Contracted Project Manager & Research Driver for "Addressing the Growing Mental Health & Addiction Needs of People in CT's Skilled Nursing Facilities" Project Manager

This position is intended for individuals or organizations who wish to bid on a request for proposals (RFP) to work as a contractor with the Training Fund and its parent Union (S.E.I.U. 1199NE). The project is projected to take at least 1.5 years and combines policy research and legislative advocacy. Those applying must demonstrate (one or both) successful health advocacy-based research and legislative campaigns. There shall be 2 phases for this project: Phase 1: research and policy recommendations; Phase 2: project management of a legislative, people powered lobbying campaign. Awarded contractor(s) can rely on the Fund and the Union, to provide access to the 6,000 + unionized care givers at its 60 CT nursing homes to recruit the people power to populate the contractor's legislative field campaign. The contracting Program Manager shall manage both phases of the project, research and legislative campaign in coordination with and at the direction of the Training Fund's director and the union's leadership. See Project Outline below:

The Organization: The 1199 Training Fund is a Multi-Employer Fund of S.E.I.U. 1199 New England that works in coordination with Union members and the Union employers who employ them to provide, support, and fund training programs that benefit the individual and the workforce as a whole.

The Project: Research, analyze and recommend concrete structural changes, identify potential funding needs, and draft policy/legislative changes to address the current baseline and acute mental health and substance abuse/addiction needs in Skilled Nursing Facilities in Connecticut.

Objective: To create structural recommendations for industry wide skills training and specialized roles/career ladder in Skilled Nursing Facilities that can promote improved outcomes for residents and staff with a range of mild, moderate, or severe mental health and addictions diagnosis.

Background: The need for Mental Health and Addiction services in Skilled Nursing Facilities has changed dramatically over the last 10-15 years. Various factors have contributed to the current conditions, such as an increase prevalence of mental health and addiction diagnosis in the overall population, changes in State and Private sector mental health and addiction services and policies, and the impact of economic and housing divides.

Timeline & Phases of the Project: The goal is to have a brief policy paper and draft legislation that can be immediately used for the 2027 legislative session, understanding that various factors could extend deeper levels of work on this project beyond June of 2027.

• Research & Data collection: June 2026
• Analysis of the current resident population demographics with respect to mental health and addiction and the impact and issues it has caused within Skilled Nursing Facilities
• Other Contributing factors to shifting mental health and addiction needs of Skilled Nursing residents
• Best practices regarding treatment in Skilled Nursing and Mental Health Facilities and Funding options (supplement in Medicaid rates)
• Drafting Legislation: September 2026
• Providing reports, white pages, legislative/stake holder fact sheets: September
• Legislative Campaign Support: Oct 2026 – August 2027
• Providing on-going research and policy assistance to the Union’s Policial Director and Lobbying firm to successfully drive legislative win in 2027
• Providing on-going Project Management support to keep together the Union's leadership team, the Employer participants, the researching contractor and other stake holders.

Bid Process: The S.E.I.U. 1199NE Training and Upgrading Fund will hold a pre-bid ‘Project Overview Q & A’ session for prospective Consultants, Project Managers, and Firms interested in the project who want to know more prior to submitting a bid for the project.

there are no medical, retirement or other benefits for this contracted position