Volume 15 Number 3 • 2002

The Rural Independent Living Leadership Mentoring Initiative

by Sandra Hays, Executive Director of SMILE

In August, 2001, I wrote a proposal to be considered as one of two Centers for Independent Living (CIL) to receive “sequenced, agency-specific training” from the Rural Institute’s Rural Independent Living Leadership Mentoring Initiative (RILLMI). It was our extreme good fortune to be awarded this training for 2002, and the good fortune of our neighboring Arizona and California CILs and community agencies as well. Cary Griffin, the Director of Special Projects for the Rural Institute, was our trainer.

Services Maximizing Independent Living and Empowerment (SMILE) is a CIL located in Yuma, Arizona, a small, remote town located three hours from any large city. Our CIL, when we applied for the RILLMI training, served approximately 1,260 consumers per year. There are two Native American reservations in close proximity.

Expectations

When I, the Executive Director, wrote the proposal, my expectations were to receive training for my entire staff and our Board of Directors. I wanted to learn more about management skills, such as supervision, communication, conflict management, and team work. Another anticipated emphasis was outreach possibilities to the unserved and underserved populations of our rural community. The expectations of the Board of Directors were to gain a better understanding of CIL management, leadership growth, and to learn how to increase public participation. The staff anticipated training on values and mission, program excellence, ideas for successful transition programs, and the principles of team work. To date, we have received three of four trainings and all of the above expectations have been more than met!

Training

Each on-site training visit lasted three days. As part of one visit, a group of our consumers were canvassed regarding their priorities. Transportation and employment issues were the significant priorities of this group. For one full day during each visit, our CIL’s staff received personalized, professional consultation. Some of the topics of these discussions included:

• How the staff can effectively promote the CIL’s mission, as relevant to each person’s values and goals;
• How various personality types provide a balanced staff; and
• How to gain support from other staff members for professional and personal goals.

Specific training was also provided on how to market the CIL, develop a business plan for our CIL, and collaborate with our state Vocational Rehabilitation, the state Developmental Disabilities Department, and the Workforce Investment Board.

Technical Assistance

On another day of each visit, our Board of Directors received excellent consultation. During these sessions, discussions began with the Planner for the Cocopah Indian Tribe regarding the possibility of a relationship to develop independent living services for isolated tribal members with disabilities. Methods were discussed for recruiting new board members and possibilities were explored for developing job descriptions for each board position. Discussions began about creating task forces and ad hoc committees to address such issues as fund raising, staff development, and transportation projects. We also examined the idea of honorary board members. Alignment with various entities was discussed. These entities included service organizations, the newspaper, the military base, the retirement population, and school transition programs. Opportunities were explored for further training from various universities. Creating a marketing outreach program was discussed, in order to provide a public image and presence.

Finally, one day of each visit was a class that was open to management from other CILs and our community’s non-profit/social service agencies. Each of these classes provided high quality, useful, and timely information that was easily generalized to the mission of all participating agencies. The entire staff of our CIL was encouraged to participate, which resulted in a real understanding of the philosophy of collaborative efforts. Each of these community traininings were rated as “excellent” by all participants.

Very briefly, the following topics explored in these trainings were presented in an understandable manner, without typical management jargon:

• Principles of organizational and personal values were made understandable, useful, and applicable;
• Communication principles and negotiation skills were experientially developed; and
• Collaborative efforts were examined through the use of techniques such as brainstorming, story boarding, and flow charting.

Finally, not only did SMILE and other participating agencies receive excellent, relevant training, but SMILE, individually, benefited from a quality consultant relationship which we would otherwise not be able to financially afford. It is my opinion that this project has made SMILE more effective in its work today with people with disabilities. The future looks much brighter for us because so many tools have been presented and we will have the opportunity to use them for the development, not only of our agency, but for that of our community.

You may contact Sandra Hayes at:
SMILE
1929 S. Arizona Ave. #12
Yuma AZ 85364
(928) 329-6682
(928) 329-6715
smile6@mindspring.com

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1. Making the Road by Taking It: Team and Individual Exercises for Self-Employment Training: The latest Rural Institute tool for helping people start their own businesses.
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