Parent Leadership

Lisa Brown and Lisa ConlanLisa Brown and Lisa Conlan

Family Resource SpecialistsFamily Resource Specialists

Technical Assistance PartnershipTechnical Assistance Partnership

Defining Leadership

““Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership effective action to realize your own leadership potential.”- Warren Bennispotential.”- Warren Bennis

““Leadership is the process of persuasion and Leadership is the process of persuasion and example by which an individual (or leadership example by which an individual (or leadership team) induces a group to take action that is in team) induces a group to take action that is in accord with the leader’s purpose, or the shared accord with the leader’s purpose, or the shared purposes of all.”- John W. Gardnerpurposes of all.”- John W. Gardner

Defining Parent Leadership

Meaningful Parent Leadership occurs when parents Meaningful Parent Leadership occurs when parents gain the knowledge and skills to function in meaningful gain the knowledge and skills to function in meaningful leadership roles and represent the “ parent voice” to leadership roles and represent the “ parent voice” to help shape the direction of their families, programs and help shape the direction of their families, programs and communities. Parent leadership is successfully communities. Parent leadership is successfully achieved when parents and professionals build achieved when parents and professionals build effective partnerships and share responsibility, effective partnerships and share responsibility, expertise and leadership in decisions being made that expertise and leadership in decisions being made that affect families and communities. The parents involved affect families and communities. The parents involved in these collaborations are called Parent Leaders.- in these collaborations are called Parent Leaders.- National Parent Leadership Month Tool Kit-National Parent Leadership Month Tool Kit-www.parentsanonymous.orgwww.parentsanonymous.org -Federation co-sponsor -Federation co-sponsor

Definition of Family-Driven Care9th Draft CMHS/FFCMH-Dec. 2004

Family-driven means families have a primaryFamily-driven means families have a primary

decision making role in the care of their own decision making role in the care of their own

children as well as the policies and procedures children as well as the policies and procedures

governing care for all children in their community, governing care for all children in their community,

state, tribe, territory and nation. This includes:state, tribe, territory and nation. This includes: choosing supports, services, and providers;choosing supports, services, and providers; setting goals;setting goals; designing and implementing programs;designing and implementing programs; monitoring outcomes; andmonitoring outcomes; and determining the effectiveness of all efforts to promote determining the effectiveness of all efforts to promote

the mental health of children and youth.the mental health of children and youth.

Guiding Principles of Family-Driven Guiding Principles of Family-Driven CareCare

1.1. Families and youth are given accurate, Families and youth are given accurate, understandable, and complete information understandable, and complete information necessary to make choices for improved planning necessary to make choices for improved planning for individual children and their families.for individual children and their families.

2.2. Families and youth are organized to collectively use Families and youth are organized to collectively use their knowledge and skills as a force for systems their knowledge and skills as a force for systems transformation.transformation.

3.3. Families and youth embrace the concept of sharing Families and youth embrace the concept of sharing decision-making and responsibility for outcomes with decision-making and responsibility for outcomes with providers.providers.

4.4. Providers embrace the concept of sharing decision-Providers embrace the concept of sharing decision-making authority and responsibility for outcomes making authority and responsibility for outcomes with families and youth.with families and youth.

Guiding Principles of Family-Driven Guiding Principles of Family-Driven CareCare

5.5. Providers take the initiative to change practice Providers take the initiative to change practice from provider-driven to family-driven.from provider-driven to family-driven.

6.6. Administrators allocate staff, training, and support Administrators allocate staff, training, and support resources to make family-driven practice work at resources to make family-driven practice work at the point where services and supports are the point where services and supports are delivered to children, youth, and families.delivered to children, youth, and families.

7.7. Families and family-run organizations engage in Families and family-run organizations engage in peer support activities to reduce isolation and peer support activities to reduce isolation and strengthen the family voice.strengthen the family voice.

Guiding Principles of Family-Driven Guiding Principles of Family-Driven CareCare

8.8. Community attitude change efforts focus on Community attitude change efforts focus on removing barriers created by stigma.removing barriers created by stigma.

9.9. Communities embrace and value the Communities embrace and value the diverse cultures of their children, youth, and diverse cultures of their children, youth, and families.families.

