Twenty-six Graduate from MHA Leadership Series 2018

SPRINGFIELD — “I do what I do because I want to make a difference in the lives of the people that I provide services for,” said Jesus Aguirre, program supervisor in MHA’s Mental Health Division upon receiving his Leadership Series certificate. “I can honestly say that these last six months at MHA have been by far the greatest moments of my career. I’ve met some amazing team members and have established great relationships.”

MHA’s Leadership Series, which is open to all members of management in the agency and targeted at program supervisors and directors, delivers a leadership curriculum specialized for human-services professionals. The comprehensive training is designed to support supervisors and directors within their roles. With such diverse responsibilities associated with positions throughout the agency, MHA believes there is much value in providing access to skill-building trainings in order to better prepare leaders for their current and future roles.

In all, 26 supervisors participated in MHA’s Leadership Series 2018. A second Leadership Series is scheduled for the winter of 2019.

“The Leadership Series is designed so that it is relevant learning for managers at all levels, across different service modalities and backgrounds,” said Sara Kyser, MHA’s director of Learning and Development. “This series builds on itself with unique topics including, but not limited to, fundamentals of leadership, program culture, conflict resolution, and self-care. Through reflection and practice, participants engage in facilitated learning around these and other subjects and walk away with practical applications which can be implemented immediately. “

Kyser added that the role of supervisor is especially diverse and requires the capacity to manage a multitude of problems, such as communication, staffing, medical needs of program participants, drug and alcohol support, clinical components, family dynamics, resource management, and employee discipline. The Leadership course was designed to expose participants to those leadership ‘building blocks’ which are critical to effectively managing and leading staff.

“Employee training is essential to the success of any organization. Supervisor training and development can have a profound effect on employee retention, as well as recruitment,” said Cheryl Fasano, MHA president and CEO. “The investment MHA has made in our Leadership Series will benefit the organization for the long run. Investing in our most important resources, our human resources, is a priority.”