Job Description

Community Mental Health Specialist

Application Deadline: 30 April 2026

Department: 02. Knowledge & Advising

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: New York City, New York

Reporting To: Director, Community Initiatives

Compensation: $80,000 - $115,000 / year

The Community Mental Health Specialist supports The Jed Foundation (JED)’s growing portfolio of programming with community-based organizations (CBOs) across the country, including those participating in the Institute for Youth Mental Health and the JED CBO Program. Reporting to the Director, Community Initiatives, this position plays a key role in the implementation of JED’s evidence-based framework for mental health promotion, suicide prevention, and substance misuse prevention within youth and young adult-serving CBOs and municipalities. This role is ideal for a mission-driven, systems-minded mental health professional with strong communication, project coordination, and advisory skills. The Community Mental Health Specialist collaborates with internal teams and supports external partner engagement, ensuring quality, consistency, and alignment with JED’s approach.

Key Responsibilities

Program Support & Technical Assistance

• Support the delivery of high-quality consulting services to CBOs enrolled in the Institute for Youth Mental Health and JED CBO Program.
• Assist senior staff in the implementation of mental health promotion, suicide prevention, and substance use initiatives within youth-serving organizations.
• Participate in strategic planning sessions, stakeholder meetings, and program assessments with partner organizations, supporting documentation, follow-up, and content development.

Advising & Resource Development

• Contribute to the creation and refinement of resources, toolkits, guides, and communications materials for use by community partners.
• Assist with the development and facilitation of webinars, presentations, and workshops for partner organizations.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Support ongoing monitoring and evaluation activities, including data tracking, progress documentation, and review of program milestones.
• Contribute to the development of strategic plans, progress summaries, and outcome reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate records of partner engagement and technical assistance activities using Salesforce, Asana, and other systems.
  
  

Collaboration & Internal Coordination

• Work collaboratively with the Vice President of Community Initiatives & Clinical Advising, the Director of Community Initiatives, the Senior Manager of Greek-Letter Organizations, Community Mental Health Specialists, and other JED staff to ensure coordination across CBO-related workstreams.
• Participate in team meetings and cross-functional planning efforts to align on program strategy and implementation goals.
• Stay up to date on best practices in community mental health, youth development, and systems-level change.
  
  

Job Benefits

• Master’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, public health, education, or a related field required (LPC, MSW, MPH, MEd, or early- to mid-career PhD preferred).
• 3–7 years of relevant experience working with youth-serving organizations, municipal or city agencies, community-based organizations (CBOs), or other public-sector systems supporting youth and community well-being.
• Demonstrated knowledge of youth mental health, suicide prevention, substance misuse prevention, or related public health initiatives.
• Experience supporting system-level implementation efforts or change management initiatives, especially in community settings.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including experience with presentations and professional report writing.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and program coordination skills.
• Collaborative team player who thrives in a mission-driven and evolving environment.
  
  

*While the salary range for this role is $80,000 – $115,000, please note that this scale is benchmarked to major metropolitan hubs like NYC. Compensation for candidates residing in other regions will be scaled appropriately to reflect local market rates.