Now Hiring - Community Engagement Liaison for the “Study of Mental Health and Relationships”

The Study of Mental Health and Relationships (SMART) is seeking a Community Engagement Liaison to join the research team. This will be an hourly position with a start date as soon as is feasible.

The SMART study is being led by Dr. David DuBois, a professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health. The SMART study is evaluating the effectiveness of the Great Life Mentoring (GLM) program, which serves youth in Clark County, WA and Portland, OR. The study sample will consist of about 180 youth ages 9 to 16 who are receiving publicly funded mental health care. Enrolled youth will be randomly assigned to participate in the GLM program (treatment group) or to a control group (no GLM programming).

Study participants are currently being recruited from two partnering mental health care centers, individual therapists, and the broader community. We would like to expand these efforts to include outreach to additional mental health care centers, youth-serving organizations, etc. We are looking for a Community Engagement Liaison based in Portland, OR or Clark County, WA who can support these efforts, by: (1) identifying potential local partner organizations; (2) contacting these organizations and arranging in-person visits to provide information about the study and share study fliers; (3) working with the study team and partner to establish a formal partnership when possible; and (4) connecting organizations with other members of the research team as needed.

Duties include:

● Increase availability of the SMART study to qualifying youth in the geographic region

● Contribute to the development of recruitment strategies

● Support the development, review, and distribution of recruitment materials

● Represent the SMART research team and Great Life Mentoring when visiting and communicating with staff at mental health centers in Portland, OR, and Clark County, WA

● Develop relationships with local partners in support of this research

● Document recruitment efforts

● Attend weekly team meetings on Zoom, as needed, to report on efforts and troubleshoot

● Communicate regularly with team members (e.g., update on efforts, respond to questions by email/phone)

● Assist with logistics (e.g., copy and deliver fliers to partner agencies)

Position Requirements:

● Undergraduate degree; master’s degree or comparable professional experience in a relevant field is preferred

● Minimum time commitment of 8-10 hours per week (flexible schedule)

● Be available for a minimum of 6 months with the possibility of continuing

● Ability to visit potential partner organizations in person

● Excellent communication skills—email, phone, and in person

● A professional, courteous manner and comfort communicating with a wide variety of people

● Experience with Microsoft software (e.g., Excel, Word)

Previous recruitment or partnership development experience is a plus, but not required.

To apply, please provide a cover letter and resume here.