Emergence of Compassionate Leadership
"Perfectionism is the enemy of progressm." - Winston Churchill
For six years, Alia has partnered with the University of Minnesota School of Social Work Center for Practice and Transformation to offer a Trauma Effective Leadership Certificate, intended to build trauma-competent leaders and resilient organizations.
Vulnerability plays a key role in becoming a trauma-competent leader. Let’s face it: today leaders are managing organizational change, hybrid models of practice, low retention, challenges with hiring, and organizations shutting their doors, as well as the grief and loss associated with these things. So, what is a leader to do? From reading and evaluating the work and reflections from leaders, what emerged was that being vulnerable does not come easy. It’s downright hard. As leaders in this certificate course manage challenges, they understand now more than ever the critical need for trauma-informed and trauma-effective leadership.
News & Insights
from Team Alia
We celebrate any time we see work being done to keep children safe with their families of origin as the top goal and exploring kinship care options as the first alternative when necessary. A recent article by Gary Ivory, President & CEO at Youth Advocate Programs, Inc., highlighted the concerning statistics surrounding child placement in the U.S. foster care system, and the importance of kinship care as a less disruptive alternative. Read the article.
Did you know the foster care system has a 10x negative ROI? Our Social Return on Investment study shows that the current system sustains a loss of up to $9.55 for every dollar invested! UnSystems are family-centered approaches to child welfare which not only keep kids with their families but saves taxpayers money, too! It's time to dismantle the system and create new ways of work. Browse the full report.
Do you doubt yourself as a leader, even with a track record of proven success? You might be struggling with imposter syndrome. Jordyn Jenkins, staff member at Rock County, dives into the causes of imposter syndrome and offers practical tips on how to overcome it. Read Jordyn's reflections.
Bright Spots Resource
Happy Pride Month! As we close out celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, we must also remember to continue to fight for their equality. LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented in foster care, and many have been rejected by their families because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. All Children, All Families is a complete practice guide for your child welfare agency to comprehensively incorporate an LGBTQ+ inclusive approach!
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has a free Beginner's Guide to LGBTQ+ Resources for Youth-Serving Professionals, a great way to get started on the path to better supporting LGBTQ+ youth.
Explore this resource and more on the Bright Spots website!