Can mental health service users, their family members and others without formal positions of authority lead? Can they make meaningful changes in mental health service organizations?
The answer is a resounding “YES,” according to a nationally recognized expert in the field of leadership and mental health services. And the knowledge and skills necessary to do so will be the focus of a leadership institute coming to Madison on Feb. 25.
“If you don’t have authority, you can lead with ideas,” says Steve Harrington, Executive Director of the National Association of Peer Specialists and a post-doctoral fellow at Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. “The role of the ‘informal’ leader is different but no less important and potentially effective.”
The one-day institute, entitled “Leading with Ideas: Making Change Happen from Within,” will cover start with basic understandings about what leadership is, why people follow, how to create and express a vision for change, developing collaborative relationships and other components of effective leadership, according to Harrington.
“Leadership theory is well-developed but, unfortunately, fails to address the needs and effectiveness of informal leaders,” he says. “Service users and friends and family members often feel powerless to change a system very much in need of change. But there are skills and knowledge that can make them among the most powerful leaders.”
The institute will be facilitated by Harrington who earned masters of public administration and law degrees. In addition to his leadership role with the national peer specialist association, Harrington is on the boards of several other national mental health organizations. He was a planner and on the faculty of the Global Leadership Institute recently conducted by Boston University. He says the institute will be highly interactive to encourage learning through participation. Harrington will be assisted by another facilitator from Recover Resources.
Although the institute is designed for persons in recovery from psychiatric conditions, family members and others who work for mental health services organizations will benefit. The institute is planned for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature morning and afternoon refreshments and lunch. It is co-sponsored by Access to Independence, Inc. and will be conducted at their office, 3810 Milwaukee St. in Madison. The other co-sponsor is Recover Resources, a consumer owned and operated organization.
The institute will be facilitated by Harrington and Lyn Legere, M.A., Training Director for The Transformation Center in Boston.
The cost of attending the institute is $95 per person. Participants will receive a certificate of completion. To pre-register (required) or obtain more information, contact Recover Resources at (616) 773-8866 or visit the organization’s website at: www.RecoverResources.com.
The answer is a resounding “YES,” according to a nationally recognized expert in the field of leadership and mental health services. And the knowledge and skills necessary to do so will be the focus of a leadership institute coming to Madison on Feb. 25.
“If you don’t have authority, you can lead with ideas,” says Steve Harrington, Executive Director of the National Association of Peer Specialists and a post-doctoral fellow at Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. “The role of the ‘informal’ leader is different but no less important and potentially effective.”
The one-day institute, entitled “Leading with Ideas: Making Change Happen from Within,” will cover start with basic understandings about what leadership is, why people follow, how to create and express a vision for change, developing collaborative relationships and other components of effective leadership, according to Harrington.
“Leadership theory is well-developed but, unfortunately, fails to address the needs and effectiveness of informal leaders,” he says. “Service users and friends and family members often feel powerless to change a system very much in need of change. But there are skills and knowledge that can make them among the most powerful leaders.”
The institute will be facilitated by Harrington who earned masters of public administration and law degrees. In addition to his leadership role with the national peer specialist association, Harrington is on the boards of several other national mental health organizations. He was a planner and on the faculty of the Global Leadership Institute recently conducted by Boston University. He says the institute will be highly interactive to encourage learning through participation. Harrington will be assisted by another facilitator from Recover Resources.
Although the institute is designed for persons in recovery from psychiatric conditions, family members and others who work for mental health services organizations will benefit. The institute is planned for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature morning and afternoon refreshments and lunch. It is co-sponsored by Access to Independence, Inc. and will be conducted at their office, 3810 Milwaukee St. in Madison. The other co-sponsor is Recover Resources, a consumer owned and operated organization.
The institute will be facilitated by Harrington and Lyn Legere, M.A., Training Director for The Transformation Center in Boston.
The cost of attending the institute is $95 per person. Participants will receive a certificate of completion. To pre-register (required) or obtain more information, contact Recover Resources at (616) 773-8866 or visit the organization’s website at: www.RecoverResources.com.
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