Job description
Working from a strengths-based, inclusive, and health equity perspective, the Health Promotion Specialist will develop and implement campus-wide programming to promote healthy living, as well as a sense of connection, community and belonging across the UBC student population. Provides programming to support students’ health and wellbeing and attaining their learning and academic goals. Coordinates the Wellness Centre programs and services, including the Peer Health Educator program. Promotes health and wellbeing for students through the development and delivery of wellness education and outreach. Assesses and evaluates health and wellbeing promotion and outreach programs and services.
Organizational Status
The Health Equity, Promotion and Education (HEPE) unit facilitates and enhances the student health and wellbeing learning through health promotion, projects, and initiatives. Through a stepped care approach, HEPE works collaboratively across Student Health and Wellbeing to support student mental health and wellbeing.
Work Performed
- Works across Student Health and Wellbeing to co-develop and deliver health and wellbeing, including orientations, outreach programs, workshops, groups and other resources that helps students develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle and how to navigate health and wellbeing resources on and off campus.
- Considers and supports culturally appropriate wellbeing programming for all students, as well as those to meet the unique needs of specific student populations.
- Works within an integrated, collaborative stepped care system of mental health support, providing information about the range of available supports and resources for registered UBC students to resources on and off campus as needed, including self-directed online resources, peer support, coaching, group programs, individual counselling, medical care, and crisis intervention.
- Coordinates the UBC Wellness Centre programs and services
- Supervises student staff and/or co-op students who staff the Wellness Centre Info Desk.
- Oversee Wellness Centre social media/Instagram account, including content creation.
- Coordinates and leads the student volunteer Peer Health Educator program that focuses on health living topics, such as mental health literacy, substance use health and harm reduction, and food and nutrition.
- Builds and maintains a network of UBC and external resources specific to needs of students across the UBC campus.
- Collaborates with staff and student groups to design and deliver wellbeing events.
- Develops and delivers orientations, presentations, and training on how to support students' health and wellbeing
- Supports health and wellbeing campaigns across campus, such as Thrive, MoveU, and Nutrition Month.
- Prepares reports, publications and other documents as required, and may be asked to sit on and participate on committees and working groups across campus.
- Works closely with communications professionals to develop content for and promote wellbeing programming for students in various channels such as web, social media, and print. Responsible for ensuring student wellbeing web resources and social media are up to date and accurate.
- Additional duties as assigned.
Supervision Received
This position reports to the Director, Health Equity, Promotion and Education and requires a person capable of interpreting the position’s responsibilities and carrying them out with minimal supervision. Acts independently within established ethical guidelines.
Supervision Given
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of three to four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Master's degree in Public Health, Social Work, Education, or a related field.
- Minimum of five years of experience in Public Health, Social Work, Education, or Community Development, Student Affairs.
- University or college employment experience, especially in Student Affairs, an asset.
- Experience with community engagement and understanding of collaborative leadership and collective impact frameworks.
- Experience with supervising staff.
- Experience with coordinating and leading a volunteer program
- Commitment to serving the needs of a broadly diverse student population. Demonstrated ability to provide outreach and programming that are responsive and sensitive to the needs of specific student populations including Indigenous students, international students, graduate students, racialized students, students with disabilities and 2SLGBTQIA+ students.
- Demonstrated understanding of health equity and experience in conducting health equity impact assessments
- Demonstrated knowledge of student development theory and experience in program development, consultation and outreach.
- Experience in program and process evaluation.
- Strong interest in and commitment to effective problem solving and continuous improvement of programs and services. Possession of personal attributes that facilitate teamwork and the development of effective working relationships with a wide range of students, faculty, and staff.
- Time management, organizational skills and the ability to work independently.
- Knowledge of the unique issues facing university students and university life.
About University of British Columbia
CEO: Arvind Gupta
Revenue: $2 to $5 billion (USD)
Size: 10000+ Employees
Type: College / University
Website: www.ubc.ca
Year Founded: 1915