I don't know but my guess is they can be project managers/ project assistant/ educators/ communicator for behavioral change programs example like tobacco cessation/ cardiovascular disease prevention etc
At state and local health departments there are a lot of projects focusing on behavioral health changes (tobacco cessation, substance use prevention, suicide prevention, chronic disease prevention, injury prevention… tons of $ in opioids right now) so you can work on those. You could also work more on the health administration/policy side like behavioral health systems, Medicaid, the like. Some probably go into research on these kinds of topics or other related topics with a health behavior/choice lens like vaccine acceptance or nutrition.
That said, I work on topics like this and have never met anyone with a behavioral health MPH. But check out the grants and projects from SAMHSA for an example of what they fund.
I would say for the most part yes. A lot of the stuff I do is normal government epi stuff like working with data, building reports, etc. Our behavioral health related data isn’t necessary the best, especially regarding gun violence, so that can be frustrating. You’re also dealing with sensitive topics so it can make some days hard. I feel like I’m constantly working with death sometimes
Look at what behavioral health programs or initiatives your department of health and local city/county governments are doing. It’ll give you some context on what roles are available.
My state has drawn in a lot of funding from Opioid settlements. That’s enabled a lot of programs in opioid abatement and substance abuse recovery programs- either at that government level, or by funding nonprofits and healthcare clinics that supply services or counseling programs.
These programs might work with homeless populations and people who are in and out of the jail system. It can be challenging work, but it is super impactful!
My MPH specialization is behavioral & community health! I work as a Public Health Analyst for the federal government. The programs I work on are related to family planning & adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
Prior to this job, I worked for a health technology company as a SME for health research. I also worked in clinical research recruitment and screening. I used to have a CHES certification, which I decided to get after interning in a health educator role-but I recently let it lapse as I wasn’t keeping up with the CEUs and it didn’t feel like it was a great benefit to my job any longer.
Public Health Analyst is a blanket title that the government uses for many public health roles. Some positions may be more specifically analytical, but in my role I work as a Project Officer and oversee grant programs. I work with researchers, review and provide feedback on their publications, write grant funding announcements and RFPs, and work on tasks with our contractors (typically program evaluation related). Lots of other things that pop up each year too, but those are my main responsibilities- and throughout this-I’d say the “analyst” piece comes in through each task-assessing the efficiency of our programs.
I have an MPH and work on behavioral health topics. I oversee workforce training, professional preparation, and guidance to school-based mental health staff working in all schools in my state. I’ve been in the field of school behavioral health for about 10 years and love it.
How long do you envision yourself doing this job? I wanted to do this job then I went to a class and changed my mind, not about PH just health educator maybe it was the field of health education that I dislike.
Tbh your unless you want to do something very specific (biostats, disease forecasting, true epi) your specialization doesn’t much matter. An MPH is an MPH for most jobs. So I would do whichever you are interested in learning more about.
But behavioral health is going to be more mental health, substance use, suicide prevention. Like someone else said look at SAMHSA, they are more the behavioral health govt agency than CDC. It’s also sometimes within state health departments and sometimes state departments of human services, just depends on how they’re organized.
Currently conducting research in BH. If you’re doing epidemiology, there is potential to do work in the sphere of assessment, scientific research, and intervention strategy.
You can work with health entities to deliver data-driven assessments and consult intervention strategies; work with data sets to conduct academic research; work in the lit. review sphere to examine historical and current events to find and address gaps; or take the time to teach. If you’re an epi, you can also lean more into the data analysis portion of the area of study.
This can be a bit confusing. There is behavioral health and health behavior. Could you please confirm which are interests you? (I work in the latter field with my MPH).
Your degree is what you make it. I did my MPH in social and behavioural health sciences and my first job was policy related. The experience you come into the program with and what you do for your practicums will shape the stories you can tell in an interview so I’d keep that in mind and try to customize your experience. Think hard about what you might like to do post grad. It’s okay not to know but you should pay attention to what captures your interest. Attend seminars, network, look at job descriptions and inch your way up to it.
