Disease Investigation Specialist I at Tacoma-Pierce… · Tacoma

Are you a dependable, detail-oriented, and compassionate individual who has experience with disease interviewing and investigation? Do you have experience managing an assigned caseload, maintaining accurate and confidential records, meeting established timelines, and communicating effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds? If this sounds like the position for you, we invite you to join the Department's Sexual Health program as a Disease Investigation Specialist I. This is a Regular, Full-Time (1.0 FTE) position.

The Disease Investigation Specialist I (DIS I) conducts public health investigations for reportable STI and HIV infections to decrease disease transmission and improve community health outcomes. The role involves interviewing individuals diagnosed with STIs and HIV, identifying and notifying partners who may have been exposed, providing counseling and education, and linking clients to testing, treatment, and prevention services. The DIS I works closely with healthcare providers, labs and community organizations, and public health teams to ensure timely case management and disease control.

Based on our internal compensation review process, the starting hourly wage for this position is $34.41 –$36.84. We make decisions on higher starting salaries based on experience, education, and qualifications.

The full salary range for this position is $34.41- $46.56 per hour. This position also includes a comprehensive benefits package that includes insurance (health, dental, vision, life), retirement plan options, generous leave accruals, annual cost of living salary increases, employee programs, and more. Visit our benefits webpage to learn more.

This is the second level in the Disease Investigation Specialist (DIS) series and performs disease and epidemiological case investigations. Employees in this position work semi-independently under supervision. This position differs from the DIS II role in scope of work and level of responsibility. The work involves highly sensitive and confidential information requiring strong discretion. Position Series

• Disease Investigation Technician
• Disease Investigation Specialist I
• Disease Investigation Specialist II
• Disease Investigation Supervisor

Career Path Options Options to continue your career at the Health Department depend on your interest, education, and training. Possibilities beyond the position series include:

• Health Promotion Technician
• Health Promotion Coordinator I, II, and III
• Clinic Coordinator

Essential Functions

• Support the Department’s efforts to prevent and control sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, through timely disease investigation, patient follow-up, partner services, and linkage to appropriate testing, treatment, and prevention resources.
• Investigate reported cases of STIs and HIV, including diseases such as HIV, syphilis and gonorrhea.
• Conduct confidential interviews with patients to obtain demographic, behavioral, and clinical information.
• Identify, locate, and confidentially notify partners who may have been exposed to infection.
• Obtain biological specimens for STI/HIV screening activities (e.g., blood, swabs).
• Package/ship specimen samples to the lab for testing. Facilitate testing, treatment, and follow-up care for contacts and cases.
• Provide risk-reduction counseling and education on STI and HIV transmission, prevention, and treatment.
• Connect clients to prevention services such as condoms, testing, and HIV prevention tools like Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) when appropriate.
• Link individuals living with HIV to medical care, support services, and case management.
• Conduct field visits to locate clients who cannot be reached by phone or electronic communication.
• Collaborate with community organizations and healthcare providers to support testing and prevention initiatives.
• Participate in outbreak investigations and community response activities.
• Accurately document investigations, interviews, and outcomes in public health surveillance systems.
• Ensure compliance with confidentiality laws and health department policies.
• Assist with data analysis, program evaluation, and quality improvement activities.
• Coordinate with healthcare providers, labs and public health partners to complete investigations, and make sure people get care (e.g., confirm labs results, coordinate medical follow-up to ensure someone received treatment or additional testing, coordinate partner notification, connect people to services or identify an outbreak).
• Participate in case review meetings and multidisciplinary public health teams.

Examples of Key Duties The items in this section are the key duties and responsibilities for this job and do not represent an exhaustive list. Our organization is dynamic, and duties may change based on business needs. Any new duties will remain within the scope of the job.

