SHARED LEADERSHIP: A MODEL FOR BUILDING STRONG FAMILIES AND STRONG COMMUNITIES

PRECONFERENCE E

Sheri Rosen, M.Ed.
Kathy Du Vernet, M.S.
Bridget Hammons
Sara Green
Parents Anonymous, Inc.
675 West Foothill
Boulevard, Suite 220
Claremont, CA 91711

SHARED LEADERSHIP: A MODEL FOR BUILDING STRONG FAMILIES AND STRONG COMMUNITIES

Throughout the country, parents and professionals are working together in new ways. They are participating jointly in local planning processes, collaborating as grant reviewers and program evaluators, and serving on advisory boards and coalitions together. Working collaboratively, the voices of parents and professionals are shaping policy and practice to make a difference in the lives of children and families. This new way of working is called "Shared Leadership." Shared Leadership is successfully achieved when professionals work collaboratively with parents, and parents take on meaningful leadership roles and collaborate with professionals.

In 1996, Congress specifically included language in the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act requiring the development of "leadership roles for the meaningful involvement of parents in the development, operation, evaluation, and oversight of the programs and services." Parents Anonymous, Inc. has taken the lead in this effort and has witnessed the powerful impact that parent leadership has had on child protective services reform, changes in Federal funding requirements, the work of hundreds of frontline professionals, and the lives of thousands of families nationwide.

In 1995, Parents Anonymous, Inc. allocated considerable resources to the Parent Leadership Project (funded through OCAN), which involved the recruitment and training of effective parent leaders nationwide, and established the first National Parent Leadership Team (NPLT). The NPLT operates as a central organizational unit of Parents Anonymous in partnership with the staff of Parents Anonymous, Inc. In 1998 and 1999, national conferences were held to provide leadership training to large numbers of parent leaders from around the country. In addition, Parents Anonymous, Inc. has engaged extensively in providing Shared Leadership training to state, county, and local agencies and community-based organizations throughout the country.

This session will present the results of four studies related to Parent Leadership that were conducted by Parents Anonymous, Inc. These studies identify the developmental process of parent leaders, including the pathways to parent leadership; potential roles of parent leaders; and the expanded skills and opportunities for parent leadership following parent leadership training. Participants will also learn specific strategies for supporting and promoting parent leadership and for developing parent and professional partnerships. They will increase their awareness of the benefits of working in partnership with parent leaders and identify opportunities within their organizations and communities where parents and professionals can work together to ensure quality services for children and families.