The quality and sustainability of Pennsylvania’s person-centered services for individuals with intellectual disability and autism and their families is the responsibility of a partnership between government, who funds and regulates the services, and providers, who deliver the array of approved services to each eligible person. This series will focus on the skills that leaders of provider organizations need to deliver on that responsibility. The series will feature subject matter experts who will facilitate interactive sessions to the cohort of participant leaders. As the content of courses is designed to develop leadership skills needed for the future, the course will be responsive to emerging and leading practice trends, such as Transformative Service Models and the increasing performance-based requirements of government funders/regulators, such as Performance-Based Contracting. The tremendous importance of communication, openness, authenticity, involving individuals and families, valuing DSPs, and creating and maintaining a respectful, cohesive, professional organizational culture will be stressed and discussed throughout the series. Consideration of how concepts apply to small, medium, and larger organizations will be discussed and represented throughout the series.

The series is designed for a cohort of up to 24 leaders from PAR member organizations. Specifically, the course is designed for senior level leaders intending to achieve an executive role, or new CEOs in a provider organization. The course is not designed for entry-level managers and supervisors. A total of twelve, two-hour sessions, scheduled once monthly over a year, with four sessions in person and the other eight via zoom. 

Two of the four in-person sessions will take place during the PAR Solutions and Par Policy Conferences with the other two being connected to General Membership meetings. During zoom sessions, participants will be required to have their cameras on, be singularly focused on the session and to actively participate. There will be follow-up assignments to focus on putting learning into practice after most sessions. A commitment to attend all sessions is required. If a participant misses a session, they will receive the materials presented during the missed session and expected to fully complete all assignments. 

Potential trainees will need to complete an application to be accepted into the training. Involvement in PAR committees will be a consideration for admission. A small committee will review applicants and choose the participants. Trainees will be expected to purchase their own books and materials for the series. The cost for admission into the program is $500 per participant.

The first Institute will begin in February 2025 and conclude in January 2026.

Apply to be a Participant 

Description of Sessions  

1. The Foundation 

Session Description: It starts with Mission, Culture, and the leader’s vision for the future – The following questions will be posed, explored and options provided: Does your Mission statement need an update? Can everyone in your organization restate the mission and do they know how they are expected to contribute to it? What is the culture of your organization? Are your Values being lived? Would a third party see them happening if they were to visit unannounced? Difference between lived and aspirational values. Is your organization authentic? Can you describe the essential resources needed to deliver your mission? As a leader how are you communicating your Vision, Mission, and Values? Does your team and board know what you stand for? How do you involve individuals in decisions that affect them at both the individual and organizational level? How do you demonstrate that you value DSPs? What is said about DSPs in the office? What changes will you make now and in the future?

Learning Objectives

• Understand the importance of an authentic Mission and Values statement
• Learn how to communicate what you stand for
• Recognize the difference between real and aspirational values
• Realize the importance of developing a cohesive, positive, healthy culture based on the right results
• Learn how stating clear expectations for values and performance supports culture and outcomes

2. Right Seats, then Right People

Session Description: The Right Seats: Before you can get the right people into the right seats, you need to identify what seats are needed to deliver quality services. An analysis of the extensive responsibility domains of a provider organization will be developed. Performance Based Contracting and existing compliance requirements will be fully considered. Organizational structures for different sized organizations will be reviewed, i.e., smaller organizations may have one person responsible for several domains while larger organizations may have teams responsible for one major domain. Data-based decisions for scope of responsibility that are efficient, effective, and realistic for human beings. Leaders will use this information to contemplate any needed changes to their organizational structure and/or strategic changes that may be needed for the future. Includes investment in developing and retaining DSPs.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the resources, roles and functions needed to deliver quality services
• Understand the options for organizational structures
• Understand when and how to change the organizational structure

3. The Right People 

Session Description:  Assessing the effectiveness and performance of the team and individual key staff from an outcome perspective. Overview of competency mapping. What if seats need to be changed? Retaining high performers, coaching for better outcomes, and when and how to say good-bye (separation). Leaders need to communicate clear expectations for how people conduct themselves and for performance – we will discuss ways to clarify expectations for high performance. Communication is key.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to assess individual and team performance
• Learn how to set expectations and give feedback
• Learn how to coach for high performance
• Recognize when it is time to separate someone 
• Identify key components of how to separate with someone when needed

4. Looking Ahead 

Session Description:  A leader needs to know where they are going and where they need to lead their team. An environmental scan of the possible transformative service models that may be the future of services and the changes that will likely be needed to effectively operate within them. How to communicate your vision for the future and get the team on board.