• Performs epidemiological case investigations and provides input on the development and implementation of communicable disease control strategies and compliance.
• Provides active surveillance of target populations, identifies and interviews potential sources of infection, and performs contact tracing and partner notification of potential exposure.
• Notifies individuals of potential exposure and provides education and referrals for health care services.
• Follows up with contacts to ensure they have sought testing and treatment.
• Counsels clients about diagnoses and disease exposure, performs CLIA waived tests, and provides test results.
• Supports the planning and implementation of outreach activities and projects to raise awareness about disease prevention and control.
• Manages client screening activities and provides appropriate testing information, including test results and linkage to care and risk reduction resources.
• Assists clients in accessing the full range of services available to them including pregnancy and family planning resources, communicable disease prevention, domestic violence intervention, and substance use treatment.
• Obtains biological specimens, (sputum, blood, etc.), for screening activities and packages and ships samples to the laboratory for testing.
• Assists patients with the interpretation of test results and explain treatment options during consultations with providers.
• Performs direct observation therapy to ensure medications are taken. Depending on assigned program, observation may take place within client homes.
• Applies relevant Federal, State, and Local laws and regulations in conjunction with departmental policies and procedures.
• Maintains strict confidentiality and adheres to privacy laws including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Protected Health Information (PHI).
• The work you do might require you to participate in the Title XIX Medicaid Claiming Program.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Safety & Emergency Preparedness

• Adheres to all workplace and trade safety laws, regulations, standards, and practices.
• Understands and properly follows established procedures in preventing and responding to unsafe or emergency situations. Identifies and reports potentially unsafe practices or conditions.
• Operates equipment, tools, machinery, and vehicles safely and understands processes for reporting an accident or injury.
• Understands and applies knowledge and skills necessary to successfully perform assigned emergency response role during an emergency.

When public health responds to an emergency, you may be assigned duties and responsibilities that are outside your regular job description. This may involve responding at any time and reporting to a location other than the department with different working conditions and physical requirements. You are expected to participate in emergency preparedness activities including our emergency notification system, WA SECURES. Drills and real-world events may take place at any time.

• Foundational investigative, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to learn applicable disease investigation protocols, public health reporting requirements, partner services procedures, and department-specific systems.
• Intermediate knowledge of standard Microsoft Office programs, Electronic Medical Records, and Electronic Disease Notification Systems.
• Understanding of the principles, practices, and techniques of communicable disease surveillance, outreach, education, and community-based networking.
• Knowledge of medical terminology and disease symptoms, causes, transmissions, treatment, and control.
• Working knowledge of public health issues related to communicable diseases and disease investigation practices and techniques.
• Strong data collection, compilation, and analysis skills.
• Skilled in maintaining sensitive and confidential data and using discretion when sharing information.
• Skilled in communication:
  • Listens to others and communicates in an effective manner.
  • Asks questions in ways that enhance the clarity, quality, and reliability of information.
  • Understands and learns from what others say, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  • Grasps the meaning of written information and applies it to work situations.
  • Conveys ideas and facts using language the audience will best understand, taking into consideration the audience and nature of the information.
  • Writes in a clear, concise, and organized manner for the intended audience.

Foundational Competencies

• Knowing and managing oneself: Understands that all equity, trauma-informed, and restorative practices start with oneself. Exercises a high degree of self-reflection, personal accountability, resilience, flexibility, and adaptability. Is willing to learn, apply, and model agency values and ethical standards.
• Restorative practices and conflict resolution: Articulates through words and actions authentic commitment to create an environment in which all people are treated with dignity and respect and afforded equal opportunities and impartial treatment. Centers work inequity and trauma informed and restorative practices to achieve and maintain collaboration and teamwork and to effectively work with historically underrepresented and/or underserved populations to advance community health. Utilizes restorative practices to address harm and promote healing to strengthen relationships between individuals and social connections within communities.
• Collaboration and engagement: Provides balanced and objective information to help teammates, partners, and the public understand problems, alternatives, opportunities, and solutions. Works directly with partners within the Department, in the community, and members of the public affected by the work to obtain feedback and understand diverse points of view, concerns, and aspirations. Identifies preferred solutions together, incorporating advice and recommendations to the maximum extent possible.
• Evidence informed practices and decision-making: Applies evidence informed practices and methodologies to achieve the greatest impact in delivery of services to internal and external customers and partners. Incorporates the social determinants of health into public health work. Integrates research and evidence into the decision-making process. Seeks to systematically identify and eliminate inequities resulting in differences in health and in overall living conditions. Utilizes evidence informed practices to increase equity in systems and policy. Creates a robust culture of assessment and evaluation and continuous process improvement.
• Cross cultural communication and Engagement: Understands that cultural awareness, appreciation, and humility can only occur when you practice curiosity and open-mindedness. Operates with a high level of humility and cultural agility to achieve effective intercultural communication, engagement, and collaboration in the workplace and in the community. Is open to feedback and continuously self-reflects on one’s own actions and responses. Centers personal accountability on the Department’s mission, values, and ethical standards.