10.10. Everyone who connects with children, Everyone who connects with children, youth, and families continually advance youth, and families continually advance their cultural and linguistic responsiveness their cultural and linguistic responsiveness as the population served changes.as the population served changes.

Effective Parent Leadership Depends upon:

How you behave, your leadership styleHow you behave, your leadership style Who your followers are: their Who your followers are: their

competence and motivation for a given competence and motivation for a given tasktask

The match between the how and the whoThe match between the how and the who What leadership skills you can applyWhat leadership skills you can apply

Importance of Parent Leadership

Support intense fundamental changeSupport intense fundamental change Raise public awarenessRaise public awareness Bring clarity to vision and missionBring clarity to vision and mission Gain Knowledge and skillsGain Knowledge and skills Succeed in environmentsSucceed in environments Sustain roles and develop new parent Sustain roles and develop new parent

leadershipleadership Improve productivity and sustainabilityImprove productivity and sustainability

Leadership Attributes: How have you put these to use for your family or community?

TrustTrust RespectfulRespectful ClarityClarity UnderstandingUnderstanding MotivatingMotivating EmpoweringEmpowering EncouragingEncouraging PreparationPreparation CreativeCreative KnowledgeableKnowledgeable Negotiation Negotiation PatiencePatience

Self awarenessSelf awareness Conflict resolutionConflict resolution CourageousCourageous Cultural sensitivityCultural sensitivity FacilitationFacilitation AnticipationAnticipation Risk takingRisk taking OptionsOptions ChoiceChoice Multiple approachesMultiple approaches ResourcefulResourceful InclusiveInclusive

Cultivating LeadershipCultivating Leadership

Creating SafetyCreating Safety Respect for confidentialityRespect for confidentiality AssuranceAssurance AcknowledgementAcknowledgement TrainingTraining ModelingModeling Building connections and relationshipsBuilding connections and relationships Willingness to belongWillingness to belong

Leadership Challenges: How have you dealt with these challenges?

Personal Values and AttitudesPersonal Values and Attitudes Promotion of new leaders to be involvedPromotion of new leaders to be involved Cultivating new leadership opportunitiesCultivating new leadership opportunities Self AwarenessSelf Awareness Cultural SensitivityCultural Sensitivity Leadership StylesLeadership Styles Communication skillsCommunication skills Manager versus a leaderManager versus a leader Decision making processesDecision making processes

Parent Leadership RolesParent Leadership Roles

Self AdvocacySelf Advocacy Supporting other parentsSupporting other parents CommunityCommunity Administrative and RegulatoryAdministrative and Regulatory LegislativeLegislative

Essentials for Building Essentials for Building Parent LeadershipParent Leadership

Effective Communication skillsEffective Communication skills Creative ThinkingCreative Thinking Collaboration and partnershipsCollaboration and partnerships Negotiation and conflict resolutionNegotiation and conflict resolution Coalition buildingCoalition building Public AdvocacyPublic Advocacy Facilitation Facilitation MentoringMentoring

Tools and Activities for Tools and Activities for developing parent developing parent leadershipleadership

Persona/Community Action PlansPersona/Community Action Plans Experiential learning opportunities/Simulations Experiential learning opportunities/Simulations Discussion Groups on TopicsDiscussion Groups on Topics Team buildingTeam building Story tellingStory telling Inspiration speakersInspiration speakers Reflection-Community MappingReflection-Community Mapping Tip SheetsTip Sheets MentoringMentoring Stress managementStress management

System of Care Leadership Trainings

Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, Shared Solutions, leadership development module.Shared Solutions, leadership development module.401-397-5489 or 401-397-5489 or lisaconlan2@aol.com

Technical Assistance Partnership Consultant Pool at Technical Assistance Partnership Consultant Pool at www.tapartnership.org

National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health Georgetown University Leadership Mental Health Georgetown University Leadership Academy, contact Ellen Kagen, Communities Can!Academy, contact Ellen Kagen, Communities Can!202-687-5087 or 202-687-5087 or kageneb@georgetown.edukageneb@georgetown.edu

Recognize, Honor and Celebrate our Leaders!