Mentoring and Shadowing Program

PURPOSE

The purpose of the TACCHO Mentoring Workforce Development Program is to provide a formalized pathway to qualitative public health leadership outcomes by pairing experienced or seasoned LHD leadership representatives with those newly minted LHD leaders, those adjusting to new roles within LHDs, or those seeking to expand and enhance their knowledge base. 

OBJECTIVES

• Achieve organizational efficiencies
• Achieve competencies by course participation and completion
• Increase effectiveness as a leader by leveraging resources
• Gain insight by receiving direct feedback from Texas’ leading local health officials
• Increase the public health leadership potential to impact local, state, and national public health policy development
• Increase the competencies of public health leaders within the state of Texas

PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP CORE COMPETENCIES FOCUS

TACCHO supports following the core competencies for public health professionals for the TACCHO Workforce Development programs. The Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Core Competencies) are a consensus set of skills for the broad practice of public health, as defined by the 10 Essential Public Health Services. Developed by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice (Council on Linkages), the Core Competencies reflect foundational skills desirable for professionals engaging in the practice, education, and research of public health. These competencies are organized into eight domains, reflecting skill areas within public health, and three tiers, representing career stages for public health professionals. More information can be found on the Public Health Foundation website at:

http://www.phf.org/resourcestools/pages/core_public_health_competencies.aspx

Domains

• Analytical/Assessment Skills
• Policy Development/Program Planning Skills
• Communication Skills
• Cultural Competency Skills
• Community Dimensions of Practice Skills
• Public Health Sciences Skills
• Financial Planning and Management Skills
• Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills

ALL TACCHO Members are Considered Participating in the Mentor Program. A member may request to be mentored by another member. After a request is made, the members will confirm together whether the request can be fulfilled. A mentee/mentor commitment is a 6 month or 1-year period.

MENTOR RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Commit to serve as mentor at a minimum of 6 months to a LHD director
• Provide guidance and advice through physically hosting the mentee at the Mentor’s LHD
• Provide guidance and advice through electronic and telephonic communication
• Document and share experiences 

MENTEE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Commit to serve as a mentee at a minimum of 6 months to a LHD director
• Receive guidance and advice through physically visiting the mentor at the Mentor’s LHD
• Receive guidance and advice through electronic and telephonic communication
• Document and share experiences  

The purpose of the TACCHO shadowing program is to provide an informal way to shadow a seasoned, experienced, or peer public health director typically done in multiple business days or a single business day.  Shadowing can be done in possible achievement of the following:

OBJECTIVES

• Accompany and shadow local health department mentor on a typical business day or specific instances of commissioner’s court, city council, board of health, advisory, or leadership meetings, to name a few.
• Observe and document a health department best practice or operational aspect.
• Gain insight by receiving direct feedback from Texas’ leading local health officials
• Pay close attention to social aspects by possibly attending a one-on-one lunch meeting or a group meeting with ancillary staff.

Methods to be used to evaluate the progress and success of the TACCHO mentoring program include surveys, direct feedback, and narratives from both participants.  Upon completion of the program, participants will have the opportunity to provide feedback about the workforce development mentor and shadowing programs and offer suggestions for improvement. They will also describe the knowledge and skills gained from the experience.  The evaluation will help TACCHO effectively evaluate outcomes and improve the shadowing program.

List of TACCHO Members by jurisdictional size, type of LHD and state Health Service Region.