Careers >> Senior Policy Associate, Child Welfare and Mental Health
Senior Policy Associate, Child Welfare and Mental Health
Summary
Title:Senior Policy Associate, Child Welfare and Mental Health
ID:1077
Department:Policy
Campaign Start Date:02/18/2019
Location:National Office - Washington, DC
Description

Title: Senior Policy Associate, Child Welfare and Mental Health

Mission of the Children’s Defense Fund

The Children’s Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

CDF provides a strong, effective and independent voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor children, children of color and those with disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investments before they get sick, drop out of school, get into trouble or suffer family breakdown.

CDF began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization supported by individual donations, foundation, corporate and government grants.

Position Summary:

The Children’s Defense Fund has an immediate opening for a Senior Policy Associate, Child Welfare and Mental Health. This Senior Policy Associate serves as a key member of CDF’s Child Welfare and Mental Health Division which, as part of CDF’s Policy Department, is responsible for keeping children safe in permanent nurturing families and communities as part of CDF’s overall Leave No Child Behind® mission.

The Senior Policy Associate will play a leadership role in the research, policy and outreach activities of the Division, with a particular focus on children and families who are at risk of placement or already in the care of the child welfare system. The Senior Policy Associate, Child Welfare and Mental Health works under the overall supervision of the Deputy Director of Child Welfare and Mental Health and collaborates closely with others in CDF’s Policy Team and other staff in CDF’s national and state offices to translate CDF’s mission and goals into concrete child and family policies, programs and outcomes. CDF believes children don’t come in pieces and that our work to end child poverty, ensure children affordable quality health coverage and care, ensure quality early childhood development, ensure quality schools, prevent gun violence and keep children safe in their families and communities and out of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems are all interrelated. The Senior Policy Associate also will work closely with others outside of CDF to broaden the reach of our work and enhance opportunities for success on behalf of children who are at risk of placement or already in the care of the child welfare system.

The work of the Child Welfare and Mental Health Division focuses on the goals of protecting children and strengthening families to keep children and youth safely with their families and help them move on to successful futures. Its work spans a broad range of areas from early family supports and other prevention services to services to keep children out of foster care, to supports for grandparents and other relatives raising children, to challenges such as parental substance abuse and mental health problems and related trauma that put children and families at risk, and including traditional child welfare areas such as child abuse, foster care, guardianship and adoption.

Core Responsibilities:
  • Assuming a leadership role in the Child Welfare and Mental Health Division’s work, which is an integral part of the broader goals and priorities of CDF to Leave No Child Behind. Activities include public education, research and data analysis, representing CDF at external meetings and convenings, state and community outreach, technical assistance, policy monitoring, development, pursuit and implementation, and media response.
  • Identifying and preparing selected reports, fact sheets, talking points, presentations and web materials on promising programs, practices, and policies that promote safety and permanence for children, including support for grandparents and other relatives raising children, specialized treatment for parents and children challenged by substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health problems, and related trauma and special innovations directed at young children at risk of placement and in out of home care.
  • Developing, promoting, protecting, monitoring and helping to implement new or revised legislative and administrative policies and strategies at the national and state levels designed to promote safety, permanence and well-being for children.
  • Coordinating and co-leading the Child Welfare and Mental Health Coalition, including monitoring Congressional activity and updates from our national and state partners on legislation, events, publications and research relevant to the policy priorities of the Child Welfare and Mental Health Division that can be shared in Coalition alerts or meetings.
  • Developing, leading and actively participating in other coalitions and networks with local, state and national advocates, policymakers, service providers, and youth, parents, grandparents and other relatives to promote effective prevention, child protection, specialized treatment, kinship care, child welfare financing and other strategies.
  • Providing technical assistance to advocates, policymakers and their staffs, and public and private service providers about child welfare, mental health, substance abuse and/or related matters.
  • Representing CDF in external meetings, conferences, task forces and other external activities related to the work of the Child Welfare and Mental Health Division and CDF’s Policy Team.
  • Partnering closely with CDF’s Communications Division in the development and review of social media content, website content and other externally facing products related to the work and priorities of the Child Welfare and Mental Health Division.
  • Working collaboratively with others throughout CDF to carry out CDF’s mission and specific priorities.
  • Sharing responsibility for the effective operation of the Child Welfare and Mental Health Division, including assistance with the development of proposals and outreach to foundations, preparing progress and expenditure reports due to funders, and highlighting priorities and tracking quarterly work goals and key performance indicators for CDF’s Leadership Team.

Qualifications:

The candidate should have:

  • A JD or Master's Degree in a relevant field;
  • At least five years of work experience in child welfare or children’s mental health;
  • Familiarity and experience with child welfare, mental health or related child serving systems, effective prevention and specialized treatment strategies for children and families, and state and national policies related to child welfare, children’s mental health and Medicaid;
  • Excellent research (quantitative and qualitative) skills;
  • Excellent writing and speaking skills for different audiences;
  • The ability to engage constituencies at state and local levels;
  • A proven track record of working well within teams;
  • An ability to take initiative, set priorities, efficiently and effectively organize work, respond to an often rapidly evolving work program, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously; and
  • Demonstrated interest in and commitment to social justice and improving the quality of life for children and their families, especially low income children.

 

Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.

To apply submit cover letter and resume.

 

The Children’s Defense Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer

This opening is closed and is no longer accepting applications