AGENCY DESCRIPTION:  

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC) is the only nonprofit organization providing direct support to family members caring for loved ones with serious mental illness, like major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. We offer classes, 30 support groups, family mentoring, a Helpline in English, Spanish, and 180+ languages, and more to peers and family members completely FREE regardless of income, insurance, or immigration status.  

POSITION DESCRIPTION:  

• Compensation: $500 stipend will be provided after the completion of 140 hours of work. Interns can complete these hours over the course of between 10 to 15 weeks depending on their school schedule.  

• Time commitment: We ask interns to come into the office 1-3 days per week with shifts between the hours of 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and/or Thursday. Schedules can be flexible with classes and other obligations. Remote options available for Mondays and Fridays.  

• Office Address: Interns must be able to commute to 307 W 38th Street, 8th Floor New York, NY 10018. This internship is fully in person or can be hybrid (partly in-person/partly remote).  

• Start Date: We are seeking an intern for the fall semester to begin ideally in early to mid September  

• Who may apply: We are seeking currently matriculated upper-level undergraduate students (Juniors & Seniors) or graduate-level students.  

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO:   

• Research policy topics related to mental health at the intersections of criminal-legal reform, healthcare access and insurance reform, education, and other systemic challenges 

• Contact elected officials and/or their respective staff members 

• Stay updated on New York City and State political trends 

• Participate in weekly department strategy meetings, as deemed necessary 

• Attend coalition and external partner meetings, city council hearings, occasional in-person rallies, and external events as schedule permits to take notes, pictures and brief the team 

• Work with staff to collect program data to update monitoring and evaluation reports and internal databases and translate data into advocacy tools 

• Assist in the development of email, text and phone banking advocacy campaigns 

• Produce research and policy memos and letters of support for policies 

• Assist with our Advocacy Ambassador Program, including conducting screening and interviewing potential Ambassador candidates and coordinating every day external communications with program participants 

• Support the Manager of Public Policy and Advocacy in facilitating advocacy training sessions and Ambassador meetings, when necessary, and supporting advocates in crafting and presenting their stories for legislative change 

Qualifications: 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present before a group of people 

• Must work well independently – we dive into what needs to be done, and so will you 

• Creative thinker, not afraid to offer up ideas for new ways to reach our audiences 

• Must have access to reliable internet connection 

• Active user of tools and platforms in the social media space as well as virtual meeting platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Experience with CRM or digital campaigning platforms, such as Quorum or Salesforce, a plus 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite 

• Good sense of humor. It makes for a good working environment 🙂 

• Enthusiasm for the mission of NAMI-NYC, mental health advocacy, and the people we serve 

• We especially encourage people with lived experience to apply (e.g., individuals living with mental health conditions, supporting loved ones with mental health conditions, or anyone impacted by the criminal legal system or housing instability due to mental health conditions) 

Reports to: Caitlin Garbo, Manager of Public Policy and Advocacy 

Start Date: Position open until filled, requires a 10-week commitment minimum, with flexibility for your school requirements. 

Hours: Flexible hours, with preference given to candidates who can commit at least 12 hours/week. Please include your availability–days and times–in your cover letter. We are open from 10am-6pm ET, Monday-Thursday, and 10am-2pm ET on Friday, with some programs running occasionally in the evenings or on weekends.  

Compensation: Can be requested as a lump sum of $500 at the end of the internship or 2 payments of $250 (mid- and end of internship) 

To Apply: Please send a cover letter about your interest, and your resume, to advocacy@naminyc.org with “Application – Public Policy and Advocacy Intern” in the subject line.