health education materials, such as reports, bulletins, and visual aids, to address smoking, vaccines, and other public health concerns.
• Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with agencies and organizations interested in public health care.
• Maintain databases, mailing lists, telephone networks, and other information to facilitate the functioning of health education programs.
• Document activities and record information, such as the numbers of applications completed, presentations conducted, and persons assisted.
• Develop and present health education and promotion programs, such as training workshops, conferences, and school or community presentations.
• Collaborate with health specialists and civic groups to determine community health needs and the availability of services and to develop goals for meeting needs.
• Develop, conduct, or coordinate health needs assessments and other public health surveys.
• Supervise professional and technical staff in implementing health programs, objectives, and goals.
• Develop operational plans and policies necessary to achieve health education objectives and services.
• Provide program information to the public by preparing and presenting press releases, conducting media campaigns, or maintaining program-related Web sites.
• Develop and maintain health education libraries to provide resources for staff and community agencies.
• Design and conduct evaluations and diagnostic studies to assess the quality and performance of health education programs.

Tools and technology

Adobe Photoshop, Facebook, MEDITECH software, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Word, Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge, Blackboard software

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Community Health Workers
• Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
• Rehabilitation Counselors
• Health Informatics Specialists
• Healthcare Social Workers
• Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
• Child, Family, and School Social Workers
• Dietitians and Nutritionists

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Health Education Specialists — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.