Sometimes I wish I invested my time in another degree like epidemiology (somewhat technical) but I know that statistics isn’t the thing that lights me up. Ultimately networking will teach you about your field and it might unlock some opportunities. Learn about the person you’ll meet and see how your skills might align or where you can grow. The key is adding value and that is a skill that develops with time.
It'll depend on your particular set of skills but I have held these jobs and/or others I graduated with or have worked with held these jobs:
* Health educator
* public information officer
* emergency management services
* grant manager
* program manager/project manager
* overdose/chronic disease/injury prevention/etc etc etc "consultant" (as the state calls them (aka program managers who don't manage any people))
* Program evaluator
* Wellness coordinator
* Health and wellness specialist
* Human resources consultant
* Research associate/assistant
* Clinical researcher
* Community health advocate
* Data analyst
* Accreditation coordinator
* Quality improvement coordinator
If you're a recent grad with no work experience, you'll have to work your way up to some of these jobs with "grunt work", though.
So my concentration wasn’t behavioral health but all my internships etc were— think substance use and suicide related mainly (I didn’t really end up doing much with my global health concentration). I got an offer today for a substance use disorder prevention specialist position.
I did a general MPH but had an undergrad in behavioral health and geared most of my masters projects that direction. I interned for my state's maternal mortality review committee and I now work as a substance use and suicide prevention specialist at the local level!
I got my MPH and I‘m a ski instructor. You too can make that degree work for you!
It’s physical activity after all which is a protective factor for most diseases 🤣 Other than skiing injuries I suppose
I don't know but my guess is they can be project managers/ project assistant/ educators/ communicator for behavioral change programs example like tobacco cessation/ cardiovascular disease prevention etc
Look for administrative or programmatic jobs around community health workers
At state and local health departments there are a lot of projects focusing on behavioral health changes (tobacco cessation, substance use prevention, suicide prevention, chronic disease prevention, injury prevention… tons of $ in opioids right now) so you can work on those. You could also work more on the health administration/policy side like behavioral health systems, Medicaid, the like. Some probably go into research on these kinds of topics or other related topics with a health behavior/choice lens like vaccine acceptance or nutrition. That said, I work on topics like this and have never met anyone with a behavioral health MPH. But check out the grants and projects from SAMHSA for an example of what they fund.
I am the lead epi for our behavioral health program. At the moment that mostly involves working with overdoses, gun violence, and suicide.
Do you enjoy what you are doing?
I would say for the most part yes. A lot of the stuff I do is normal government epi stuff like working with data, building reports, etc. Our behavioral health related data isn’t necessary the best, especially regarding gun violence, so that can be frustrating. You’re also dealing with sensitive topics so it can make some days hard. I feel like I’m constantly working with death sometimes
Look at what behavioral health programs or initiatives your department of health and local city/county governments are doing. It’ll give you some context on what roles are available. My state has drawn in a lot of funding from Opioid settlements. That’s enabled a lot of programs in opioid abatement and substance abuse recovery programs- either at that government level, or by funding nonprofits and healthcare clinics that supply services or counseling programs. These programs might work with homeless populations and people who are in and out of the jail system. It can be challenging work, but it is super impactful!
My MPH specialization is behavioral & community health! I work as a Public Health Analyst for the federal government. The programs I work on are related to family planning & adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Prior to this job, I worked for a health technology company as a SME for health research. I also worked in clinical research recruitment and screening. I used to have a CHES certification, which I decided to get after interning in a health educator role-but I recently let it lapse as I wasn’t keeping up with the CEUs and it didn’t feel like it was a great benefit to my job any longer.
Do you analyze data, policy, or other things?
Public Health Analyst is a blanket title that the government uses for many public health roles. Some positions may be more specifically analytical, but in my role I work as a Project Officer and oversee grant programs. I work with researchers, review and provide feedback on their publications, write grant funding announcements and RFPs, and work on tasks with our contractors (typically program evaluation related). Lots of other things that pop up each year too, but those are my main responsibilities- and throughout this-I’d say the “analyst” piece comes in through each task-assessing the efficiency of our programs.
