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 3,500 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 Policy & Advocacy Manager provides critical project management and data analytics to support the National Council’s policy and advocacy activities, inform strategic direction, and guide quality improvement. Specifically, this role provides detail-oriented program support and management to National Council’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Success Center, a hub for data, implementation support and advocacy to support the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model. The ideal candidate will have a background in advocacy, grassroots initiatives, and state policy efforts with an interested in integrated care and health care financing.

Responsibilities

• Manage relationships with National Council staff, external consultants and partners, and government officials (e.g., behavioral health and Medicaid directors) to support a collaborative, strategic approach regarding the CCBHC model that ensures implementation aligns with the criteria while being innovative and meeting state and community needs.
• Initiate, monitor and track progress of state and national CCBHC projects, including projects with multiple subcontractors and consultants, to ensure an accurate and effective scope of work, budget, and timeline to support team goals, interests, and bandwidth.
• Support the planning and execution of the National Council’s CCBHC events, including but not limited to presentations to partners and state officials as well as National Council’s annual Hill Day and NatCon conferences along with other ad-hoc events.
• Write policy and advocacy materials for newsletters, social media sites, blogs, fact sheets, email blasts, and other needs, including the opportunity to provide direct written technical assistance to state policymakers regarding the initiation and implementation of the CCBHC model.
• Develop knowledge about the policy and practice implications of federal legislation and regulations pertaining to the CCBHC model and other topics of substance use and mental health care delivery.
• Identify and advance National Council and its members’ interests.
• Support policy team members and external consulting staff in their meetings with congressional offices and federal agencies as well as in the planning and executing of congressional staff briefings.
• Provide legislative and regulatory research and policy analysis and tracks policy decisions that directly affect organizational goals relating to the CCBHC model.
• Identify gaps and opportunities to create new tools and processes, where needed, to support successful project management.
• Provide project mentorship to associates/coordinators and interns.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in public policy, public health, or related field preferred, plus 3+ years’ experience
• Knowledge of Medicaid, policymaking, and mental health and substance use care delivery

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Exceptional writing skills required
• Must be a skilled project manager with flawless attention to detail
• Experience collecting and using data analytics to inform program activities
• Experience with grassroots advocacy day planning and coordination preferred
• Prior experience with a membership association preferred
• Experience supporting grants or contracts oversight, including budget, resource, task and timeline management
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Experience with in-person and virtual meeting planning and coordination
• High level proficiency in Microsoft Office—MSWord, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
• Proficiency in virtual meeting/collaboration, project management, and survey software (e.g., Zoom, Teams)
• Proven ability to work well across teams

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.