Coordinator, Intake Diversion Program

About Harris County Public Health

Harris County Public Health (HCPH) includes a network of more than 1,100 public health professionals working together to improve health outcomes for the third most populous county in the United States. HCPH provides a multitude of services such as medical and dental services, community programming, and health education for the approximately 2.3 million people in unincorporated Harris County. Through its core values of innovation, engagement, and health equity, HCPH strives to bring meaningful solutions to public health issues while keeping Harris County healthy and vibrant.

Our Values

• Transparency - We share information openly and honestly so that staff, partners, and the community understand our actions and the reasons behind them.
• Integrity - Our actions reflect strong ethical principles, ensuring we remain trustworthy, accountable, and consistent with our mission.
• Respect - We foster a supportive environment by valuing diverse perspectives, listening intentionally, and treating people with dignity in every interaction.
• Impact - We focus our efforts on activities that improve health, reduce disparities, and create meaningful, measurable outcomes for the communities we serve.
• Collaboration - We actively partner across teams, disciplines, organizations, and communities to align our efforts toward common goals.

About the Role

Under the supervision of the Kennel Manager, the Intake Program Coordinator will oversee the County Pets’ Intake Diversion program. This role is responsible for developing resources, prioritizing community needs, educating staff, and providing personalized counseling to individuals seeking options for pet surrender. The Intake Program Coordinator plays a vital role in surrender prevention by offering alternative solutions that enable pet owners to retain their pets, such as connecting them with resources for low-cost veterinary care, behavioral support, temporary foster care, and pet supplies. Additionally, the Coordinator will provide information on shelter surrender policies, pet care, and available community resources, while also managing animal intake, lost pet services, and pet adoptions.

Responsibilities

• Provides timely and professional communication in-person, via phone, and email, offering relevant information and resources tailored to each client's specific needs.
• Schedules and manages intake appointments, oversees animal evaluations and triage, and ensures compliance with HCP admission guidelines.
• Supports positive client-pet relationships by assisting with animal redemption, lost/found services, and facilitates referrals to appropriate external organizations.
• Collaborates with the management team and internal/external partners to establish and maintain professional relationships, ensuring effective coordination and support.
• Designs and delivers educational programs for staff, volunteers, and external partners on the intake diversion program, and provides oversight and coordination of volunteers supporting this initiative.
• Develops and maintains strategies to connect pet owners and finders with resources that prevent animal surrender to the shelter.
• Manages the creation and updating of educational materials, ensuring the availability of necessary supplies and equipment for the intake diversion program.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date program data, ensuring proper documentation of person and animal information in the HCP database (Chameleon), and reviews all forms for completeness and accuracy, while generating program statistics and monthly reports.

Requirements

Education: High School Diploma or equivalent.

Experience: At least two (2) years of experience in a position involving customer service, community relations, relationship building, or personnel training.

Certifications/Licenses: Valid Texas Driver's License (upon hire).

Skills

• Knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to handle difficult people and situations in a professional manner.
• Comfortable working with animals.
• Speaks in a clear and credible manner, selecting the right tone for the situation and audience.
• Experience with HLP's Chameleon software.
• Basic knowledge of pet vaccination schedules, animal husbandry, and basic animal health care.
• Knowledge in basic animal identifying domestic animal breeds, high level of animal behavior, proper housing, common health problems, and high level of safe animal handling.

Core Competencies

• Data Analytics and Assessment Skills: Ability to use data to analyze community health needs and support decisions that improve community health outcomes.
• Communication Skills: Using clear and effective communication to engage audiences, address misinformation, and build trust, supporting informed decisions and stronger public health outcomes.
• Health Advancement Skills: Applying principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion to public health, addressing systemic barriers, and promoting fair access to resources for healthier communities.
• Community Partnership Skills: Collaborating with communities to address the systems and policies affecting health, fostering engagement, shared ownership, and sustainable improvements in well-being.
• Public Health Science Skills: Using public health science and evidence-based approaches to develop and improve policies and programs, ensuring effective delivery of the 10 Essential Public Health Services.

Preferences

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or Related Field.
• Experience: At least six (6) months experience in animal welfare, experience using HLP Chameleon Shelter Software, experience using Business Objects Crystal Reports, experience in project management, time management, and problem-solving skills.
• Language: Bilingual (English/Spanish).

Schedule

This is a full-time position, 40 hours per week. Tuesday through Saturday, from 8 AM to 5 PM. Other days and hours as needed based on operational needs. Must be willing to flex work hours when required, including weekends.

Work Environment

This job operates in an animal shelter, professional office environment, with some field work. Consistently exposed to animals and animal allergens under conditions with limited alternative available. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.

Physical Demands

Some sedentary duties and some duties would require lifting of heavy animals, bending, stooping, and long periods of standing/walking.

Location

Harris County Public Health: Harris County Pets – 612 Canino Rd, Houston, TX 77076.