Department: The Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health
Rank: Research Assistant, Senior Research Assistant I, Senior Research Assistant II
Annual Basis: 12 Month

Review of Applications Begins

August 16, 2024; position open until filled

Special Instructions to Applicants

To ensure consideration, complete applications must include the following along with the online application:
• A cover letter highlighting how your knowledge, skills, and experience qualify you for the requirements, competencies, and if applicable, preferred qualifications outlined in the job announcement.
• A CV or resume of your professional work experience, education, and applicable certifications.

The online application includes the name and contact information of at least three professional references. The candidate will be notified prior to references being contacted.

Department Summary

The Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health at the University of Oregon Portland establishes a new national model for behavioral healthcare for children and families by creating the nation’s first undergraduate program in child behavioral health. The institute prioritizes the needs of youth who have been historically or persistently underserved and seeks to make real system change by creating a new mental health profession that addresses existing barriers and gaps in mental health services, delivering support in schools and the community, training existing youth-serving professionals, developing new approaches to support child behavioral health and transforming the Pacific Northwest into a national model of thought and action. Launched in March 2022, this groundbreaking institute was made possible by an extraordinary gift from Connie and Steve Ballmer, co-founders of Ballmer Group Philanthropy.

​​The Ballmer Wellness Project (BWP) is an externally funded project that aims to enhance the capacity of Oregon K12 schools by providing universal and targeted mental health screening programs. The goals of the BWP are to: Identify students at elevated risk for mental health problems; deliver evidence-based preventive interventions to mitigate identified risks; and disseminate promising practices to Oregon schools seeking to implement universal and/or targeted mental health screening and prevention programs.

Position Summary

The Pro-Tem Research Assistant/Project Coordinator for the Ballmer Wellness Project provides overall project management under the direction of the Executive Director of the Ballmer Institute, Dr. Katie McLaughlin. The Project Coordinator oversees daily research operations and implementation of all study procedures including managing the implementation and dissemination of screening materials and protocols; tracking results of behavioral health screening, interventions, and outcomes; and completing all necessary reporting procedures including a range of research and compliance activities. The Project Coordinator also provides technical assistance support to Ballmer Institute faculty and school-based behavioral health teams on behavioral health screening, interpretation, and intervention selection. The Project Coordinator will also engage in behavioral health outreach and dissemination efforts, including creating and presenting informational material on best practices for behavioral health screening and prevention and intervention programs. 

This position is a twelve–month Pro-Tem Faculty position in the Research Assistant classification series.

Local and statewide travel is required up to 30%.

Minimum Requirements

​To be considered for the rank of Research Assistant:
• ​Master’s degree in psychology, social work, or related behavioral health field.
• ​Three years of experience in youth behavioral health.
• ​1 year of relevant experience in a research environment, particularly with youth behavioral health.
• ​Be eligible to obtain an Oregon professional license in clinical psychology, school psychology, counseling psychology, social work, or a related mental health field.

​To be considered for the rank of Senior Research Assistant I:
• Meet the requirements for Research Assistant and have at least 6 years of relevant experience post-degree in a research environment, particularly with youth behavioral health.

To be considered for the rank of Senior Research Assistant II:
• Meet the requirements for Research Assistant and have at least 12 years of relevant experience post-degree in a research environment, particularly with youth behavioral health.

Professional Competencies

• ​Excellent organizational skills related to research project management and high attention to detail.
• ​Excellent communication skills.
• ​Knowledge of basic research methods and human subjects research.
• ​Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• ​Ability to meet deadlines, anticipate needs, prioritize multiple tasks, and follow through on tasks to completion.
• ​Proficiency with multiple forms of information technology, including web-based, word processing, data entry, managing electronic information, and database administration.
• ​Ability to contribute to the Ballmer Institute through an understanding of the barriers facing individuals who have been historically and persistently underserved.

Preferred Qualifications

​​• Expertise in delivering behavioral health screening in K12 schools or health care systems or other forms of early identification of mental health concerns. 
• ​Expertise in delivering evidence-based behavioral health promotion, prevention, and intervention for common behavioral health concerns, including anxiety, depression, and trauma. 
• ​Competency in collaborating with other professionals to meet client/student/institutional behavioral health needs. 
• Competency in addressing the systemic, societal/institutional factors that produce disparities in child/adolescent behavioral health. 
• ​Prior experience with survey data collection platforms (e.g., Qualtrics, RedCap), quantitative data software (e.g., SPSS, SAS, R) and/or qualitative data software (e.g., NVivo, ATLAS.ti, Dedoose).

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit https://hr.uoregon.edu/about-benefits.

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.

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