Pittsfield Peer Outreach Program Forming
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Health Department's outreach program, which connects individuals on the streets to needed services, is shaping up.
On Monday, the Ordinances and Rules Subcommittee supported adding the community health program manager position as part of the department's new initiative.
Last year's controversial camping ordinance was sent to the Board of Health, and they determined it is not the best approach for Pittsfield. It was officially scrapped by the City Council earlier this year and replaced with a peer outreach program that provides harm reduction support services, navigation, and relationship-building with vulnerable residents.
Director of Human Resources Michael Taylor told councilors that this is part of the department's more proactive community-centered approach to addressing the issues in Pittsfield.
"This position will help directly address prevention, access to services, different social determinants of health, and community well-being through different coordinated outreach and engagement," he said.
"The department previously had employed the position of a social worker, so we've kind of reclassified, revamped the position to better meet the needs of what we anticipate this program to be."
The community health program manager, employed under the Health Department, has an M8 grade salary for 35 hours per week, earning roughly between $77,000 and $108,000 per year.
According to the job description, the position oversees Pittsfield's peer outreach initiative while advancing the long-term vision for the health department to be a more proactive, community-centered public health agency, as well as the health department's evolving responsibility to address prevention, access to services, social determinants of health, and community well-being through coordinated outreach and engagement.
It requires a bachelor's degree in public health or a related field, and a Master of Public Health is preferred, as well as two or three years of experience.
The hope is to strengthen the Health Department's capacity to engage residents who may be disconnected from services.
Councilors also supported an updated classification and compensation schedule for department heads, managers, and other non-union/non-management personnel as recommended through a classification and compensation study.
Proposed compensation rates were calculated at the 50th, 60th, and 65th percentiles of data collected from comparable communities, and the plan consists of pay grades 1 to 13.
Employees with pay below the minimum compensation will be raised to the minimum as soon as feasible, employees whose pay is within the range for their classification may be slotted into the new compensation plan at their current pay rate, and employees earning above the maximum compensation of the range will be held at their present rate until market analysis shows alignment with the marketplace.
Tags: public health,
