Deputy Director, Office of Community Relations, Allegheny County                                  L0245

This is responsible professional and administrative work directing the public educa­tion/community relations functions of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

 

The employee in this class is responsible for the creation, oversight, and on-going management of the public education/community relations functions of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. Work includes planning and executing collaborative community educational efforts with other County departments, The Area Agency on Aging, the Health Department and the Penn State Cooperative Extension. Work also includes responsibility for identifying, educating, and informing the various publics (consumers, under-served populations, general public, policy makers, media, allied professional, and the De­partment's staffs) regarding the Department’s services, mandates and policies, initiatives and events; ensuring an appropriate response to all complaints and inquiries regarding the Depart­ment, its services, staff, case management and activities; planning and executing public events, including public hearings, public forums, conferences, ceremonial events, educational events, activities, and fairs, for the Department and/or in collaboration with other county departments or partners in the larger community; developing prevention/education awareness campaigns using multiple strategies; generating alternative financial support for DHS and for facilitating volunteerism; developing incentives and recognition opportunities for staff and volunteers; and assisting the Director of Human Services with special projects. Supervision is exercised over a professional and clerical staff. Work is performed with considerable independence under the supervision of the Director of the Department of Human Services, and is reviewed through conferences, evaluation of reports and recommendations, and results attained.

 

Examples of Work:

Directs multiple public education efforts designed to ensure beneficial, informative and accurate outcomes for citizens who are interested in human services and directs public education/relations efforts designed to ensure beneficial/balanced reporting of the DHS.

 

Plans proactive strategies for ensuring constructive reporting of special activities; creates an annual calendar of planned public events; informs staff and other interested individuals and groups of public events; provides educational and informative materials to the public as requested or in conjunction with special circumstances; develops cooperative relationships with media representatives to ensure open communications and cooperation; invites all appropriate publics to Department functions, including information placed on the DHS website.

 

Directs the preparation of information, presentations, speeches and press releases; orchestrates press conferences, press releases, speeches, printed publications, and prepares DHS representatives for any media appearances; consults with and/or prepares the Director and other Administrators to respond appropriately and correctly to media questions pertaining to specific incidents; cultivates in media representatives a clear understanding of DHS including confidentiality issues and other legal mandates.

 

Directs community relations for DHS by planning proactive strategies for ensuring beneficial, informative and educational outcomes result from DHS activities, initiatives, and events; plans joint ventures and cooperative activities with human services stakeholders, service providers, community groups, and other governmental entities; creates an annual calendar of planned events for DHS that interface with the aforementioned publics; receives and accepts invitations for DHS to participate in community and governmental activities, events, fairs and cooperatives.

 

Develops cooperative relationships with governmental representatives and with community representatives to ensure open communications and cooperation between DHS and these entities; explains to government representatives and to the community DHS’s policies and procedures, how the laws, regulations and mandates impact DHS’s operations, fiscal needs, and consumers; invites or ensures that community representatives, the public, service providers, government agents and the media are invited to all Department functions/cooperative efforts with communities, other agencies and government entities.

 

Ensures the preparation of materials for scheduled community activities, events, fairs and cooperatives; speaks at DHS’s communities’ and cooperatives’ events, activities and fairs in a confident and positive way about DHS; maintains a database of current information regarding statistics, programs, services and issues to provide accurate information to the community, human services stakeholders, service providers and governmental entities; evaluates all activities, events, fairs and cooperatives; recommends improvements to activities, events, fairs and cooperatives in which DHS participates and sponsors; approves, develops and assists in the implementation of Departmental policies and procedures to follow in community and governmental relations.

 

Guides the development, publishing, acquisition, and distribution of DHS positional statements, recruitment, educational and informative materials using appropriate and multiple media techniques including print and audio visual, for the public and community at large, for consumers (including the development of consumer rights handbooks) and for specific groups as requested.

 

Receives and responds to requests for positional statements, recruitment, educational and informative materials; reviews and analyzes existing materials for dated information, accuracy, readability, favorability, utilization and results; researches and develops materials which are favorable, timeless, accurate, readable, useable and have the desired outcomes for positional statements, recruitment, and education.

 

Assigns, coordinates, edits and approves materials developed by assigned staff and regular staff for timeliness, favorability, accuracy, readability and usability; ensures that all materials and information relating to laws, regulations and mandates are legally accurate and interpreted for comprehension by the audience for whom the material is directed; directs and coordinates the printing of the materials developed and approved with County departments and vendors; devises methods for distribution of materials including lists of available materials, mailings, handouts for events, activities, fairs and cooperatives, and other available means; edits the production of materials expressing, defining and projecting the direction and responses that DHS is making toward trends, needs, services provided, mandates, laws, regulations, budgets, strategic plans and pending laws and regulations.

