Mental Health Campaign Director (UPDATED)

About Children First

Children First is a leading child advocacy and policy organization dedicated to ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive. Headquartered in Philadelphia and working across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Children First champions policies and programs that expand access to quality health care, education, and family supports for children and youth in the Greater Philadelphia region. For more than four decades, Children First has been a trusted voice for children by turning data into action, mobilizing communities, and driving systemic change that advances racial and economic equity. Through rigorous research, coalition-building, and strategic advocacy, the organization has helped shape landmark policies in early childhood education, mental and physical health access, and support for vulnerable youth and families.

Position Summary

The Campaign Director will lead the groundbreaking Strong Minds Bright Futures Partnership for Child Mental Wellbeing. The Partnership is a broad-based statewide coalition seeking state level policy reforms that will guaranteed low-income children access to a full continuum of mental health services. We are looking for a visionary leader with strong organizational skills who can motivate policymakers to adopt changes by leading this newly formed coalition forward. The ideal leader will have three key skill sets:

1. proven capacity to orchestrate partners to persuade elected officials to embrace new policies;
2. tested relationship management skills that guide stakeholders to focus on collaboratively to influence public policy, and
3. a track record of using communication tools to build public will for policy change.

The ideal candidate will be a leader who enjoys collaborating and helping coworkers and employees they supervise to do their best and contributes to a respectful workplace that values a commitment to racial diversity, having fun, and making an impact. You must also have the capacity to be a self-starter, work independently, and with others in a hybrid, dynamic work environment.

Skills and Knowledge, We Are Looking For:

• Advocacy Experience: A minimum of five years advocating for a significant policy change via legislation or administrative reforms. Inclusive in this experience must be a track record of leading a united effort of grassroots and grasstops organizations and passionate individuals and orchestrating their advocacy to achieve a policy win.
• Strategic and Critical Thinking: Ability to see the big picture and develop strategy and align tactics to achieve policy outcomes. Ability to critically assess a situation, and (re)calibrate strategy accordingly.
• Stakeholder Relationship Management Skills: Ability to cultivate, manage, and grow relationships with state agency decision makers, organizational leaders, parents/caregivers, and other networks, coalitions and policymakers.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate policy issues and priorities clearly and persuasively in writing as well as in meeting and in media appearances and to prepare reports, briefs and correspondence with key officials.
• Data and Analysis Skills: Strategic and detail-oriented ability to collect, interpret, and simplify large datasets, and analyze laws and regulations, in support of policy priorities and advocacy goals.
• Management/Supervision and Project Management Experience: Minimum 7 years of experience managing and supervising a team with a spirit of collaboration and empowerment to help achieve team goals. Attention to detail is a priority so that staff, partners, and policymakers can engage and help move the work forward. This effort requires a leader with strong project management and strategy development skills.
• Proficiency with Technology: Facility with Excel and Word, web-based research, social media platforms.
• Policy Knowledge: Knowledge of state Medicaid administrative powers, payment systems and regulatory requirements. Knowledge of the structure of the mental health system preferred a plus.

Key Duties:

• Spearhead the development of a new initiative aimed at improving children’s mental health by developing and implementing advocacy strategies to advance state and local level mental health policy priorities which include:
  • Manage relationships with coalition members and state policymakers and recruit more key stakeholders
  • Guide the implementation of carefully crafted communications, mobilization and government relations strategies to get the policy reforms adopted
  • Supervise campaign staff (three staff members and multiple consultants)
  • Developing messaging documents, official correspondence testimony or public speeches, and manage a process to publish, disseminate and draw attention to compelling reports
  • Draft grant applications to secure additional resources and ensure expenditures do not exceed available funds
• Be the public face of the Campaign successfully recruiting and informing community leaders, parents and youth and engaging them to build support and regularly communicate with key policymakers about mental health campaign priorities
• Monitor trends and collect and analyze data on Medicaid policy to consider their impact on the campaign

Other Duties as Assigned

• Attend and present information at Children First board and board subcommittee meetings as requested
• Be available to plan, orchestrate and assist with outreach events which occur in the evening and/or weekends
• Attend and participate in staff meetings and staff committees
• Actively support Children First fundraising efforts

Additional Information:

• This is a full-time hybrid position requiring approximately 60 days a year in Harrisburg; in addition, to approximately 45 days on the road engaging with leaders across the state and a weekly in-office staff meetings in Philadelphia. Must have a valid driver’s license and a reliable vehicle.

Reports To: Executive Director

Salary: Salary starts at $150,000 and will be commensurate with experience, plus benefits, including health care for you and your child(ren) and generous paid time off

Apply: Resume and cover letter to info@childrenfirstpa.org.

Salary will be commensurate with experience, plus benefits, including health care for you and your child(ren) and generous paid time off.