 September 2009
League Rolls Out "Future Leaders" Program
As part of an ongoing effort to identify and develop future leaders within Massachusetts community health centers, the League will launch the "Exploring Careers and Healthcare Opportunities" (ECHO) program this month. The ECHO program, developed in conjunction with the US Department of Labor, will provide wide ranging support for high-performing employees interested in pursuing career paths in community-based health care. In addition to using self-assessment tools, participants will analyze health center-based case studies to develop team building and leadership skills, learn management techniques, enhance their critical thinking and decision-making abilities, explore career tracks and set educational and employment goals. They also will receive guidance and mentoring from their supervisors who will be integral to the program's long-term success. As an added incentive, participants who successfully complete the ECHO program and enroll (or are already enrolled) in post secondary or college level courses, will receive an education award of between $750 and $1,000. Three program sessions will be led one day a week for four hours over a six-week period with the goal of training six to eight participants per session. In addition to meeting other specific program standards, eligible participants need to have worked in an entry- to mid-level position at a health center for at least two years. Before taking part in the training courses, selected employees will participate in an assessment process that will identify both their leadership and team interaction style. Each employee will receive a copy of, and will be required to read, "One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey" prior to training. If your health center is interested or if you need additional information, please contact Janice Brathwaite at 617-988-2217 or email her at jbrathwaite@massleague.org.
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Who's Who - Terrasita Durate AmeriCorps Member 2008 - 2009
 What sparked your interest in public health?
I've been working in the Human Service field for 11 years. Several of the positions I held involved working with the Department of Public Health. I worked at many different levels and with many different populations. I worked as a Community Health Educator, Outreach Worker, Case Manager, Site Supervisor just to name a few. The populations I worked with were homeless, young people at risk for HIV/AIDS, battered women and many more. The population that captured my heart was working with people who were HIV positive and homeless. They had an array of issues and needs. The defining experience that sparked my interest in Public Health was when a very close family member came in contact with the disease through a blood transfusion. The family member later died in August 2002 from complications of the AIDS virus.
What brought you to the AmeriCorps HealthCorps program?
I was inspired by a friend (Tina Evans) who was working with AmeriCorps in 2007 and 2008 and I wanted what she had found. She found professional and personal development which led to permanent job placement. The AmeriCorps HealthCorps program placed me at Sidney Borum Jr. Health Center in Boston, where I began to grow professionally. I was blessed to have a supervisor named James Wilson who believed in professional development. I was trained in health care navigation and patient services. I enhanced my ability to be a team player as well as set boundaries which are essential when working with people.
What are your long term goals?
I would like to establish myself as a professional consultant educating the population that first inspired me and allowed me to come full circle! The population I would like to focus on is young adults who are homeless and at risk for HIV/AIDS. This would allow me to utilize my outreach and advocacy experience. I would like to educate these young adults about the different communicable diseases in the world. I would also like to educate them on prevention, outreach and intervention. I would do this by sending them to trainings and workshops, as well as educating them with the plethora of information I received from working in the field.
How has AmeriCorps HealthCorps program brought you closer to those goals?
The program has provided me the ability to gain "hands on" experience at a health center as well as an array of contacts at health centers across Massachusetts. Ultimately, the AmeriCorps HealthCorps program helped me to meet my goals of expanding my knowledge base and helping others.
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HealthCorps Program Wraps up 2008-09 Service Year; Expands Slots for 2009-10
After serving at seven health centers in the Greater Boston area, this year's 2008 - 2009 AmeriCorps HealthCorps members ended their year of service on August 31. Members were placed at Sidney Borum Jr. Health Center, Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, Brookside Community Health Center, Manet Community Health Center, Codman Square Health Center, Salem High School Health Center, and Fenway Community Health Center.
In addition to serving at their assigned health centers, HealthCorps members participated in eight to ten community service projects throughout Boston's neighborhoods, and spent a week in Maine assisting at a camp for chronically ill children. The volunteers were engaged in developing and coordinating a range of initiatives, including programs for childhood obesity prevention, women's health, teen dating violence, HIV counseling and testing, and general community outreach.
In 2009-2010, the program will expand from10 full-time and 2 part-time slots to 16 full-time, 2 part-time and 2 quarter-time slots. Competition for these slots was intense; the program received inquiries from 84 individuals seeking the opportunity to work at a health center.
An orientation for the 20 finalists, who will work at 17 health centers, was held on September 8. Special thanks to all of our community health center participants; your support of the program is essential to its ongoing success.
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Customer Service Pilot
In response to a lack of ongoing customer service training available for health-based organizations, the League convened a group of health center Human Resource Directors in 2008 to: (1) develop a customer service training pilot for community health centers; and (2) identify a set of standard customer service training elements and measures that could be applied across the health center network.
Over the past year, Human Resource Directors from these health centers have been meeting on a regular basis to work on this project. In December 2008, a request for letters of interest was sent out to several training firms and consultants. After reviewing the responses, a Request for Proposal was mailed to all interested parties.
We began the interview process in February and selected the winning proposal in April 2009. Comma Williams Enterprises was selected to develop and deliver training to four health centers who have agreed to participate in this pilot program.
Based on the availability of funding, the long-range goal is to roll out this customer service training to other health centers that wish to participate. Training at the first four community health centers is scheduled to begin this month.
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