NAMI Illinois Next Gen Minds Project Coordinator

Reports To: Director of Youth and Young Adult Programming, NAMI IL

Status: Part-time Consultant

Position Overview

The NAMI Illinois Next Gen Minds Project Coordinator will support the coordination, facilitation, and growth of the Next Gen Minds youth and young adult workgroup and advisory board. This role ensures consistent communication, smooth operations, and effective implementation of projects across three age-based subgroups (High School, Emerging Adults, and Young Professionals). The Liaison will also oversee the Grabbing the Aux podcast, serve as the bridge between youth leaders and NAMI Illinois staff, and help create a sustainable leadership structure for the workgroup.

Key Responsibilities

Meeting & Program Support

• • Curate and facilitate the three monthly High School, Emerging Adult, and Young Professional group meetings, based on member feedback.
  • Attend any additional high school planning meetings or events throughout the month.
  • Support project leads and age group boards with planning, facilitation, and follow-up.
  • Ensure meetings are youth-driven while providing structure, resources, and mentorship.
  • Attend and assist with facilitation of events scheduled by High School, Emerging Adult, and Young Professional groups.

Project & Initiative Oversight

• • Oversee and support the Grabbing the Aux podcast:
  • Coordinate planning, recording, editing, and publishing of consistent episodes.
  • Support youth and young adult members in research, hosting, and production roles.
  • Assist project leads across age groups in carrying out campaigns, events, advocacy efforts, and collaborations.
  • Help align subgroup projects with the overall mission and goals of NAMI Illinois.

Communication & Collaboration

• • Serve as the primary connector between youth/young adult members, NAMI Illinois staff, and external partners.
  • Manage workgroup communication platforms (email, social media, Discord/Slack, shared drives).
  • Provide resources, technical support, and coordination for events, retreats, and outreach efforts.

Leadership Development & Mentorship

• • Support youth members in developing leadership, advocacy, and facilitation skills.
  • Coordinate training opportunities for workgroup members
  • Assist in forming, guiding, and meeting with subgroup boards and eventually the overall workgroup board.
  • Provide mentorship and ensure youth voice remains central in all planning and decision-making.

Administration & Reporting

• • Track participation, project progress, and evaluation metrics (surveys, analytics, attendance).
  • Submit progress updates to NAMI Illinois leadership.
  • Ensure clear role definitions, timelines, and accountability within the workgroup.

Qualifications

• • Passion for youth and young adult mental health advocacy.
  • Experience in group facilitation, youth engagement, or program coordination.
  • Strong organizational and communication skills, with ability to manage multiple projects.
  • Familiarity with podcast production and/or digital media preferred (training available).
  • Commitment to equity, inclusion, and amplifying diverse youth voices.
  • Ability to work evenings and occasional weekends to align with meeting schedules.

Compensation

• • Consultant/contract position, hourly compensation at $20-30 per hour, based on experience.
  • Estimated time commitment at around 45-65 hours per month. Hours and responsibilities may expand as the program grows.
  • Estimated contract length: November 2025 – June 2026

Location

This position will be hybrid. Most work will be weeknight/weekend with some weekday availability, with flexible scheduling