PPAL values those who have direct lived experience raising a child with significant mental and behavioral health challenges and gives hiring preference to individuals who have this direct lived experience.
Parent/Professional Advocacy League is a small but impactful nonprofit organization working to make things better for children with emotional, behavioral and mental health needs and their families. Based in Waltham and Worcester, PPAL works with families across the state who need help navigating services in behavioral health, juvenile justice and education. We work in close partnership with other community and state agencies with the goals of supporting families, nurturing parent leaders and improving systems.
Communications and Social Media Specialist
The communications and social media specialist is a part time (15 hours/week) and is remote. This position would serve as the lead for developing materials for Children’s Mental Health Week each May. This includes helping design a poster, creating calendars of events and facts, anti-stigma materials, posting on various social media sites and writing and disseminating weekly newsletters as we count down to May.
Other activities include social media posting, designing new materials using Canva or other design software, sending regular emails to our mailing list and participating in organizational meetings and activities.
Responsibilities:
- Work with PPAL social media including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube
- Send marketing emails via Constant Contact
- Develop materials for Children’s Mental Health Week (spring) and promote via email and social media
- Design materials for social media posts, flyers for workshops and events
- Working with policy coordinator, assess current social media and marketing efforts
- May help develop short videos
- Attend weekly meetings via zoom
Skills Required:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Proficiency in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word)
- Ability to use Canva, Adobe Photoshop and other design software
- Ability to work independently and part of a team
- Flexibility, reliability, sense of humor a plus
- Must have interest in children’s mental health issues
- Social media savvy, particularly with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube
- Ability to create and post social media in Canva and Hootsuite a plus
- Basic knowledge of video editing a plus
- Good organizational skills, attention to detail
This is a part time position of 15 hours/week at $17/hour. PPAL is a mission driven organization, focused on children’s mental health. A personal connection to mental health is strongly preferred. Undergraduate and graduate students encouraged to apply. Please send cover letter and resume to info@ppal.net. Be sure to include relevant classes and/or experience in communications and marketing.
Family Support Specialist Juvenile Justice, Essex/Middlesex County
The Family Support Specialist is responsible for providing support to families that increases their ability to find and obtain services for their children and family and fosters their ability to participate as equal partners on treatment teams and community groups. The Family Support Specialist will lead family support efforts with PPAL staff, in partnership with individual families as well as community stakeholders.
Preference will be given to family members of children, adolescents and adults with mental health needs. Must have transportation. Bilingual preferred.
Duties:
- Provide information and referral to families and professionals around resources and services.
- Empower families to advocate for their own child and family by providing and/or creating skill building opportunities.
- Assist in creating a voice for families in Massachusetts in the implementation of system change.
- Prepare parents to represent the voice of families who have children with behavioral health needs on various committees.
- Assist Project Coordinator: Juvenile Justice in Family Support Leadership activities.
- Attend monthly meeting on steering committee’s with JDAI
- Attend and be involved in training families in telling their own story
- Attend detention facilities in the region to engage parents
- Collect data as required
- Assists with special projects, as needed.
Qualifications:
- Ability to relate to diverse groups of parents, professionals and policymakers
- Excellent organizational and communication skills.
- Ability to work in a demanding environment and the flexibility to adapt to frequent changes in priorities and daily activities
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
- Ability to work collaboratively with a wide variety of people in complex situations.
- Some college preferred
This is a 20 hour per week contractor position.
Send cover letter and resume to info@ppal.net to apply
PPAL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Personnel are chosen on the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation, in accordance with federal and state law.