Senior Lead, Youth Mental Health Advocate

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The team at RFCUNY is made up of dedicated, talented professionals committed to providing the services that allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries.

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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Academy for Community Behavioral Health equips NYC non-profit care providers to proactively and compassionately address behavioral health. CUNY SPS launched the Academy in Spring 2021 with support from the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (NYC Opportunity) and Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH). We prioritize capacity building with NYC communities most impacted by health and socioeconomic inequities, including those most impacted by COVID-19.

Academy services include: 1. free learning programs for NYC non-profit social service and behavioral health providers; 2. pilot programs that use participatory methods to advance community-centered care models and expand knowledge about what works; and more.

In 2023, the Academy launched a Youth Mental Health Advocate (YMHA) pilot program as part of Working the Gap, an initiative of CUNY SPS Youth Studies that provides young people ages 18-24 who are not enrolled in college with applied skills training, part-time work experience, college credits, and support to take a next step in their education or career.

YMHA provides a path to helping professions for young people who do not yet have college degrees but do have a desire to make a difference in youth mental health, along with a meaningful connection to a youth-serving organization and relevant shared experiences. Youth Advocates receive over 100 hours of training and coaching from the Academy. They work part-time in a community-based organization (CBO) where they apply skills to: care for their own mental health, model and share self-care tools, provide 1:1 mental health support and referrals to other youth, and develop and facilitate groups. They also use participatory action research skills to carry out a community project that can improve youth mental health or services at the CBO. 

YMHA Senior Lead    

The YMHA Senior Lead will play a key leadership role in the design and implementation of the Youth Mental Health Advocate program in pilot years 3-4. Reporting to the Academy Director and joining a multidisciplinary YMHA team, the Senior Lead will guide YMHA curriculum development and delivery, including by managing the work of supporting instructors, and provide implementation support to host organizations. Based on relevant expertise, the Senior Lead may also oversee the coordination and delivery of specialized supports for YMHAs.

Candidates will have significant subject matter expertise and experience in related areas, such as:

Youth mental health and development

Instructional design, with prior experience managing collaborative processes to map, create, test, and refine a related curriculum  

Mental health capacity building in community settings

Care coordination for young people ages 18-24

This is a near full-time hybrid role with some scheduling flexibility. It will involve significant in-person work, including in-person training, site visits, and program meetings. Starting in Fall 2026, the Senior Lead will work between 39-68 hours every two weeks, with some project phases requiring more work than others:

Sep-Dec 2026: Curriculum and program development. Expected to involve hybrid remote/in-person work.

Jan-Feb 2027: In-person orientation and training for Youth Mental Health Advocates (YMHAs) and host community-based organizations (CBOs). Expected to require 25-30 hours/week of in-person work. 

Mar-Jun 2027: Ongoing training, coaching, and implementation support to YMHAs and CBOs; ongoing program management activities. Expect hybrid remote/in-person work.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

A. Curriculum Development

The YMHA curriculum includes: 1. General preparation for work in a professional helping role, 2. Skills and supports for YMHAs to care for their own mental health, and 3. Skills YMHAs use to support youth mental health among “near peers” ages 10-18. Visit the YMHA program description for additional details.

• Lead YMHA curriculum improvements: update curriculum goals, content, teaching methods, and assessment tools to improve the YMHA learner experience and outcomes.  

  • Consult with the YMHA team to confirm curriculum goals and priorities.

• In consultation with the Director, manage a collaborative process to achieve curriculum goals and priorities, including by: incorporating lessons from pilot implementation; inviting and integrating expertise from other instructors, subject matter experts, and program stakeholders; creating and reviewing content; and, applying relevant evidence.

• Ensure that the curriculum meets Academy values and standards. These include, but are not limited to: 

  • A dual focus on the well-being and skillfulness of helpers. 

  • Competency-based learning. We aim to help learners develop and apply relevant skills in real-world settings.

  • Progressive, experiential learning paths with meaningful opportunities for skill practice, skill application, reflection, and supportive and accurate feedback. 

  • Participatory design and ongoing quality improvement.

• Ensure that the curriculum meets CUNY SPS criteria to award credit for prior learning.

  • Prepare materials required for CUNY SPS review.   

  • Implement strengths-based learning assessment practices.

  • Oversee the collection and maintenance of key data, including but not limited to attendance and learning assessment.

• Lead the development of a CBO curriculum that equips CBOs to effectively host and support YMHAs, integrating relevant subject matter expertise and input from Academy team members. In FY27, this is expected to focus on: 

  • Learning network activities to help CBOs prepare for and support key YMHA activities. 

  • CBO supervision of YMHAs.

• Manage curriculum development timelines and workflows.

• Make real-time curriculum updates based on ongoing quality improvement and participatory design activities, as needed.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of a YMHA evaluation framework and tools, led by the YMHA Senior Advisor. 

• Produce final YMHA and CBO curricula.  

B. Curriculum Delivery 

• Serve as Lead Instructor for the YMHA and CBO curricula.

  • Facilitate in-person and virtual training, coaching, and implementation support sessions in line with Academy standards and values, independently or with co-facilitators.

  • Coordinate the contributions of other Instructors.

• Lead the YMHA instructor team.