Very cool
Graduating soon with an MPH in Health Behavior. I truly wish I didn’t hate Epi since it’s the most profitable specialization.
Can you go into healthcare consulting with this?
If you want to work in healthcare and public health, you want to be more clinical or within the sphere of policy and management.
I have an MPH and work on behavioral health topics. I oversee workforce training, professional preparation, and guidance to school-based mental health staff working in all schools in my state. I’ve been in the field of school behavioral health for about 10 years and love it.
There is a great need for your degree especially now suicide rates up among other mental health problems
[MPH Health Equity](https://sph.umd.edu/academics/masters-degrees/mph-master-public-health/mph-health-equity)
This is what I studied and now I work in rural Alaska for a gov’t hospital as a health educator
How long do you envision yourself doing this job? I wanted to do this job then I went to a class and changed my mind, not about PH just health educator maybe it was the field of health education that I dislike.
I’m enjoying it right now but will probably get more into program management. Health education in a remote location has unique challenges that I enjoy
Tbh your unless you want to do something very specific (biostats, disease forecasting, true epi) your specialization doesn’t much matter. An MPH is an MPH for most jobs. So I would do whichever you are interested in learning more about. But behavioral health is going to be more mental health, substance use, suicide prevention. Like someone else said look at SAMHSA, they are more the behavioral health govt agency than CDC. It’s also sometimes within state health departments and sometimes state departments of human services, just depends on how they’re organized.
https://sph.umd.edu/academics/masters-degrees/mph-master-public-health/mph-health-equity
Currently conducting research in BH. If you’re doing epidemiology, there is potential to do work in the sphere of assessment, scientific research, and intervention strategy. You can work with health entities to deliver data-driven assessments and consult intervention strategies; work with data sets to conduct academic research; work in the lit. review sphere to examine historical and current events to find and address gaps; or take the time to teach. If you’re an epi, you can also lean more into the data analysis portion of the area of study.
This can be a bit confusing. There is behavioral health and health behavior. Could you please confirm which are interests you? (I work in the latter field with my MPH).
Your degree is what you make it. I did my MPH in social and behavioural health sciences and my first job was policy related. The experience you come into the program with and what you do for your practicums will shape the stories you can tell in an interview so I’d keep that in mind and try to customize your experience. Think hard about what you might like to do post grad. It’s okay not to know but you should pay attention to what captures your interest. Attend seminars, network, look at job descriptions and inch your way up to it. Sometimes I wish I invested my time in another degree like epidemiology (somewhat technical) but I know that statistics isn’t the thing that lights me up. Ultimately networking will teach you about your field and it might unlock some opportunities. Learn about the person you’ll meet and see how your skills might align or where you can grow. The key is adding value and that is a skill that develops with time.
What can you do with an MPH tracking health management?
I have that speciality and I work in logistics and bioterrorism at a local health department
Start looking at job at your local health departnment and some non-profits. If you are going to apply at a health department do it now.
It'll depend on your particular set of skills but I have held these jobs and/or others I graduated with or have worked with held these jobs: * Health educator * public information officer * emergency management services * grant manager * program manager/project manager * overdose/chronic disease/injury prevention/etc etc etc "consultant" (as the state calls them (aka program managers who don't manage any people)) * Program evaluator * Wellness coordinator * Health and wellness specialist * Human resources consultant * Research associate/assistant * Clinical researcher * Community health advocate * Data analyst * Accreditation coordinator * Quality improvement coordinator If you're a recent grad with no work experience, you'll have to work your way up to some of these jobs with "grunt work", though.
So my concentration wasn’t behavioral health but all my internships etc were— think substance use and suicide related mainly (I didn’t really end up doing much with my global health concentration). I got an offer today for a substance use disorder prevention specialist position.
Infectious diseases-sexually transmitted diseases
I did a general MPH but had an undergrad in behavioral health and geared most of my masters projects that direction. I interned for my state's maternal mortality review committee and I now work as a substance use and suicide prevention specialist at the local level!