Workforce and Leadership Development: Building MCH Capacity
February 2017

Ki’Yonna Jones and Nisa Hussein
Workforce and Leadership Development Team, AMCHP

Leadership Lab: The Leadership Lab is structured to allow Title V staff from across the workforce (family leaders, new Title V and MCH directors, CYSHCN directors, Next Generation MCH Leaders and MCH/Title V epidemiologists) to learn from each other. The Lab also provides opportunities to learn from role-based peers. The Leadership Lab requires a 10-month commitment by participants. During this timeframe, participants engage in some of the following activities: being matched with a mentor/peer and charged with crafting an individual development plan; completing self-directed learning modules; and joining quarterly webinars and peer-to-peer calls.

As we consider the year ahead, we are excited to launch the 2017 cohort, which includes:

  • Six participants in the Family Leaders Cohort
  • Eight participants in the MCH Epi Peer-to-Peer Cohort
  • Eight participants in the Next Generation MCH Leaders Cohort
  • Six participants in the New Director Leaders Cohort

The cohorts will have an in-person launch meeting on March 3, before the start of the AMCHP conference. There will be quarterly virtual trainings for the cohorts and then additional trainings determined within each specific cohort. The program concludes in October.

2016 Title V Workforce Assessment: In July 2016, AMCHP conducted an analysis of the Title V workforce needs across state MCH programs. AMCHP convened various professionals in MCH/Title V, CYSHCN, academia, public health foundations, etc., to form the AMCHP Workforce Analysis Advisory Committee to discuss the survey purpose, questions and distribution. The survey was designed to capture information regarding the scope, staff and training needs of state Title V programs (both CYSHCN and MCH). In the year ahead, AMCHP will continue to analyze the assessment results and will share the data in future webinars as well as create visual aids that highlight the current and future workforce needs along with potential skill gaps in the Title V workforce.

Looking back, 2016 was a busy year for the National MCH Workforce Development Center (the Center). Title V agencies from seven states hosted pairs of MCH students in the Center’s internship program. The Center supported workforce development in a cohort of six states using project-based learning and held a national skills institute that brought together 134 Title V participants and their partners from around the country for five days of learning and applying new skills to state challenges with partners.

As the Center looks ahead, 2017 promises to be busy as well. The Center’s online training resources have found a new home on the MCH Navigator – check out the health transformation section of the Navigator for great self-directed learning opportunities that introduce the concepts of systems integration, change management/adaptive leadership and evidence-based decision making. The Workforce Development Center is pleased to welcome eight states to its 2017 cohort, working on a wide variety of challenges, from statewide developmental screening to the integration of behavioral health into primary care practices. We’ll also support an additional four states with personalized workforce development plans in support of their goals. This summer, more interns make their way to Title V agencies around the country. States and jurisdictions continue to report that the Center’s model of customized “meet us where we are” support helps them get things done while simultaneously transforming the way they approach their work. The Center looks forward to working with all states and jurisdictions over the next five years.