Youth Mental Health Policy Analyst

About Voices for Virginia’s Children

Voices for Virginia’s Children champions public policies and legislation that achieve positive and equitable outcomes for young people. We envision a Virginia in which our systems center young people, ensuring their ability to realize their brightest potential is no longer predictable by race, socioeconomic status, or geography.

 For more information about Voices work, visit www.vakids.org

About the Position:

Voices is hiring a Policy Analyst. The Policy Analyst will lead Voices’ policy advocacy campaigns across its strategic goals in youth mental health. The Policy Analyst will drive statewide, systems-level change in the mental health domain for young people aged 0-24. Mental health policy and advocacy work will be focused across systems that support young people in their homes, schools, and communities, including campaigns to promote expanded school-based health programs, to improve mental health crisis care for young people, to protect Medicaid coverage for youth mental health services, and to promote asset-based narratives around youth mental health.

Job Duties:

• Policy Leadership: You will lead our policy work in domains related to child and youth wellbeing, working collaboratively with policy and engagement staff to create a multi-disciplinary policy agenda. You will provide policy analysis support to internal and external partners.
• Community Relationship Building: You will lead and participate in various coalitions within your focus area and will serve as the main Voices liaison for partner organizations. You will provide support and technical assistance to partner coalitions and state workgroups to contribute to mobilize change and create collective community impact. You will work in partnership with the Director of Engagement and Virginia’s Youth in Action (VAYA) members to ensure that youth voice and lived expertise is centered in your policy recommendations.
• Strategic Communications: You will work with the Communications Manager on developing and executing communications that further advocacy objectives. These may include policy briefs, one-pagers, blogs, etc. You will also conduct and participate in trainings and presentations on education and advocacy related to your issue area of focus.
• Racial Equity: You will promote racial equity across all dimensions of your work, ensuring that policies put forward are assessed for their impact on all races.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong verbal and written communication: Ability to effectively communicate complex ideas. Confident and persuasive in public speaking.
• Experienced lobbyist: Knowledge and understanding of the Virginia state legislative process and evidence-based policy making with a minimum of 1 years’ experience working in state-level policy advocacy.
• Collaborator: Ability to build relationships with legislators, community members, partners organizations and other stakeholders. Able to work collaboratively with others with different backgrounds, beliefs, and values. Engages in conflict productively.
• Ability to effectively analyze data and research to identify trends and inform policymaking.
• Strong commitment to social, economic, and racial justice. Actively centers equity and inclusion and promotes equitable practice and solutions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Highly organized, motivated, and detail-oriented.
• Knowledge and experience in the family economic security, health equity, or youth mental health, and/or child welfare policy areas.
• Experience with media/communications.
• Experience with community engagement.

A Note to Potential Candidates:  Research shows that women, LGBTQ identified people, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) tend to apply to jobs only if they meet every single requirement listed. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and we strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.

Location: This role will be based in Richmond, VA. Voices has a hybrid work schedule with an in-office day on Wednesdays in Richmond required. Additional in-person days in Richmond are required during the General Assembly session.

Salary: Salary of $60,000-$70,000 with robust employee benefits package. To preserve opportunity for salary growth, we usually do not hire above the mid-range.

Benefits: We are a talented team motivated by the significance and impact of our work. Voices values its employees and their lives beyond work, and we maintain a flexible and supportive workplace. We aspire to create an environment where our team can thrive as it works to support a thriving Virginia. For example, we provide: 

• Excellent health insurance with fully covered health, dental, and vision employee premiums
• Access to health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts
• 30 days of PTO and 12 paid holidays; paid parental leave
• A retirement plan with 3% contributions from employer (no required match)
• Professional development stipend
• Monthly remote work stipend; and a flexible, hybrid work environment

Application Review Date: We'll start reviewing applications on May 22, 2026 and will review applications on a rolling basis after.

Application Instructions: Complete the application online at https://jobs.gusto.com/postings/voices-for-virginia-s-children-policy-analyst-c37b45cf-7e93-4da3-8bdc-44cd2dba9a0f

Responses produced by AI will not be considered.

Voices for Virginia’s Children is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, and communities to apply. We recognize that the children and families of Virginia are unique in their backgrounds, beliefs, opportunities, and challenges. We strive to embody and embrace that in our work, believing that our unique identities allow us to create a brighter future for Virginia’s children. Through our efforts, we engage diverse perspectives and inform equitable and just policy solutions that transform children’s lives and may dismantle systems of oppression. All applicants must be committed to sustaining and furthering these efforts.