Policy And Advocacy Associate

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.

The National Council is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and commit ourselves to creating an inclusive environment for everyone.

Position Summary

The National Council’s Policy Department advances a proactive policy agenda to strengthen the health care safety net and expand access to substance use and mental health services throughout the U.S. The Policy & Advocacy Associate is a key member of the Policy Team and will support advancing the National Council’s policy agenda. The 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 towards department operations, including resource tracking and reporting. The Associate assists in promoting an advocacy platform that resonates with the federal and state policy needs of National Council member organizations, while working to support various projects through logistics and administrative support, as well as assisting in the day-to-day operations of the department within the framework of the National Council's policy goals, priorities, and organizational work plan.

This is a writing-intensive position requiring exceptional communication skills in a public policy context, as well as the ability to think creatively in using a variety of written materials (such as emails, web content, social media, and more) to engage members in policy advocacy. The Associate must have strong skills and experience in communicating complex policy ideas to a diverse array of audiences.

Responsibilities

Project Coordination:

• Coordinate logistics for in-person and virtual meetings
• Complete administrative tasks such as call notes, scheduling, materials preparation, data collection, and project procurement submission
• Develop and monitor project outlines, workplans, budgets, and financial performance
• Quantitative and qualitative data entry and visualization
• Support the execution of department-wide organizational policies and programs, including department planning and development, on-boarding, training, performance evaluation, and facilitate effective team dynamics.
• Research, review, and recommend existing policies and procedures to create efficiencies within the Policy Team
• Support proposal and business development efforts as needed
• Formatting, citation, and proofreading in Word and PowerPoint
• Develop tools/systems to support project goals in collaboration with other project staff
• Survey and evaluation data collection, analysis and presentation

Public Policy:

• Track legislation and regulations and closely monitor relevant events. Produce information on the implications of government actions for the National Council and our members
• Support efforts related to our grassroots network and other advocacy activities
• Conduct research and analysis on public policy issues at the state and federal levels, prepare written materials that summarize current status of legislation and regulation, and provide a recommendation for action
• Assist with National Council Hill Day and NatCon activities, including the production and dissemination of materials and other logistics as needed
• Support the Public Policy Committee and Association Executive Committee
• Assist in the production of Capitol Connector, the National Council’s public policy e-newsletter. Contribute to other newsletters, publications, and social media posts as needed
• Draft advocacy materials including action alerts, talking points, social media posts, etc
• Represent the National Council’s interests before federal, state or local government and advocacy groups. Coordinate with organizations that have similar legislative or regulatory interests. Attend coalition and other external meetings as needed

Organizational:

• Serve as an operations liaison with other departments to ensure interdepartmental understanding and to maximize collaboration and information sharing
• Other duties as assigned
• Take action to solve problems/issues that routinely arise in areas of assigned responsibility
• Attend staff engagement activities, including department meetings and all-staff meetings
• Participate in professional development opportunities

Required Qualifications

• High-level proficiency in Office365—MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, and Teams
• Experienced in quantitative and qualitative data entry and data visualization
• Results oriented with a strong attention to detail, ability to multi-task and meet deadlines in a demanding, fast-paced environment
• Ability to travel up to 10% (in compliance with CDC guidance COVID-19 and in accordance to the approved travel policy of National Council)
• Proficiency in virtual meeting/collaboration, project management, and survey software (e.g., Zoom, Teams, Asana, Survey Monkey)
• Create new tools and processes, where needed, to support successful project management
• Exceptional written, oral, research, citation, formatting, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to self-manage and work independently on certain tasks while contributing to a team project structure and proactively seeking assistance where needed
• Experience drafting policy and advocacy-focused fact sheets for legislators, legislative staff, and other policy stakeholders
• Monitor performance and communicate areas of risk and opportunity to the team director and other National Council leadership, where appropriate
• Ability to remain flexible, manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Proactive in coordinating tasks, schedules and projects with little direction
• Bachelor’s Degree with 2-4 years experience in health policy preferred

Competencies

• Dependable
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Initiative
• Analytical Thinking
• Interpersonal Skills
• Technical Expertise
• Action Oriented
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Time Management

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.

National Council uses 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.