  • Support instructors to prepare for and deliver training, coaching, and implementation support.

  • Participate in the selection and onboarding of instructors, where needed.

  • Monitor the quality of instruction across the YMHA program and facilitate ongoing quality improvement activities.

C. CBO engagement and support 

• In collaboration with the YMHA team and building on prior implementation lessons, develop a structure for ongoing CBO engagement and support in Pilot Years 3-4. This may include CBO selection; preparation to host YMHAs; training, coaching, or learning network activities for CBOs; and, ongoing monitoring and quality improvement. 

• Facilitate multidirectional learning and capacity building across CBOs:

  • Lead the YMHA team in maintaining frequent, open, and supportive communication with CBOs (scheduled and ad hoc communications in 1:1 and group settings). Invite and respond to CBO ideas, questions, and concerns.

  • Guide CBOs to implement YMHA in line with Academy standards and relevant best practices.  

  • Promote shared learning and support across CBOs.

• Develop and lead agendas and activities for 1:1 and group CBO sessions.

• Manage the implementation of CBO site visits.

  • Contribute to the development of site visit protocols and rubrics; lead the YMHA team in applying them. 

  • Oversee the collection and maintenance of site visit data.

  • Identify items for immediate, short-term, medium-term, and long-term action; develop and manage workplans to address key items, based on available resources and program priorities.

• Coordinate technical assistance and follow-up with CBOs to: address program challenges or concerns, strengthen YMHA implementation, and, celebrate and share successes and lessons across the YMHA network.

  • Designate a “program lead” on the Academy’s YMHA team for each CBO; act as the program lead for a subset of 3-6 CBOs.

D. YMHA Care Coordination

• Contingent on relevant prior experience, the Senior Lead may also carry out one or more of the following:  

• Oversee the delivery of specialized supports that the Academy provides or coordinates for YMHAs, including:

  • Assessment, support, and referral to address YMHA needs. 

  • Routine and ad hoc 1:1 YMHA check-ins with dedicated Academy team members. 

  • Psychoeducation to help YMHAs understand and access relevant supports for their wellness.    

  • Contracted services with external specialists, such as for college and career advising, college admissions assistance, or job placement. 

  • CBO supports for YMHAs. 

  • Other external referrals.  

• Develop the Academy’s approach to care coordination, including internal protocols and tools. 

• Coordinate with the Director to assign responsibilities across YMHA instructors and the YMHA Program Manager.

• Oversee data collection, monitoring, and ongoing implementation of care coordination activities.   

  • Facilitate routine care coordination meetings.

  • Troubleshoot challenges/ensure appropriate follow-up.   

  • Ensure accurate and up to date records of key data, consistent with Academy protocols.

E. Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: 

The ideal candidate for this role will demonstrate a thoughtful and well-informed view on: a) the ways that young people and youth-serving CBOs can promote youth mental health, and b) the training and supports that young people and CBOs need to best fulfill these roles. They will demonstrate experience in curriculum design and effective and engaging teaching and capacity building approaches for young adults (18-24) and adults working in community settings.  

We value perspectives informed by diverse disciplines, traditions, and personal and professional experiences, including experiential and contemplative learning. We recognize candidates may not hold every qualification listed below. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Advanced degree in a related field.

• Licensed to independently provide clinical mental health care in New York State (e.g. Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst, LCSW, LMHC, ATR-BC/LCAT). 

• Advanced knowledge of youth mental health, such as through:

• A record of advanced and continued learning in one or more relevant focus areas 

• Contributions to knowledge or practice in the field

• Experience delivering evidence-supported mental health care to youth ages 10-24; experience managing the delivery of care in community settings a plus  

• A record of successfully creating or leading learning and capacity-building program(s) in youth mental health.

• Advanced knowledge of instructional design and curriculum development.

• Experience leading a collaborative curriculum development cycle (planning, development, testing, implementation, evaluation, and improvement).  

• Experience defining and measuring learning progress and outcomes.

• At least 8 years’ experience teaching others to develop and apply relevant intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. 

• Experience providing training, coaching, and implementation support, in-person and online.

• Experience teaching young adults (18-24) and adults.

• Experience training and coaching other trainers/facilitators.

• A shared commitment to Academy goals and values.

Preferred Expertise 

• At least 8 years’ experience delivering community-based mental health or social services to young people ages 10-24.

• Prior work in or with a New York City community-based organization or related setting a plus.

• Prior relevant experience providing technical assistance to community-based organizations.    

• Experience in care coordination for young adults ages 18-24, including services to address material needs, education or career goals, and physical or mental health care.  

• Experience with workforce development, credit for prior learning, and/or higher education a plus.

• Familiarity with task-sharing a plus.

To apply : Please submit a cover letter (up to 1 page) describing your interest and fit for this role, a resume or CV, and at least two professional references. Candidates invited to interview will be asked to present a brief work sample(s) demonstrating your experience and approach to capacity building for youth mental health, including curriculum development and program implementation and improvement. 

Please note: Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States on a continuous basis. Sponsorship is not available for this position. 

Location: Hybrid , 119 W 31 Street, New York, NY 10001

Pay Range:

$68.68 to $68.68 per hour

RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

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