Health Education Careers
What is Health Education?
- Health education is a social science that draws from the
biological, environmental, psychological,
physical, and medical sciences to promote health and prevent disease, disability
and premature death
through education-driven voluntary behavior change activities.
- Health education is the development of individual, group, institutional,
community, and systemic
strategies to improve health knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behavior.
- The purpose of health education is to positively influence the health
behavior of individuals and
communities as well as the living and working conditions that influence their
health.
Who Provides Health Education?
- Health education requires intensive specialized study. Over 250 colleges
and universities in the
United States offer undergraduate and graduate (Masters and Doctorate) degrees
in school or community
health education, health promotion, and other related titles. Order a complete
listing of these
colleges and university by calling 1-800-321-0789.
- Nationally, voluntary credentialing as a Certified Health Education
Specialist (CHES) is available
from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc (NCHEC).
CHES competencies
(health education needs assessment; program planning, implementation and evaluation;
service
coordination; and Health Education needs, concerns, resource communication)
are generic to the
practice of health education, whether it takes place in schools, colleges, workplaces,
medical care
settings, public health settings or other educational settings of the community.
CHES are re-certified
every five years based on documentation of participation in 75 hours of approved
continuing education
activities.
- Some people specialize in health education (trained and/or certified
health education specialists).
Others perform selected health education functions as part of what they consider
their primary responsibility
(medical treatment, nursing, social work, physical therapy, oral hygiene, etc.).
Lay workers learn
on the job to do specific, limited educational tasks to encourage healthy behavior.
- Para-professionals and health professionals from other disciplines are
not familiar with the specialized
body of health education knowledge, skills, theories, and research, nor is it
their primary interest
or professional development focus. This will limit their effectiveness with
clients and communities,
and their cost-effectiveness.
Why is Health Education Important?
- Health education improves the health status of individuals, families, communities,
states, and the nation.
- Health education enhances the quality of life for all people.
- Health education reduces premature deaths.
- By focusing on prevention, health education reduces the costs (both financial
and human) that individuals, employers, families, insurance companies, medical
facilities, communities, the state, and the nation would spend on medical
treatment.
Where Are Health Educators Employed?
- In schools... health educators teach health as a subject and promote and
implement Coordinated School Health Programs, including health services,
student, staff, and parent health education, and promote healthy school environments
and school-community partnerships. At the school district level they
develop education methods and materials; coordinate, promote, and evaluate
programs; and write funding proposals.
- On college/university campuses... health educators are part of a team working
to create an environment in which students feel empowered to make healthy
choices and create a caring community. They identify needs; advocate and do
community organizing; teach whole courses or individual classes; develop mass
media campaigns; and train peer educators, counselors, and/or advocates. They
address issues related to disease prevention; consumer, environmental, emotional,
sexual health; first aid, safety and disaster preparedness; substance abuse prevention;
human growth and development; and nutrition and eating issues. They may
manage grants and conduct research.
- In business & industry... health educators perform or coordinate employee
counseling as well as education services, employee health risk appraisals, and
health screenings. They design, promote, lead and/or evaluate programs about
weight control, hypertension, nutrition, substance abuse prevention, physical
fitness, stress management, and smoking cessation; develop educational materials;
and write grants for money to support these projects. They help companies
meet occupational health and safety regulations, work with the media, and
identify community health resources for employees.
- In health care settings... health educators educate patients about medical
procedures, operations, services and therapeutic regimens, create activities and
incentives to encourage use of services by high risk patients; conduct staff
training and consult with other health care providers about behavioral, cultural,
or social barriers to health; promote self-care; develop activities to improve
patient participation on clinical processes; educate individuals to protect,
promote or maintain their health and reduce risky behaviors; make appropriate
community-based referrals, and write grants.
- In community organizations and government agencies... health educators
help a community identify its needs, draw upon its problem-solving abilities,
and mobilize its resources to develop, promote, implement and evaluate strategies
to improve its own health status. Health educators do community organizing
and outreach, grantwriting, coalition building, advocacy, and develop,
produce, and evaluate mass media health campaigns.
What Does A Trained Health Educator Do?
- Assess individual and community
- Plan health education programs
- Develop health education programs
- Coordinate health education programs
- Implement health education programs
- Manage health education programs and personnel
- Evaluate health education programs
- Write grants
- Build coalitions
- Identify resources
- Make referrals
- Develop social marketing and mass media campaigns
- Organize/ mobilize communities for action
- Handle controversial health issues/content
- Advocate for health related issues
- Encourage healthy behavior
- Use a variety of education/training methods
- Develop audio, visual, print and electronic materials
- Build coalitions
- Write scholarly articles
Internet Job Sites
AAHPERD Career
Link
NYU-
Health Education Professional Resources
Health Education
Jobs
Health Promotion
Health Promotion Career
Network
Health Promotion
Jobs
Public Health
Rollins
School of Public Health: Career Action Center
Public Health Jobs
Worldwide
Public Health Jobs
American Public Health
Association: Career Mart
National
American
Heart Association Employment Opportunities
Department
of Health & Human Services
Pan American Health
Organization
International
World
Health Organization
General
America's Job Bank
Search Beat
Career Builder
The
Chronicle of Philanthropy’s: Philanthropy Careers
The Chronicle of Higher
Education Career Network