Outreach and Education Specialist

Help build stronger, more connected communities by equipping youth, families, schools, and community partners with the knowledge and resources to promote youth suicide prevention and wellness. Schedule-Day Shift, some evening and weekend hours required. 40 hours weekly. This role will cover our eastern region. A significant portion of this position involves community outreach and delivering presentations/trainings. Prior presentation and training experience is preferred.

The Outreach and Education Specialist plays a key role in bringing suicide prevention education, resources, and connections into the communities we serve. This position builds meaningful partnerships with schools, youth-serving organizations, families, and community systems while leading outreach, training, and education activities for the SAMHSA-funded Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention (GLS) Program.

This is a community-focused opportunity to help expand access to prevention resources, strengthen community capacity, and create sustainable approaches that support youth and families. This is a great opportunity for someone who: Enjoys connecting with youth, families, schools, and community partners through meaningful outreach and education. Is passionate about prevention, wellness, and strengthening community support systems. Can develop engaging presentations, trainings, and outreach strategies for diverse audiences.

Builds collaborative relationships across schools, healthcare, public health, juvenile justice, and other youth-serving systems. Is organized and comfortable managing program documentation, evaluations, data, and grant reporting requirements. Enjoys community-based work and is comfortable traveling throughout the state to provide educational presentations.

Key Responsibilities Develop and implement creative, evidence-based outreach and suicide prevention activities for youth and families. Build collaborative partnerships with schools, community organizations, healthcare providers, public health systems, and other youth-serving organizations. Provide education, training, resources, and connections to behavioral health and other supportive services. Partner with the Missouri Department of Education (DESE) and school districts to support suicide prevention education, intervention, and referral activities.

Develop a sustainable youth suicide prevention and training program that can be replicated by other organizations. Deliver targeted training and educational presentations related to youth suicide prevention and overdose prevention. Support youth focus groups and community feedback efforts to inform effective prevention strategies. Maintain organized training records, post-training evaluations, program data, and grant reporting information. Provide timely program statistics to the Project Evaluator and support GLS grant requirements.

Protect confidential information and ensure compliance with HIPAA and applicable security requirements. Provide support and resources to families using guidance and resources from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC). Work across office, community, client, and field-based settings and travel throughout the state as needed.

Requirements, Skills, Knowledge and Expertise Bachelor’s degree in human services or related field preferred 2 years of experience working with youth in a social service setting preferred A valid, unrestricted driver’s license and agency established minimum automobile coverage required You’ll be a great fit for this role if you: You are a relationship-builder who enjoys bringing people together around a shared purpose.

You communicate with warmth and confidence, can translate complex prevention concepts into engaging education, and are comfortable working with youth, families, schools, and community partners. You bring strong organizational skills, cultural humility, and a genuine commitment to helping communities build the knowledge, connections, and resources that support youth wellness and resilience.