About Us

The vision of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing is to make mental wellbeing, including recovery from substance use challenges, a reality for everyone. Despite overwhelming need, nearly 30 million people across the U.S. do not have access to comprehensive, high-quality, affordable mental health and substance use care when they need it.

Founded in 1969, the National Council is a 501(c)(3) membership organization that drives policy and social change on behalf of more than 3,400 mental health and substance use treatment organizations and the more than 10 million children, adults and families they serve. We advocate for policies to ensure equitable access to high-quality services. We build the capacity of mental health and substance use treatment organizations. And we promote greater understanding of mental wellbeing as a core component of comprehensive health and health care. Through our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program, we have trained more than 3 million people in the U.S. to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

The National Council is growing to meet this moment; both our budget ($77M) and passionate staff (260+) have grown more than 50% since 2020. In addition, while we maintain office space in Washington, DC, we are a remote-first organization, meaning our employees work remotely from their locations across the United States.

We are an equal-opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and commit ourselves to creating an inclusive environment for everyone.

Position Summary

The Policy Associate provides detail-oriented program support and management to National Council public policy initiatives, specifically related to Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs); and targeting outreach to key states, clinics, and other district-level stakeholders to help strengthen their relationships with Members of Congress. The Associate also provides critical project management support to the National Council’s broader federal and state public policy initiatives to effectively represent the interests of our 3,400+ member organizations.

Responsibilities

• Assist a team of staff in carrying out technical assistance, planning and logistics, including but not limited to CCBHCs
• Create connections and synergy 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 to ensure implementation aligns with the criteria while being innovative and meeting state and community needs
• Support National Council growth within Public Policy by developing and managing relationships with internal staff and key external stakeholders; providing intensive support and outreach to strengthen engagement; using data analytics to better understand the capacities and targeting outreach to support engagement with policy makers, specifically Members of Congress
• Support National Council initiatives through project coordination to assist in executing contracts with states to implement the CCBHC model; Manages and updates the policy portions of the website as appropriate
• Conduct research and analysis on public policy issues and prepares written materials (e.g., fact sheets, white papers) and analyses for publications
• Produce information on the implications of government actions for the National Council and our members with a special focus on CCBHCs
• Takes action to solve problems/issues that routinely arise in areas of assigned responsibility.
• Occasional travel (5-10%) for work to non-local sites is required

Position Qualifications

• 2-3 years of relevant work experience
• Bachelor’s degree in health or public policy preferred (or equivalent additional years of experience)
• Exceptional written, oral, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to respond to emails in a timely manner while managing other high-level priorities
• Experience collecting and using data analytics to inform program activities
• Ability to contribute to a strong team-based environment
• Ability to operate in a fluid environment requiring multi-tasking to meet deadlines
• Demonstrated organizational skills, and ability to complete tasks as assigned, within timelines
• Strong attention to detail is essential
• Knowledge of office management/administration and systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, mental health and substance use services, and state and federal legislatures