Organizational Overview

Founded in 1969, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing (National Council) is a membership organization that drives policy and social change on behalf of nearly 3,200 mental health and substance use treatment organizations and the more than 10 million children, adults and families they serve. The National Council is a 501(c)(3) association that advocates for policies that ensure people who have mental health and substance use challenges have access to comprehensive, high-quality services. We also offer state-of-the-science education and practice improvement consulting and resources to ensure services are efficient and effective.

Position Summary

The Federal Policy and Advocacy Associate will be a key member of the Policy Team, work to grow the National Council’s policy agenda, and will be the point person for the National Council’s grassroots advocacy program. This position will help drive operationalization of common activities and processes within the department. The Associate is responsible for identifying departmental processes that need improvement and providing administrative support toward department operations, including resource tracking and reporting mechanisms. The Associate supports staff on the Policy Team to ensure smooth and consistent adoption of new processes and guidance. Around 20% of this position’s activities will be dedicated to maintaining and building out the grassroots advocacy program.

Responsibilities

OPERATIONS ASSISTANCE

• Support the execution of department-wide organizational policies and programs, including department planning and development, on-boarding, training, development, performance evaluation; provide clarity around roles; and facilitate effective team dynamics
• Research, review, and recommend existing policies and procedures to create efficiencies within the department
• Work with all staff levels to ensure new or altered policies and processes are applicable, efficient, effective, and standardized across the department
• Support the development of business tools to enable improved decision making in the department
• Develop and collaborate with department leadership on trainings to support adoption of new operational processes to ensure understanding of new processes and procedures
• Serve as an operations liaison with other departments to ensure interdepartmental understanding and to maximize collaboration

GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY

• Lead grassroots advocacy program and serve as grassroots liaison for other departments
• Lead the National Council’s Hill Day and annual conference activities
• Present to National Council members on the importance of advocacy
• Draft advocacy materials including action alerts, letters to Congress, talking points, training materials, social media posts and more
• Quantitative and qualitative data entry and visualization utilizing our advocacy database
• Serve as main point of contact for grassroots-related vendors
• Conduct research on best practices in grassroots advocacy and communications

POLICY ANALYSIS

• Conduct research and analysis on public policy issues, legislation, and legislators
• Contribute to the writing of the National Council’s policy e-newsletter

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

• Support Policy Team scheduling and notetaking during meetings as needed
• Contribute to formatting, citation, and proofreading in Word and PowerPoints
• Attend staff engagement activities, including department meetings and all-staff meetings
• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• At least 2 years of relevant experience
• Bachelor’s degree
• Ability to travel up to 5%

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

To be eligible to apply, applicants must demonstrate strong project management, writing, and administrative skills. Strong attention to detail is essential.

Interested individuals should have basic knowledge in at least two of the following areas:

• Administrative Support
• Operations
• Mental health and substance use
• Public policy
• Public health
• Grassroots advocacy

Competencies:

• Initiative
• Organized
• Teamwork
• Analytical thinking
• Result oriented
• Dependable

National Council is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer – All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status. We use E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please contact the Department of Homeland Security at 888-897-7781 or visit www.dhs.gov/everify.