Leadership in a Changing Environment: A Leadership Model for Child Welfare

Abstract

Numerous studies have shown that a comprehensive and unifying leadership model, with an associated defined set of leadership competencies, has largely been absent from the field of human services. In the complex and turbulent field of child welfare, leadership skills are necessary at all levels of the agency. The purpose of this article is to describe a leadership model specific to child welfare developed by the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) and to provide examples of how its application in a national training and capacity-building program has led to personal leadership development and systems change.

Keywords:

• education and training
• leadership
• leadership capacity building
• leadership competencies
• leadership development
• leadership model

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) partners—University at Albany/SUNY, University of Denver, Fordham University, University of Iowa, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, University of Maryland, University of Southern Maine, Portland State University, and the Children's Bureau/ACF/DHHS—whose strong collaboration made this work possible. The work for this publication was funded by the US-DHHS, ACF, Children's Bureau, Award #90CT0145. This article is solely the responsibility of the NCWWI and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Children's Bureau.

Notes

¹A more detailed description of the evaluation design and findings to date falls outside the scope of this article and will be published separately.