Intern, Behavioral Health Workforce Programs

National Council Internships

Internships at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing provide recent college graduates or current college students with a 10-week remote experience to grow within a professional area of interest. This internship is a full-time (40 hours/week) opportunity projected to start with a cohort at the National Council on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 and end on Wednesday, August 20, 2025. While this position can be done remotely from anywhere in the U.S., you must primarily work our Washington, D.C. business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

Internship Responsibilities

As the Intern, Behavioral Health Workforce Programs, you will help support a few special projects in our Practice Improvement and Consulting Department. Specifically, you will be:

• Supporting public health and workforce development projects by assisting with training and technical assistance efforts, including webinars and discussion groups on mental health and substance use. These activities may include:
  
  
  
  • Supporting webinar planning and implementation.
  • Assisting in the development of technical assistance tools and resources.
  • Helping with weekly project meeting logistics.
  
  
  
  
• Assisting with the launch of a national steering committee focused on addressing the behavioral health workforce crisis. These activities may include:
  
  
  
  • Aiding in the design of this committee's governance structure (charter, priorities, and timeline).
  • Managing steering committee invitations, scheduling, and member follow-up.
  • Supporting the fundraising efforts of the workforce steering committee and partnership.
  • Handling weekly partnership meeting logistics (agenda setting, follow-up summaries, action items follow-up).
  
  
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Current student (completed at least two full-time years of undergraduate study) or a recent graduate (in the last six months) in an undergraduate or graduate degree program
• Experience in group facilitation, Zoom and TEAM technology, AI notetaking and summarizing, as well as general knowledge or interest in mental health and substance use workforce.
• Experience in nonprofit fundraising and resource development is preferred
• Must be authorized to work in the United States

Pay & Internship Program Benefits

• All interns are paid $20/hour.
• Remote work: We welcome applicants from all US time zones, with your knowledge that some required meetings and trainings are likely to occur in US Eastern Time.
• Relias Trainings: Free access to job-relevant trainings
• Mental Health First Aid: Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants how to respond to the signs of mental illness and substance use.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): An employee program that focuses on wellbeing by providing resources and solutions to help you through difficult times.
• Focus Time: Regularly scheduled on our calendars to reduce meeting burnout and give staff the time to focus on work
• College Credit: This internship may fulfill college credit requirements in your college program.

Project Summary

The National Council's Center for Workforce Solutions educates and trains the current and future members of the mental health and substance use treatment workforce, from direct care delivery and peer support to executive leadership. Our objective is to help mental health and substance use treatment organizations increase their understanding and implementation of strategies to address workforce challenges; including through clinical and supervision models, technology innovation, enhancing accessible workforce pathways, employee wellbeing and retention, and more.

About Us

The vision of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing is to make mental wellbeing, including recovery from substance use challenges, a reality for everyone. Despite overwhelming need, nearly 30 million people across the U.S. do not have access to comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment.

Founded in 1969, the National Council is a 501(c)(3) membership organization that drives policy and social change on behalf of more than 3,100 mental health and substance use treatment organizations and the more than 10 million children, adults and families they serve. We advocate for policies to ensure equitable access to high-quality services. We build the capacity of mental health and substance use treatment organizations. And we promote greater understanding of mental wellbeing as a core component of comprehensive health and health care. Through our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program, we have trained more than 3 million people in the U.S. to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

The National Council is growing to meet this moment. With an annual budget of $80 million, we've more than doubled our dedicated team to 290+ employees since 2020. Although we have office space in Washington, D.C., we operate as a remote-first organization, with employees working from their various locations across the United States.

The National Council is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We embrace individuals from all backgrounds and perspectives, welcoming people of all races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and ages, as well as veterans, people with disabilities, and those with lived experiences in mental health and substance use challenges to apply. We are committed to fostering a welcoming environment and recruitment process for everyone. If you require accommodation during the application process, please contact us at Recruiter@thenationalcouncil.org.