Announcement for Position of Executive Director

West Virginia Mental Health Consumers' Association

About the Organiziation:
The West Virginia Mental Health Consumers’ Association (WVMHCA), is a consumer-operated, recovery oriented organization, whose membership consists of individuals throughout the State of West Virginia. WVMHCA provides a formal voice for West Virginia’s mental health consumers, including persons with co-occurring mental illness and addiction.

WVMHCA’s mission is to build and strengthen a statewide peer network, to provide a voice for and by people in recovery, and through these efforts to be a key organizational participant, stakeholder, and advocacy agent in all statewide behavioral health policy processes. WVMHCA also trains consumers to be individually significant participants, stakeholders, and advocacy agents in their local mental health systems and communities. WVMHCA implements self-help and mutual support groups and programs throughout the state, as well as lends support to consumers working with more traditional mental health and addiction services.

WVMHCA provides recovery-focused support and services using a skills-based, psychiatric rehabilitation approach in projects that promote recovery, and includes education, community involvement, and workforce development both statewide and locally. WVMHCA provides self-help support to consumers of mental health and addiction services through training, networking, conferences, policy advocacy, education, and information dissemination. WVMHCA also provides fundamental training and education to individuals and systems that come in contact with people with mental illness or co-occurring experiences.

About the Position:
Title: Executive Director of WVMHCA Reports Directly to: Board of Directors
General Description: The Executive Director of WVMHCA provides consumer leadership as directed by WVMHCA’s membership, and with the Board, is responsible for the Organization’s future direction, being mindful of WVMHCA’s mission to create a statewide network, promote recovery-oriented goals, and honor organizational values in direct empowerment and support of people served. The Executive Director manages and directs the organization toward its primary objectives of performing the following duties personally or through subordinate managers:
Basic Duties:
Administrative responsibilities include:
· Oversee WVMHCA infrastructure
· Supervise and work as a team with program management personnel (Management)
· Develop and monitor agency and program budgets
· Negotiate and attend meetings related to WVMHCA contracts
· Prepare agency and program reports, satisfaction surveys, and other necessary reports to the Board and funders

Program management duties include:
· Oversee day-to-day operations of the non-profit agency
· Hire, train, supervise Management and other staff
· Collaborate with Management to plan, develop coordinate, and monitor programs
· Work with Management to identify and solve program problems
· Assist in complaint mediation and resolution

Development, Promotion, and Outreach duties include:
· Develop resources by identifying grant/fund resources, grant writing, and fundraising campaigns
· Oversee membership outreach and development
· Present WVMHCA’s values and public policies to mental health/addiction constituency groups,
planning bodies, meetings, conferences, legislative and other policy venues
· Collaborate with mental health/addiction constituency groups, policy-makers, and other related organizations throughout the State

Qualifications/Experience
· Lived experience as a mental health or co-occurring consumer/survivor/peer in recovery
· Master’s degree or five years equivalent combination of education and/or training and experience
· Experience administrating a program or agency
· Experience developing resources, including grant writing and fundraising campaigns
· Experience with membership outreach and development
· Experience working with State and/or local government contracting agencies and processes
· Experience supervising staff and working with people of diverse cultures
· Experience collaborating with other agencies and constituency groups
· Knowledge of and direct experience of the mental health consumer/survivor movement
· Knowledge of agency budgeting, as well as a basic understanding of bookkeeping systems
· Excellent organizational, writing, and speaking skills
· Conflict resolution, problem-solving skills
· Ability to represent the thinking of the constituency, rather than one’s own thinking
· Ability to work collaboratively with persons and groups of differing values and political beliefs

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Salary Range:
Starting salary range: $40,000 - $60,000 depending on level of knowledge, education, and experience
Full time position with benefits
Start date: Early 2008

Application Directions:
Call 1-304-345-7312 for more information.
Please submit cover letter, resume, references (minimum of three), and writing sample (1 page minimum) by December 20, 2007 to:

Mail to: West Virginia Mental Health Consumers’ Association (WVMHCA)
Attn: Angela Rogers, Human Resources
Post Office Box 110000
Charleston, West Virginia 25339

Or: Email: angelarogers@wvmhca.com

Or: Fax: 304-345-7303

WVMHCA does not discriminate on the basis of political or religious affiliation, or because of race, sex, national origin, sexual preference, disability, age or marital status, in regard to all phases of employment and services including recruitment, selection, appointment, and training.