F7 - Unpacking Individual and Collective Resilience in MCH Practice

Please click the Play Video button to watch the video prior to joining the Q&A.

Full Description: What some have dubbed the triple pandemic of economic crisis, reckoning with the legacy and perpetuation of racism, and COVID-19 has impacted how MCH professionals work across roles and settings. We have navigated multiple staffing reassignments, learned how to conduct core program and administrative functions remotely, and reprioritized MCH population needs in light of a global crisis – all while attempting to ensure the physical and mental health of those we love (ourselves included). MCH professionals have responded to these challenges and found new strengths in the process; some of the lessons learned will (and must) be carried forward into new ways of work that place racial and other forms of equity at the center. Other lessons continue to surface and prompt all of us to lead from where we are in our own organizations, building new paths to resilience in the context of systems change.
“Reflecting on our past” is an especially challenging endeavor in the midst of a multifaceted pandemic, especially while deeply entrenched in response efforts. However, this true workshop session will involve a series of activities to help participants process and learn from individual-, agency-, and systems-level practices that have successfully supported the MCH workforce in the past two years – focusing inward but with an openness to others’ experiences. We will offer a working definition of resilience, differentiating between personal and organizational resilience, identify short- and long-term workforce implications, and provide structured space for unpacking other topics that emerge during the interactive conversation.
Session facilitators will connect the conversation to the MCH leadership competencies, highlighting the critical role each MCH professional plays in cementing resilience strategies for the future. Facilitators will also synthesize group discussions and challenge individual participants to build “resilience action plans” for themselves and their agencies.
The goal of the session is to unearth, acknowledge, and articulate the resilience of the MCH workforce in its many forms, building forward together toward collective resilience practices that can be replicated in all Title V MCH agencies and with their partner ecosystems. Using a strengths-based approach, the session will guide participants through activities designed to identify their own personal and collective resilience strategies, connecting them to an established framework in the MCH leadership competencies (e.g., self-reflection, interdisciplinary/interprofessional team building). Modalities will include individual writing and reflection, pair sharing, table sharing, and large group guided discussions. Gallery walks may also be used as appropriate to brainstorm and capture ideas.
Co-facilitated by AMCHP’s Workforce Development and Capacity Building team and the National MCH Workforce Development Center, we welcome participants to reflect, process, share, and learn together.

Abbreviated Description: The goal of the session is to unearth, acknowledge, and articulate the resilience of the MCH workforce in its many forms, building forward together toward collective resilience practices that can be replicated in Title V MCH agencies and with partners. Using a strengths-based approach and multiple engagement modalities, participants will reflect on their COVID-19 pandemic experiences to identify their own personal and collective resilience strategies, connect those strategies to an established framework in the MCH Leadership Competencies, and discuss short- and long-term workforce implications. Co-facilitated by AMCHP’s Workforce Development and Capacity Building team and the National MCH Workforce Development Center, we welcome participants to reflect, process, share, and learn together.