Sponsored by the University of Maryland School of Social Work, Center for Maternal and Child Health Social Work Training MCH Leadership Development Program | Requirements | Your Cost?
Program Outcomes | Time Line | Application Process | For More Information
MCH Leadership Development Program
Fellows participate in a one year, grant funded, facilitative training experience combining classroom learning with online support, peer supervision, and expert consultation promoting management and leadership skills. We believe that leadership development occurs not just through attending workshops but by applying what is learned within the classroom to real life situations. We seek fellows that consider leadership development as a life-long learning process characterized by a willingness to take risks, accept responsibility for decisions while possessing flexibility in thinking, planning, and resource management. An important goal of our program is to provide fellows with a foundation for developing their leadership roles within their home agency. Who Are We Looking For?
We are looking for social workers employed within maternal and child health settings interested in enhancing their leadership and management skills. This Fellowship will prepare participants to assume leadership roles within their home agency. Requirements
Since we believe that leadership development is a partnership, several things are required: Two face-to-face immersion seminars conducted at the University of Maryland School of Social Work that focus on examining the concepts that are related to leadership development, managing task oriented groups, and developing program outcomes. The completion of three agency-based projects: 1. A continuing education project for social workers within your agency.
2. An agency project addressing a management problem.
3. Conduct and end-of-Fellowship online conference presentation to be shared with your agency and the social work community.
Our commitments to you: Individual and group supervision using online technology that provides leadership refresher activities, peer support, and discussions of your individual projects.
Access to scholars and MCH practitioners over the course of the
Fellowship year as it relates to your training project.
Technical support, advice, and consultation during the Fellowship.
Our expectations of you: That you complete the application process for the MCH leadership program. Four Fellowships are awarded each year.
That you receive commitment from your superiors for release time to participate in the face-to-face and online experiences during the Fellowship year.
Your willingness to complete a half-day in-service training activity in leadership development at your agency during the course of the Fellowship year.
A commitment to develop a management intervention at your agency and present your findings at the end of the Fellowship that is viewed by MCH online viewers in the region.
That you submit to the program an electronic copy of your final leadership product that can be used by the program to disseminate.
You are willing to participate in face-to-face and online experiences over the Fellowship year.
Your Cost?
Cost of your participation within this Fellowship is covered in full. This includes travel and lodging during your immersion seminars in Maryland and any education materials. Your agency must provide you with release time to attend seminars and complete assigned projects. Program Outcomes By the completion of the program to achieve the following program outcomes. - To have some exposure to the process of monitoring ones efforts to lead others.
- To have some exposure to the methods of negotiation, organizational strategy.
- To gain experience in applying organizational strategy and negotiation to an agency project.
- To have some exposure to methods of overcoming barriers to task completion.
- To gain experience in identifying and overcoming barriers to task completion via the completion of an agency project.
- To have some exposure to the behavior of persons in groups interactions and how to facilitate interactions with respondents.
- To gain experience in analyzing task oriented group interactions via the completion and discussion of a monthly journal.
- To gain knowledge of your capacity for leadership – via self assessment exercises – (Meyers-Brigg inventory, self barometer exercises, verbal-non-verbal communication exercise etc).
- To obtain basic knowledge of the type of problems that occur in working with groups.
- To obtain basic knowledge in designing and evaluating program outcomes.
- To obtain basic knowledge of methods used to identify barriers to team building and to identify barriers to cooperation.
- To identify examples of problem behaviors in groups and how to work around them.
- To review methods for handling difficult people and difficult situations.
- To read, analyze, discuss online and apply examples of books of strategic leadership development (over the course of the project year.
Time Line Our Fellowship program is a twelve month program running from July through June. April 1 - Submission deadline for the fellowship application.
April 1 - April 30 - Initial review of the applications.
April 30 - Determination of semi-finalist candidates for 30-minute interviews.
May 1 - May 15 - Completion of semi finalist interviews.
June 1 - Notification of final fellows.July - Initial training activity - Baltimore, MD.
July - Dec- Online meetings with fellows, technical assistance, etc.
January - Second training activity - Donaldson Brown Retreat Center.
July - Graduation of fellows “online conference presentation” and start of new cohort.
Application process As indicated above the application process is a two-tiered screening activity that uses a combination of written material and interviews to select the finalists for the fellowship. We expect to support three to five fellows each year under this program. Applicants will be asked to mail five copies of the following material by April 1 to: Llewellyn Cornelius, Ph.D
Director of the MCH Leadership Development Training Institute
University of Maryland, School of Social Work
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(Please make sure that you list the label in the manner above to facilitate the processing of your application by our mail room- also you may wish to consider sending the packet using some form of delivery confirmation such as Priority Mail just to be on the safe side in terms of making sure that we receive the materials on time). All Application Packet must include the following items (it is safe to say that applications that do not include these items will not be considered for review): - A signed statement attesting to the fact that you are currently employed in an agency in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Pennsylvania or West Virginia.
- Evidence of the completion of a Masters in Social Work, Public Health or related field.
- A resume which indicates that you have been employed at least 3 years of employment in your current position.
- A letter of commitment from agency director providing release time for the fellowship.
- A letter of commitment from you highlighting your willingness to commit to the items discussed in A (above).
- Two sealed letters of references from peers or supervisors (these should be included in the packet your submit- the enveloped should be sealed with a signature across the seal of the envelope of the person who provided the reference)
- A three page double spaced essay (12 point font) focusing on where you see the MCH field going over the next five years.
- A one paragraph statement defining in your words what you think leadership means.
- A one page statement which discusses your expected training goals and presents a an idea for a proposed plan for a 3 hour in service training in MCH leadership.
Willingness to commit to a phone interview.
For more information: Llewellyn Cornelius, PhD
Director of the MCH Leadership Development Training Institute
lcorneli@ssw.umaryland.edu Edward Pecukonis, MSW, PhD
Director of the Center for Maternal and Child Health Social Work Training
epecukon@ssw.umaryland.edu
University of Maryland, School of Social Work
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
410.706.7610
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