Mental Health Campaign Director: 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.

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.

• 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.

• Spearhead the development of a new initiative aimed at improving children’s mental health by developing and implementing advocacy…