Workforce Matters is the e-newsletter of the Connecticut Workforce Collaborative on Behavioral Health.

Yale Leadership Program Receives Rave Reviews;
Second Cohort Underway

On December 1st, 2010, sixteen managers in Connecticut’s public behavioral health system completed the Yale Leadership Program on Behavioral Health.  Funded by the Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant, the program was offered by the Yale Department of Psychiatry and taught by David Berg, Ph.D., a national and international educator of leaders in healthcare and business. 

Participants were senior middle managers who were selected from over 60 applicants.  Half were drawn from community non-profit agencies, while the remainder were employed in three state agencies: DMHAS, DCF, and CSSD. 

Program graduates were exceptionally positive about the program, which was designed to strengthen the skills of these individuals as leaders in their organizations and provide them with both peer support and a safe environment in which to problem solve issues faced in their daily work lives. 

The managers reported increased competence and self-confidence in assessing organizational problems; managing organizational boundaries; fostering collaboration between state and community agencies; hiring staff who complement their skills; debriefing staff after crises; shaping incentives for staff members and teams; delegating tasks effectively to subordinates; and coping with stress through a much more reflective approach to work. 

The second cohort began this leadership program in early 2011. 

For additional information, please contact Michael Hoge, 203-785-5629.

Reports Released on Youth & Young Adult Voice

An emerging objective of the Connecticut Workforce Collaborative has been to strengthen the Youth and Young Adult Voice in shaping behavioral health services. In fall 2009, the Workforce Collaborative funded two statewide meetings of youth and young adults who identified areas of concern to them and discussed how their voice and involvement could make a difference. Nationally recognized consultant Dr. Cliff Davis facilitated these discussions. 

In December 2009, the Collaborative convened a meeting of youth and young adult advocates and representatives of state agencies to discuss next steps.  As an outcome of those discussions, the Collaborative funded a formal information gathering process to better clarify the youth and young adult needs and resources in Connecticut, with a focus on behavioral health.  This work was conducted by the North Central Regional Mental Health Board under the skilled leadership of Director Sheryl Breetz and with assistance from two young adults, Amy O’Connor and Michaela Fissel. 

Two reports resulted from their efforts.  The first, Strengthening Connecticut’s Youth and Young Adult Voice on Behavioral Health , outlines the perspectives of DMHAS, DCF, and CSSD key leaders on the optimum roles for youth and young adults in the planning and management of state-funded services.  This report also identifies key subgroups within the broad category of “youth and young adults”. 

The second report, Connecticut Resources for Fostering the Youth and Young Adult Voice in Behavioral Health, is a directory of groups and organizations that foster leadership and advocacy development, mentoring and peer support among youth and young adults. 

Both reports are available on the Collaborative website. 

For additional information, please contact Michael Hoge at the Connecticut Workforce Collaborative, 203-785-5629.

We note that Sheryl Breetz retired June 30 after many years of valuable service.  She has been an unwavering advocate for persons in recovery, including youth and young adults and their families.  She will be greatly missed!

Hartford Dispensary Wins Behavioral Health Pacesetter Award

The Hartford Dispensary was named a winner in the 2011 Behavioral Health Pacesetter Award offered by the Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce in partnership with the Hitachi Foundation.  The award recognizes organizations that are exemplary in improving conditions for direct-care workers while also improving organizational performance and outcomes for clients. 

The award announcement stated that Hartford Dispensary has built a professional development program that meets the challenges of direct-care staff as they provide effective treatment for heroin addiction in a northeastern drug traffic corridor. 

In March 2010, the Annapolis Coalition released a national Call for Nominations for the Behavioral Health Pacesetter Award as part of its continuing efforts to identify and support exemplary workforce practices in community-based behavioral health.  The award process aimed to increase understanding of the business case for supporting lower-wage employees, many of whom are unlicensed, hold a bachelor’s degree or less, and who provide essential client services on a day-to-day basis. This initiative, created under the banner “Better Jobs, Better Services, and Better Business,” aimed to focus national recognition on organizations engaged in best workforce practices.

The Annapolis Coalition received 51 nominations for the award from mental health and substance use treatment and support organizations throughout the United States. The Selection Committee assessed applicants’ fidelity to evidence-based practices, and reviewed each organization using the following criteria:

Actively supports the educational and career development aspirations of front line workers;

Provides competitive wages, benefits and other incentives to employees;

Develops and maintains partnerships with academic and research institutions that actively promote training and other involvement of  direct care workers;
Provides highly individualized and supportive supervision to staff on a frequent, regular basis.

The award announcement noted that The Hartford Dispensary is an excellent example of a behavioral health organization improving client outcomes and strengthening business vitality through provision of fair compensation and on-going staff professional development. 

The agency was also selected because of its recognition that fair wages and benefits help with recruitment and retention of staff, and that education and training, coupled with opportunities for participation in research, inspire staff to provide better care.  Additionally, a stable workforce of well prepared, motivated clinicians improves continuity of care, promotes development of strong therapeutic relationships, and helps those served achieve and sustain abstinence from heroin and other narcotics. 

The description concluded that during three decades, through the involvement of strong management and the dedicated efforts of a business-savvy Board of Directors, the agency has become a leader in workforce development.

WIB Health Career Advisors and Collaborative Representatives Meet to Discuss Career Pathways Next Steps

Health Career Advisors representing Connecticut Workforce Investment Boards met recently with representatives of the Connecticut Workforce Collaborative to discuss how the recently released reports on Connecticut Career Pathways in Behavioral Health could be used in recruiting individuals into this field. 

Numerous ideas were generated, each of which will be explored and implemented when possible over the coming months.  One idea involves establishing links on other websites to the Career Pathways information. 

Potential sites include the Allied Health Education Center H.O.T. (Health Occupations and Technology) Guideand the Connecticut Community College Health Careers website. 

Sharing the behavioral health Career Pathways reports with high schools by working with the Connecticut School Counselor Association was also identified as a promising strategy.

Additional informational meetings with regional WIB managers and staff were recommended to bring attention to the behavioral health workforce.

New Website for Children’s Mental Health Now Online

KidsMentalHealthInfo.com is a website developed by the Connecticut Center for Effective Practice of the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut, Inc .  The site offers information about resources, support and best practices for parents and caregivers as well as providers and policy makers.The resource library includes frequently asked questions, publications, facts and figures and links. 

Parents can click on user-friendly sections on “Does my child need help?” “How to get the best help” and “Support for Parents and Caregivers.”  The site also features recent news.