Intern, Events

National Council Internships

Internships at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing provide recent college graduates or current college students with a limited-term remote experience to grow within a professional area of interest. This internship is a full-time (30 - 40 hours/week) opportunity projected to start with a cohort at the National Council on October 1, 2025. While this internship can be done remotely from anywhere in the US, you must primarily work our Washington, DC business hours of 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM ET.

Internship Responsibilities

We are seeking an enthusiastic and detail-oriented intern to join our Events Team, where you will play a key role in supporting various aspects of our annual conference, NatCon, and additional duties to support events as assigned. This internship offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the event industry, working on a wide range of tasks from registration and exhibitor services to program development and logistics. As part of the team, you will assist with both the strategic and operational elements of our events, ensuring smooth coordination and top-tier customer service for attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors.

Event Logistics

• Build and manage internal event registration sites using the Swoogo platform.
• Assist with event reminders and logistics for internal events.
• Draft menus for internal meetings.
• Support NatCon Registration build through review and testing
• Support NatCon Housing management
• Provide support for customer service inquiries through ZenDesk for NatCon and other events as needed.
• Other duties as assigned (Event Programming support, contract support, etc.)

Exhibits & Sponsorship Support

• Collaborate in brainstorming new sponsorship ideas.
• Support sponsorship fulfillment, including reminders about deliverables (e.g., logos) and tracking outstanding payments.
• This internship is an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to build a career in event planning and management. You'll gain exposure to all facets of event execution while making valuable contributions to the success of our events.

Required Qualifications

• Current student (completed at least two full-time years of undergraduate study) or recent graduate (in the last six months) in a related undergraduate or graduate degree program.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Occasional travel (approximately twice per month) to the National Council office in Washington D.C. is preferred.

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.

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 3,200 mental health and substance use treatment organizations and the more than 15 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 240+ 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.