Program Goals

The overall goals of the 2005 - 2006 SEPHLI program are: to enhance the leadership skills and abilities of senior and mid-level managers in state and local public health agencies; to develop a network of public health leaders in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States; and to strengthen the relationship between public health practitioners and public health scholars working in schools and programs of public health.

SEPHLI Year 8 Scholar Lucy Caldwell presents her Symbol of Leadership

Program Format/Skills and Competencies

The yearlong program begins in December and ends the following December. Face-to-face interactions between the scholars and guest faculty will occur three times during the program year: at the beginning, at mid-year (May) and at the end. Between these scheduled meetings, Institute activities will take place via distance learning using a mixture of both real time and asynchronous delivery modalities. Scholar requirements include attending four telephone conference calls and two online computer forums.

The Institute's curriculum is designed to develop the skills and competencies of leadership in eight broad core skill areas (see below). Click here for specific competencies for each of these areas.

• Self-Awareness and Personal Development
• Visioning and Futuring
• Critical Thinking - Systems Thinking, Problem Solving
• Partnerships and Collaborative Efforts
• Communication
• Political and Social Change Strategies
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Ethics

These competencies will be developed and enhanced by a variety of instructional methodologies. Since a central belief of the Institute is practice by doing, participation in structured activities will form the basis of the program. Readings and didactic instruction will be used in addition to the activities, to establish a basic level of knowledge in each of the topic areas. The key learning activities are described below.

360-Degree Feedback
To increase self-awareness of leadership style, conflict management style and personality type, each scholar will complete a series of self-assessment instruments prior to the start of the Institute. The instrument is multi-perspective, including the perspectives of the scholar's supervisor, peers and subordinates.

Individual Development Plan
Scholars will be required to develop a plan that identifies personal development goals for the year. Goals are expected to reflect areas highlighted for development through the 360-degree feedback process, and to include skills that the scholar would like to build in two of the eight core competency areas during the year.

Leadership Project
Each scholar will be required to complete a leadership project. This includes a home-based community public health project, in which the scholar is in a leadership position on a community team. Scholars will be required to write a final report for their project, the focus of which will be on the scholar's leadership development during the year, highlighting the experiences that helped build skills in the SEPHLI competency areas. (Scholars may also work together as a team on a project that allows each person personal growth.) See some example leadership projects.

Learning Teams
Scholars will be placed randomly in learning teams. Team members will provide support and technical assistance to each other for the individual projects. Each team also will be required to complete four assignments or a team project. These assignments will build on content material presented at the scholar retreats.

Coaches and Mentors
Each scholar will identify a mentor to assist him or her in building skills in one area of focus. For example, a scholar hoping to build skills in the area of risk communication may decide to ask Risk Communication expert, Dr. Vincent Covello or someone similar to be his or her mentor. A list of possible mentors will be made available to each scholar.

The Year 8 Institute will also include more support to scholars by providing them access to faculty coaches. In addition, scholars will be required to strengthen their own coaching skills by actively supporting each other in peer coaching sessions throughout the year.

Leadership Competencies