 

Oversees the administration of the DHS Director’s Action Line through subordinate staff by de­veloping and implementing policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines for responding to in­quiries and complaints from the public, consumers, service providers, human service stakeholders, governmental officials and lawmakers and any other individuals who call on the DHS Director’s Action Line.

 

Develops and implements policies, procedures and guidelines for conducting investigation into the complaints regarding the provision of services, misconduct of staff and casework practices; consults with subordinate staff in responding to inquiries and complaints to analyze the findings, to prepare recommendations and to respond to the concerns, and to inform the proper adminis­trators and managers regarding any problems; ensures constructive and proper responses are given with regard to confidentiality concerns.

 

Approves the development, maintenance and implementation of a tracking system for the inqui­ries and complaints from the Director's Action Line; assigns duties and responsibilities to the Coordinators to utilize, maintain, analyze and report on trends and concerns from the Director’s Action Line.

 

Oversees the acquisition of alternative financial support and volunteers for the Department of Human Services by identifying needs, requesting and/or assigning the requesting activities to staff for donations and assistance from companies, organizations and individuals as there are needs; receives and/or as­signs staff to receive the assistance of individuals, assigns or designates non-employees’ activi­ties to volunteers to complete; utilizes donations to meet agency’s or families’ needs appropri­ately or as designated by the donor; ensures and thanks individuals, companies and organizations for their assistance and donations; assigns and ensures the CYF Holiday Project is administered with the children and donors in mind so that it is a positive experience; assigns and ensures other projects for clients, donors and agencies to staff that will serve or improve the quality of life for the clients and will fulfill the Department’s goals.

 

Manages the Speaker’s Bureau by identifying the needs for speakers; recruits and trains speakers to represent the Department and speak effectively and knowledgeably about human services and related issues; receives speaking engagement requests; responds to requests in a positive way even when unable to fill the request and when possible forwards or directs the request to the ap­propriate agency, provider, etc.; determines engagements to be accepted and who will represent the agency; prepares and coordinates all materials and information needed for all engagements accepted; ensures accepted engagements are successfully attended by the speaker.

 

Participates as a member of the Administration and Management Team in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures, quality assurance programs, informa­tion systems and budgets by providing information and suggestions at meetings and as requested; supports and implements goals, objectives, policies, procedures and programs as approved by the Director.

 

Participates in meetings when scheduled or requested; represents the Director when requested plans, coordinates and directs daily activities through sectional managers and within established guidelines, policies and procedures; and conducts regular and as needed meetings with managers to inform and guide in the accomplishment of goals, objectives, policies, procedures, quality assurance programs, information systems and budgets.

 

Schedules periodic discussion sessions with managers and administrators responsible for programmatic, administrative and informational, planning and evaluation operations within each of their respective units.

 

Discusses priorities, needs, program status and other program features to establish goals and quarterly, mid-year and annual timetables to accomplish desired benefits for all programmatic offices.

 

Circulates information to the units regarding community relations via memos, flyers, newsletters, etc.

 

Serves as single point of contact for all DHS Community Relations activities.

 

Collaborates with outside Community Relations interest groups to promote and facilitate the development, strengthening, and initiation of community relations activities.

 

Attends corporate, foundation, endowment, and political and non-political functions to foster optimum relations designed to enhance and promote all DHS programs.

 

Attends meetings with outside groups, gives talks, disseminates literature and participates informational fairs on a county regional basis.

 

Required Knowledges, Skills and Abilities:

 

Knowledge of principles and methods of planning and directing a moderately large-scale communications, public relations, and public education program.

 

Knowledge of all media used in communications, public relations, and public education.

 

Knowledge of principles and practices of governmental organization and administration, and liaison requirements.

 

Skill in writing and editing various forms of informational and educational material.

 

Ability to develop various forms of educational and informational materials and to utilize diverse media in the presentation of such materials.

 

Ability to discern, select, and utilize newsworthy materials.

 

Ability to supervise the work of a professional and technical staff and to provide advisory and consultative services to departmental officials in public relations and community education matters.

 

Ability to plan and conduct a moderately large-scale departmental communications, public rela­tions and public education program.

 

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental and mass media officials; representatives of other agencies, and governmental branches; and other organi­zations, groups, and individuals.

 

Ability to analyze and evaluate the public relations impact of departmental programs and poli­cies and the effectiveness of various public relations and communications media and methods, and to project public reaction with reasonable accuracy and respond appropriately.

 

Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing, and to speak effectively be­fore large groups.

Minimum Experience and Training:

Five years of progressively responsible professional experience in the field of community relations, communications, advertising, or a closely related field, including three years in an administrative or supervisory capacity; and a bachelor’s degree;

Or

Any equivalent combination of experience and training.

 

Commonwealth Equivalent PSG ST09