Leadership and Human Service Delivery Workforce

Introduction

"No matter how innovative system reform efforts are, their effectiveness in improving outcomes for children and their families is ultimately limited by the quality and competency of the managers and direct services delivery personnel who provide services on a daily basis." Meyers, J., Kaufman, M. and Goldman, S. (1998, p.10, Vol V.) Training Strategies for Serving Children with Serious Emotional Disturbance and Their Families in a System of Care: Promising Practices in Children's Mental Health.

Transforming systems to meet the needs of children and families requires a workforce that understands the values and principles of a system of care and has leaders who can lead this change process. As states and communities are working hard to implement comprehensive, coordinated services and supports for children with or at risk for mental health problems and their families, the issue of leadership and a well-trained human service delivery workforce becomes increasingly more critical to ensure high quality outcomes for children and their families.

Major goals for the National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health relevant to leadership and workforce include:

• increasing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the workforce on best practices and evidence-based practices for children and families;
• increasing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of leaders to facilitate system transformation; and
• increasing coordination and collaboration among professional organizations, universities, colleges, providers, and families to ensure education and training are better aligned with technologies needed in systems of care at both the state and community levels.

The National Technical Assistance Center provides a number of structures and training opportunities for those leaders and workers who have responsibility for children's mental health care in states and communities across the nation.

These structures and training include:

• Leadership Academies
• Coalition for Human Resource Development
• Georgetown University Certificate Program in Leadership in Systems of Care
• The National Training Institutes
• Individualized Skill Building Trainings
• Collaborative Activities: Maryland Search Conference, Annapolis Coalition, NASMHPD Subcommittee on Leadership and Workforce

Previous Trainings

• Special Hosted Call on Rural and Fronter Children's Mental Health Workforce Development on December 6 by CYF Subcommittee on Leadership and Workforce.
  
  Powerpoint - Rural and Frontier Children's Mental Health Workforce
                     Development
  Powerpoint - Rural Human Services: "A Counselor in Every Village"
  Powerpoint - Workforce Development in Kentucky