Community Research Liaison - School of Public Health Brownsville (Bilingual)

We are hiring a Community Research Liaison (Casual – up to 19.5 hrs/week) to join the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Brownsville, TX . In this role, you willfacilitate health education, lifestyle coaching, and physical activity sessions for community-based intervention programs (MEND/Healthy Together and DPP), while conducting participant recruitment, data collection, and retention activities in the field. Ideal candidate should have experience working with children, adults & families, familiarity with community-based health programs, experience in community-based health programs, preferred. Bilingual English & Spanish, highly preferred.

What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.

Once you join us you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:

• 100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees
• Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year) 
• The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue! 
• Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service) 
• Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan! 

We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as... 

• Free financial and legal counseling 
• Free mental health counseling services 
• Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs 
• Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc. 
• Resources for child and elder care 
• Plus many more! 

Position Summary:

The Community Research Liaison interviews study subjects, primarily in the field, records data for various projects, supports participant recruitment and retention activities, and assists with the delivery of community-based health intervention programs. The position supports participant engagement, data collection, health education, and lifestyle coaching activities related to chronic disease prevention, physical activity, nutrition, healthy behavior change, and overall wellness initiatives.

Community-delivered health intervention programs, including MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It!) and the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), focus on improving physical activity, nutrition, healthy behavior outcomes, and chronic disease prevention among children, adults, and families. Through structured educational, coaching, and physical activity sessions, these programs support participants in developing practical skills and healthy behaviors that promote long-term healthy lifestyles and overall wellness.

Position Key Accountabilities:

• Facilitates and/or assists with health education, lifestyle coaching, physical activity, wellness, and behavior change sessions according to established community health program protocols, including MEND/Healthy Together and DPP interventions.

• Interviews and establishes rapport with study participants to encourage complete, accurate responses, continued engagement, and participation in community-based health intervention and educational programs. May work in the field, either going to homes, places of business, or specified study areas.

• Contacts potential study participants for recruitment, outreach, scheduling of educational sessions, retention, and follow-up activities across program sites.

• Enters, codes, and maintains participant information, program documentation, and data collection records within project databases.

• Gathers participant data and participates in measurement activities, assessments, data collection, and reporting needs as required by each program.

• Under supervision, may refer study participants to the appropriate program (MEND/Healthy Together or DPP) according to the study policies, procedures, and protocols.

• Handles administrative details, including logging personal time and effort reports and submitting mileage reports.

• May utilize equipment and educational materials as trained to support participant education, coaching, and data collection activities.

• Communicates participant questions and/or concerns to Project Director, Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator, or designated program leadership.

• Communicates with community members, participants, partnering organizations, project field specialists, and program leadership to share program objectives, promote participant engagement, and report on progress toward program goals.

• Performs other duties as assigned; may provide cross-program support between MEND/Healthy Together and DPP based on operational needs.

Certification/Skills:

• Bilingual in English and Spanish, strongly preferred.

• Ability to motivate and engage individuals and groups, preferred.

• Strong organizational skills, preferred.

• Current CPR/First Aid certification, preferred.

• MEND and/or Healthy Together program training, preferred. 

• Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) lifestyle coach training, preferred.

• CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) training, preferred. 

   

Minimum Education:

• High School Diploma or equivalent required

Minimum Experience:

• None
• Experience delivering health education, lifestyle coaching, or community wellness programming, including MEND/Healthy Together or Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) interventions, preferred.
• Experience working with children, youth, adults, and families, preferred,
• Experience with participant measurement, data collection, and data entry, preferred.

Physical Requirements:

Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount constantly to move objects.

Security Sensitive:

This position is a security-sensitive position pursuant to Texas Education Code §51.215 and Texas Government Code §411.094. To the extent that a position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Texas Business and Commerce Code §117.001(2), the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure is a minimum qualification to be hired for and to continue to be employed in that position. Personnel in such positions, and similarly situated state contractors, will be routinely reviewed to determine whether things such as criminal history or continuous connections to the government or political apparatus of a foreign adversary might prevent the applicant, employee, or contractor from being able to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure. A foreign adversary is a nation listed in 15 C.F.R. §791.4.

Residency Requirement:

Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.