The items below are the requirements for the job and are relevant to this position. The organization values work experience, lived experience, and education and realizes that people take different paths to acquire knowledge.

• Associate’s degree
• 2 years of experience in communicable disease surveillance, outreach, education, and community-based networking or clinic setting.

We will consider any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position. Professional Certifications, Licensure, and Other Requirements We require or prefer the below for this classification. Required:

• Valid driver’s license and acceptable driver’s abstract required prior to employment

Preferred:

• Medical Assistant-Phlebotomist (MA-P) Certification
• Certified Disease Intervention (CDI)

Work Environment

• Work is performed in a trauma informed, patient-centered environment within an office, residential, clinical, or community setting. In most environments, exposure to hazards is limited to those commonly found in office, community, or clinical environments, including communicable diseases. In entering a patient’s residence, exposure to hazards include those normally found in entering an unknown residence.
• Work may be performed outdoors in a variety of weather conditions, including heat, humidity, snow, and rain, leading to exposure to hazards related to heat or cold exposure.
• Environmental conditions may entail a stressful work climate due to the nature of the job, i.e., working with individuals that have experienced traumas such as sexual abuse, physical and mental abuse, being unhoused; and providing services such as sexual health counseling, substance use disorder counseling, etc.
• The potential for dealing with dissatisfied or angry customers exists, requiring skills in conflict resolution.

Physical and Cognitive Demands

• Regularly required to sit or stand continuously.
• Regularly communicate clearly in-person, over the phone, and via written communication, including communicating with dissatisfied or angry individuals.
• Capable of reading physical and electronic documents and working for prolonged periods on a computer monitor.
• Fine motor skills sufficient to operate a telephone, operate a computer mouse and keyboard, and standard clinical equipment.
• Gross motor skills sufficient to grasp promotional items, pamphlets, and standard clinical equipment.
• Frequently required to perform work outdoors in a variety of weather conditions, including heat, rain, and cold.
• 1-3 times per month, reaching overhead for tent setup and frequently stooping.
• This position may require lifting, carrying, pulling, or moving objects up to 10 pounds consistently, 20 pounds frequently, and exerting up to 40 pounds of force occasionally.
• Occasionally operate a motor vehicle locally in any lighting conditions and various weather conditions, including rain.
• May require walking/traversing up to ¼ mile (ie: from parking to the booth) at community events.
• Traverse from parking to residences of varying levels of accessibility
• Learn, recall, and apply specialized information.
• Work effectively when exposed to workplace stressors, such as emotional and/or confrontational individuals.
• Regularly work effectively in the presence of visual, auditory, or other distractions.
• Regularly maintain awareness of surroundings to identify and address potential safety issues.
• Effectively perform frequent task-swapping and work with frequent interruptions.

Tools and Equipment

• Duties require the use of standard office furniture and equipment, (e.g., desk, filing cabinet, computer, printer, telephone, copy machine, etc.).
• Duties require the use of standard clinical equipment, (e.g., needles, gloves, swabs, test kits, etc.).

Travel

• Duties require the use of standard office furniture and equipment, (e.g., desk, filing cabinet, computer, printer, telephone, copy machine, etc.).
• Duties require the use of standard clinical equipment, (e.g., needles, gloves, swabs, test kits, etc.).

Click Here for more details on reasonable accommodations, safety, risk management and more.