Board of Directors

of the

Mental Health America of Hendricks County

revised: 4/98

revised: 11/03

Minimal Job Requirements

1. Demonstrate interest in the service goals of MHAHC.

2. Have specific experience and/or knowledge in at least one of the following areas: Human Resources, Planning, Finance, Community Relations or Organizational Operations.

3. Be a representative of some aspect or segment of the population in the community.

4. Have a willingness to expand knowledge of board responsibilities through orientation and ongoing education.

5. Have a willingness to represent the organization to the community.

6. Regularly attend Board and Committee meetings.

7. Have a willingness to direct or assist MHAHC programs and activities.

Responsibilities

Together with other members of the Board of Directors, you are legally and morally responsible for all activities of the Agency. Board members are solely responsible for determining Agency policy in the following areas: Human Resources, Planning, Finance, Community Relations, Organizational Operations, and Individual Responsibilities.

Human Resources:

1. Board membership, which includes recruiting new board members, recognizing and nurturing existing board members and providing existing board members with opportunities to grow and develop as leaders.

2. Executive Director accountability, which includes hiring, firing, and ongoing evaluation of the Executive Director’s performance.

3. Personnel Policies, which includes providing policy guidance addressing salaries, benefits, and grievance procedures.

4. Volunteer involvement, which includes setting policy regarding how volunteers should be used, in what areas, and generally how the organization should treat, recognize and celebrate its volunteers.

Planning:

1. Setting and reviewing the organization’s mission and goals.

2. Planning for the organization’s future, on a long and short-range basis.

3. Deciding and planning the services/programs the organization provides.

4. Evaluating the organization’s programs and operations on a regular basis.

Finance:

1. Ensuring financial accountability of the organization.

2. Overseeing an ongoing process of budget development, approval and review.

3. Raising funds and/or ensuring that adequate funds are raised to support the organization’s policies and programs.

4. Managing and maintaining properties or investments the organization possesses.

Community Relations:

1. Ensuring that the organization’s programs and services appropriately address community/client needs.

2. Marketing the organization’s services/programs.

3. Practicing ongoing public relations, which includes an awareness that board members are always emissaries of the organization in the community.

4. Promoting cooperative action, which includes occasions when the organization may take part in coalitions, partnerships, joint fund raising, etc.

Organizational Operations:

1. Ensuring that the organization’s administrative systems are adequate and appropriate.

2. Ensuring that the Board’s operations are adequate and appropriate.

3. Ensuring that the organizational structure is appropriate.

4. Ensuring that the organization and its board members meet all applicable legal requirements.

Individual Responsibilities:

1. Be involved and attend board meetings, ask questions, discuss, participate in decision-making, react to ideas, exercise initiative.

2. Be actively involved on one or more Board Committees.

3. Continue self-education and growth, know the community, keep informed about mental health issues and services needed in the community.

4. Have a working knowledge of parliamentary procedure.

5. Pay annual dues to the association.

6. Assist in fund-raising.