How to Write an SOQ for a Health Program Specialist Position

The Health Program Specialist I is a specialist-level classification — one rung above the journey-level Associate Health Program Adviser — that handles substantive public health program work, not just administrative support. Depending on the department and division, duties can include:

• Drafting and analyzing health policy and legislation
• Designing, implementing, or evaluating disease prevention or community health programs
• Coordinating with local health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), community-based organizations, or federal partners (CDC, HRSA, CMS)
• Preparing reports, data analyses, and grant deliverables
• Representing the department at stakeholder meetings or public comment processes

SOQ raters for HPS I positions are typically program managers or health policy analysts who know what substantive program work looks like. They are evaluating whether your experience rises to the level the classification requires — not just whether you have worked in a health setting.

The most common pitfall: applicants who have done real, valuable work in public health but describe it at too high a level to be scoreable ("supported program implementation," "assisted with stakeholder outreach"). Reviewers need specifics.

Standard HPS I SOQ formatting:

• 12-point Arial font (unless the posting specifies otherwise)
• Single-spaced within responses
• Maximum 2 pages — this is a hard limit at most agencies
• 1-inch margins on all sides
• Responses labeled or numbered to match each prompt
• Your name and the position title in a header

Always re-read the "Special Requirements" section of the CalCareers posting — some CDPH divisions or DHCS programs specify additional formatting requirements or ask you to restate each prompt before your answer.

Two pages is tighter than it sounds when you are answering two or three substantive policy/program prompts. Prioritize your strongest, most specific example for each prompt over trying to cover all of your experience. One fully developed story with a measurable outcome scores higher than two generic descriptions.

Program development / implementation / evaluation prompt:

This is the most important prompt in a typical HPS I SOQ. Use the STAR method to describe one specific program:

1. Situation — what was the program, what health problem was it designed to address, what was its scope (geography, population served, budget, funding source)
2. Task — your specific role on the program team and what you were responsible for
3. Action — the concrete steps you took: needs assessment methods, logic model or program plan development, outreach and enrollment strategies, data collection tools, partner coordination, reporting mechanisms
4. Result — measurable outcomes: enrollment numbers, health outcomes (vaccination rates, screening rates, health literacy scores), process metrics (turnaround times, deliverable completion rates), or qualitative evidence of program success

Avoid: "I helped implement a program that served low-income communities." Aim for: "I led the implementation of a HRSA-funded home visiting program serving 240 Medi-Cal-enrolled mothers in Fresno County. I developed the data collection protocol in REDCap, coordinated monthly case conferences with five contracted partner agencies, and prepared the interim performance report to HRSA. In year one, the program achieved 92% of its enrollment target and a 78% well-child visit compliance rate among enrolled families."

Data analysis / policy analysis prompt:

This prompt evaluates your ability to work with public health data or policy documents to inform program decisions. Describe a specific instance where you:

• Analyzed surveillance data, program data, literature, or legislation to answer a specific question
• Identified a gap, trend, or policy implication
• Prepared a written product (report, brief, issue memo, legislative summary) based on your analysis
• Had your analysis influence a decision or action

Name the data source or the legislation you analyzed. Describe your method. State what you found and what happened as a result.

Stakeholder collaboration prompt:

HPS I roles rarely work in isolation — they coordinate across local health departments, community-based organizations, health plans, tribal health programs, and federal partners. Describe a situation where you:

• Managed a relationship or coordinated activities across organizational lines
• Navigated competing priorities or conflicting interests among partners
• Built consensus or facilitated communication among stakeholders with different roles and perspectives

Focus on what you personally did: who you convened, what you communicated, how you kept the work moving, and what the outcome was.

Describing your role without your impact — "I coordinated stakeholder meetings and prepared reports" tells the rater what tasks you performed. "I facilitated monthly community health worker collaborative meetings with 12 CBOs, which resulted in a shared referral protocol adopted by all partners and a 30% reduction in duplicate service contacts" tells them what you accomplished.

Not naming the program or its funding source — state health agencies run dozens of programs. When you say "a state-funded maternal health program," you've told the reviewer almost nothing. Name it: WIC, MCAH, First 5, Black Infant Health, CalAIM, Title X, CalFresh, HRSA 330.

Overstating your role — if you supported a program someone else led, say that clearly and then describe what you specifically contributed. Raters who know the field will probe your examples in interviews; claiming more than you did creates problems later.

Vague stakeholder descriptions — "I worked with community partners" is too broad. "I coordinated with eight FQHCs, two Planned Parenthood affiliates, and the Fresno County Department of Public Health to align SUD referral pathways" is specific and scoreable.

Passive voice throughout — "Analysis was conducted," "reports were submitted." Say: "I analyzed," "I submitted," "I developed."

Exceeding the page limit — set your formatting before you start writing and cut as needed. Going over is disqualifying at many agencies.