FROM THE PRESIDENT
Leadership and Workforce Development
By Stephanie Birch, RNC, MPH, MS, FNP
Throughout my career, I have been blessed to have a couple of leadership mentors who have modeled outstanding leadership behaviors. As mentors, they support my own development by providing excellent reading material and encouraging me to partake in regular training. The development of leadership skills takes intentional work and study over time. While certainly there are leaders who were born with natural talent, most leaders that I admire have worked diligently to develop their skills and abilities throughout their career. [more]
FROM THE CEO
By Mike R. Fraser, PhD CAE
Leadership development is a critical issue for AMCHP. Why? Because the work of MCH involves the crux of leadership: setting a vision and motivating others to work toward that vision with shared purpose. State MCH leaders set a vision for maternal and child health in their states and lead others toward meeting that vision -- protecting and promoting the health of women, children and families. As such, the core definition of MCH leadership is "inspiring and bringing people together to achieve sustainable results to improve the lives of MCH populations." [more]
FEATURES
Leading in Turbulent Times
By Michael R. Fraser, PhD, CAE
Chief Executive Officer, AMCHP
A key aspect of successful leadership is resilience -- the capacity to "bounce back" from adversity and continue to lead despite obstacles and barriers to change. MCH leaders have demonstrated an incredible capacity for resilience given the many issues they face. With the myriad challenges (and opportunities) facing state MCH health programs, I thought it would be interesting to ask some of our AMCHP leaders for one strategy they use to lead in turbulent times. [more]
AMCHP Support for Mentoring Programs
By Melody Cherny
Program Associate, Children with Special Health Care Needs, AMCHP
Kate Howe
Program Manager, Child Health, AMCHP
Maritza Valenzuela
Program Manager, Adolescent Health, AMCHP
Mentoring relationships can provide MCH professionals with the opportunity to gain wisdom and input and evolve their thinking about the issues that affect them. A key feature of this relationship is that an experienced individual helps another achieve his or her goals and develop as a person (Center for Health Leadership & Practice, Guide for Mentors, 2003). Recognizing this benefit, AMCHP supports mentoring and workforce development through a variety of mechanisms. [more]
MCH PHLI: What Graduates Gained From Attending
The MCH Public Health Leadership Institute (MCH PHLI) is funded by the MCHB Division of Workforce Development through a five-year cooperative agreement. Since 2012, up to 30 mid- to senior-level MCH professionals participate each year in the institute. Jessica Foster and Gretchen Hageman completed the institute in 2011-2012. [more]
PLTl Empowers Wyoming Parents: Increasing Community Awareness of Children’s Health Issues
By Charla Ricciardi
PLTI Director and Child & Adolescent Health Coordinator, Wyoming Department of Health
Anne Siebert
MFH Parent Leadership and Engagement Coordinator
Maternal and Family Health (MFH), the Title V Agency in the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), recognizes the important role of families as equal partners in the decision-making process to improve the health and safety of children and the improvement of comprehensive early childhood system in Woming. In 2010, through MFH support, Wyoming piloted their first Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) site in Cheyenne. Wyoming now has three successful sites across the state (including the smallest U.S. community and the first American Indian Reservation to pilot PLTI) and more than 65 parent leaders have graduated from the 20-week program and completed individual community projects. [more]
Mindfulness and MCH: Cultivating the Art and Science of Inside-Out Leadership
By Christina Bethell
Professor of Pediatrics, OHSU School of Medicine and Director, The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative
Mindfulness is defined as the four-pronged capacity to 1) pay attention 2) on purpose 3) in the present moment 4) without judgment. Developing and practicing mindfulness is often referred to as "fitness for the mind" and has taken center stage in leadership training programs across the United States. As reflected in Congressman Tim Ryan's recently released book "Mindful Nation," the simple-sounding ability to be fully present and mindful in any moment is consistently associated with the cultivation of essential leadership skills -- literally rewiring our brains and biochemistry to promote clear thinking, relaxed responses and effective communication. [more]
REAL LIFE STORY
Witnessing, Learning and Experiencing MCH Leadership at the AMCHP Annual Conference
By Aimee Eden, MA, PhD (c)
In August of 2006, I was a pregnant and (temporarily) uninsured graduate student with a two-year old daughter. In February 2012, I was a doctoral candidate (and mother of two!) attending my first AMCHP Conference. [more]
MCH PHLI: Business World Practices to Develop MCH Leaders
By Claudia S. P. Fernandez, DrPH, RD, LDN
Director and PI, The MCH Public Health Leadership Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The Maternal and Child Health Public Health Leadership Institute (MCH PHLI) is an executive education style program designed to significantly improve leadership skills of mid-to-senior-level leaders working in MCH fields. The program utilizes business world best practices to develop leaders that serve MCH audiences. One example of this business-world oriented leadership training is that a series of valid and reliable psychological assessment instruments form a core component of the program. [more]
Staff Goes ALL IN for National Leadership Program
By Maritza Valenzuela
Program Manager, Adolescent Health, AMCHP
In May 2012, I completed a unique leadership development program with the National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI), a national organization established in 1987 to address the underrepresentation of Latinas in the corporate, nonprofit and political arenas. The NHLI mission is to develop Latina women as ethical leaders through training, professional development, relationship building and community activism. [more]
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