Advocacy Director

The Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee (MHLAC) seeks an experienced lawyer to advance the work of the office in defending the rights of people with mental health concerns. The person hired will directly participate in advocacy, supervise senior advocates, offer guidance to all advocates, and work closely with the Executive Director to oversee advocacy and ensure that work product is of high quality.

MHLAC is a state agency, created by the legislature in 1973. MHLAC offers free legal assistance to indigent people with mental health challenges throughout the Commonwealth. MHLAC’s experienced and talented staff focuses on identifying and addressing issues faced by significant numbers of clients in common, often in cooperation with other advocacy organizations and community partners. Approaches to solving client problems are driven by the issue itself and the best strategy for accomplishing results. Tactics include class-based and targeted individual litigation, as well as legislative, administrative, and public advocacy.

MHLAC also serves as a statewide resource on mental health law and policy. It generates legal and policy materials, testifies on proposed laws and regulations, and has a long history of providing educational and training programs for public counsel, legal services attorneys, social workers, judges, and the general public. See http\://mhlac.org/what-we-do/ for a description of MHLAC’s approach and work.

Applications will be accepted until position is filled.

References and writing samples will be requested of finalists. A criminal background check will be completed for the selected candidate in compliance with state policy.

How to Apply\:

Please submit both a resume and cover letter via email or mail to\:

Ms. Beth Heinrich

Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee

100 Hancock Street, Suite 1002

Quincy, MA 02171

hiring@mhlac.org

ATTN\: Advocacy Director

In the subject of the email, please include Advocacy Director.

The Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As the representative of the Commonwealth and its residents, the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee strives to ensure that those working in our office reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. The Committee encourages applicants from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to apply for positions. We will gladly assist applicants who need reasonable accommodation.