MENDEZ FOUNDATION

The Mendez foundation is non-profit community based organization. It is located in all 50 states and has a partnership in Tampa Fl public school system. This organization is very educational toward students in the public school system from kindergarden to 12 grade in high school. It educates children on drugs, violence, and alcohol. The education they provide teaches children about the harm of the products and why they should avoid it at all times and what to do when placed in certain situations regarding drugs, alcohol, and violence. They also have a training program for those who provides the education to the students. At the end of a successul training a certificate is provided to those who did the the training and this serves as proof that they are qualified to educate others. Also the Mendez Foundation provides a health education for students. This program educate on food what they are, what they do to the body, and helps them make healthy food decision. I would love to work for this organization one day because it is a great way to help prevent fure addicts. The children are the future and if we start instilling the right choices in life in them at an early age, then it decreases the risk of them being drug addicts, alcoholic, violent, and obese. If I can be a part of helping kids gain the knowledge of certain issues that society deals daily then I will be content that I am making a difference. One thing that I did not see on their page was helping a student who is dealing with the issues they educate them about, so this might be one thing that draw me back from them, besides that I feel that they are doing a really great thing for society and for our future leaders.

Workforce Development Potential Employer: Doctors Without Borders

Department of Health & Human Services

The Department of Health & Human Services is a federal agency that works closely with the state and local governments. As their website states, "The Department of Health & Human Services is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves"(HHS). I researched three very different potential employers. In my opinion, the Department of Health & Human Services was the most interesting. I could really see myself working for this department. The main reason is the possible locations that I could get jobs. The Department of Health & Human Services main headquarters is Washington. However, HHS conducts work within ten regional offices in the United States. The ten regional offices are located in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, Seattle, and San Francisco. I know many of us probably do not know exactly where we would like to work. This can offer public health students many more location options than another public health job. Many of the possible jobs in the department required specialized prior experience. This is important to know. Honestly, this is what worried me. Finding experience in the field can sometimes be difficult. This can cause a drawback in working for this department. However, possible benefits and salary range was great. This potential employer is one that I am definitely going to keep in mind.

http://www.hhs.gov/ Here is the website if you want some more information.

The CDC ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The CDC is a United States federal agency with its Headquarters located in Atlanta, Georgia. It has been involved for about 60 years in Public Health promotion and prevention of disease outbreaks and control. The CDC is the primary public health agency that is a global leader in this field of work. It does not only work to promote good health practices, but also it is deeply involved in infectious disease control, chronic diseases, injuries, disabilities, environmental health issues and workplace accidents and hazards. Overall, the CDC has its hands on every major matter that can affect the well-being and health of the general public. It is also involved in research and investigations, to find the source of any unknown disease. From that it will assure the control of any outbreaks but also, it uses the outcome of its research to improve the daily lives of people, something that sets it apart from the other agencies. Furthermore, the CDC also monitors international diseases, by having a representation on more than 25 countries. However it is emphasizing its work on five major areas, that are: To support state and local health departments, to improve global health, thirdly, to implement strategies that will help reduce leading causes of death, fourthly, to reinforce surveillance and epidemiology, lastly, to reform more up to date health policies.

I would like to work for the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, because I believe that they are making a difference in the work that they are doing, thus impacting for the best communities and populations throughout the world. I believe that working for the CDC, would allow me to serve my community in a way that no other agencies would enable me to. The CDC to me is the primary and most involved agency in prevention and disease control.

I do not think that there would be any drawbacks working for the CDC, as any great opportunity requires a minimum of sacrifice. This sacrifice would not be a drawback for me, as the benefits and advantages that come with this agency outweigh any possible drawbacks that may exist.

The Youth Villages - nonprofit organization

Youth Villages is a nonprofit organization that is located in many of the southern states of the United States. This was my favorite employer because of how big of a difference a person is able to make in a child or teens life. The organization works with troubled teens in a various types of settings. There are special houses that are called “safe places” which are homes for runaway teens, residential programs, foster care, transitional living, intensive in home treatment etc. The organization basically strives to make lives of children and teenagers successful. This was my number one choice because it would give me the satisfaction of working closely with teenagers and really making a difference in their lives. The workers provide anything from mentoring to brining every day essentials that a certain child or teenager might need. To work for this organization you have to be extremely devoted as well as flexible. Working with young people requires a whole lot of time, consistency, and understanding. The only thing that can really draw you back from working for this organization is the time consumption that it may involve. You really have to put a lot of time into your work and be flexible; you may get a phone call to attend to your assigned family at anytime of the day or night. You have to be extremely committed to do this job, but the rewarding feeling after helping to change someone lives for the better is much more worth.

USA Department of Veterans Affairs

Working for the federal government is the dream that many Public Health professionals long for, whether it is being in the loop of everything that is going on or if it for the benefits that come with such job. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is one of those ideal jobs that I hope to work for when I obtain my degree in Public Health.

This type of job is through the government, which opens up many different doors when it comes to funding and just the overall experience of the workforce. There are many locations throughout the nation as well as some that are international. When starting out with the VA there are many levels to where a civilian can enter in the company. One can start off has an undergrad doing an internship, which is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door, though you may be doing simple jobs such as copying and faxing there is still the chance that you will get to shadow someone of your perspective career. But there is a small chance that after the internship and you have obtained your degree that a job opportunity will present itself, that is if you did a good job. No one wants to hire the intern that didn't do anything or who just plain out "SUCKED".

Let's just get to one of the most important issues when it comes to having a career, yes it has great benefits and the salary isn't that bad either. Just as the military has pay grades so does the VA, because it is a federal job. Though as a person fresh out of undergrad your experience level may not be the highest, so most often you will start at a low pay grade. Entry levels usually start at the pay grade 1 to 3 with many opportunities for advancement. The Federal Government pushes for those in lower positions to strive for excellence and want to excel and move up in ranks, because that just open the doors for more people to learn and specialize.

There are many positions that are offered through the VA, some of which you don't have to have any background r because there are chances where you can be trained for that job. The opportunities are limitless, and open for student like us to reach out and grab them. Most jobs right out of college with the VA will start at the high $20,000 and will increase with more experience and education. I urge you to look at the VA as the gateway to a new life of development and progression.

Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders in a non-governmental, international humanitarian aid organization. The primary focus of the organization is to provide medical care to individuals whose health or health care system in their country has been affected and/or impacted by conditions beyond their control, such as political agendas, military actions, epidemics, natural disasters and/or insufficient health care systems in their own country. The organization maintains offices throughout the world, including such counties as the United States, Australia, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. What I find most interesting is that Doctors Without Borders employs and organizes teams of public health/health career professionals from all over the world and then sends them to many different nations to deliver health care directly to the people who are in dire need it. I believe working on a team composed of public health/health care professionals from a variety of countries would not only be professionally rewarding but also personally rewarding as well. It would be exciting to live and work in another country. It also fits my personal value of helping individuals who desperately need access to health care. The opening monthly salary for any of the field work occupations that are offered by Doctors Without Borders is $1404. Along with this salary, the organization will cover the employee’s round-trip transportation, their room and board in the project country; provide comprehensive medical and life insurance, as well as a payment of interest on student loans after the employee’s first field assignment. While the monthly salary seems low the other benefits appear to be excellent. At the same time the idea of working with Doctors Without Borders seems exciting, rewarding and of a humanitarian nature, there is the downside. Working in these settings also places the employee in a potentially dangerous and unsafe environment.