Components of leading towards the future include:

• Casting a clear vision
• Understanding personal and organizational values and how they inform a leader’s direction
• Thinking strategically 
• Creating a culture of innovation, learning and development, and embracing of change 
• Inspiring, empowering and collaborating – leaders cheerlead, empower others to lead, and recognize that they cannot do it alone

Learning Objectives

• Understand the dynamics and complexities of leading an organization forward
• Experience the importance of ensuring all parties within the organization are rowing in the same direction
• Understand why the current system is not able to deliver what people want and is unsustainable
• Understand the possibilities for change of the current system to new systems
• Learn how to prepare for change and manage the change process

5. Change Management 

Session Description: Change is a constant in all organizations and the ability to manage it determines a leader’s success sustaining and growing their organization. Effective change management fosters a culture of innovation, flexibility, and resilience. In planning for change, leaders need to do environmental scans and consider the big picture. The change management process includes planning, communication, implementation, and evaluation. 

Learning Objectives:

• Importance of being adaptable and flexible 
• Regularly conducting environmental scans
• Understand how to determine and define needed change 
• Creating the roadmap for change
• Communicating and garnering your team’s support
• Develop, measure and report on success criteria 

6. Balancing Risk, Self-Determination and Rights 

Session Description: How to facilitate and lead self-determination practices, and exercising one’s rights among the individuals you support while managing organizational liability and risk.  A leader of an organization for people with intellectual disability needs to promote and protect the rights of people they serve in the face of challenges to this profound responsibility. The session will review some of the areas where challenges to civil rights have occurred, such as voting, medical consent, sexuality, risk, and how to take a stand. 

Learning Objectives

• Understand organizational risk as well as the inherent risk in the provision of ID/A services 
• Recognize the broader risks in running any type of company including financial, workforce, reputation, partnerships/relationships, quality, and safety
• Learn how to manage risk from the lens of person-centered practices
• Learn to identify risks, develop a plan for reducing risk, and identify controls that will lessen the probability of the risks
• Importance of conducting a risk assessment
• Understand the scope and limits of guardianship
• Learn how to promote and defend the rights of people as an organizational leader

7. Strategic Planning & Succession Planning

Session Description: A clear, concise strategic plan that results in a blueprint or playbook for your leadership team and board to focus on the essential aspects of moving the mission forward is essential. While many issues will emerge and need to be addressed every year, coming back to a well-articulated strategic plan assures you and your team will stay focused on the most important things. Succession planning is an integral part of planning for the sustainability of an organization. Approaches to succession planning will be reviewed.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to create a strategic plan that results in a unified team and approach
• Learn how to communicate the strategic plan
• Recognize the importance of succession planning to the continuity of the organization

8. Building Trust

Session Description: Trust at all levels with all stakeholders is required for communication and getting things done. The essential skills of assessing trust levels, building trust, and how to enact a trust reset will be discussed.

Learning Objectives

• Understand why trust is critical for the success of an organization
• Learn how to build and restore trust

9. Advocacy

Session Description: How to advocate for your mission with government leaders, funders, the community, donors, and other people who don’t understand all your organization does. The role of a professional lobbyist, how to work with a lobbyist and PAR’s role as an organization that advocates for providers. Trainees will go to the capital with the facilitator to meet with legislators.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize the importance and how-to’s of advocating for your mission
• Learn how to determine if a professional lobbyist is needed
• Learn how to work with a professional lobbyist
• Learn how to work together with PAR’s lobbying efforts
• Build advocacy into the everyday work of your organization

10. Building Business Acumen

Session Description:  Shared ideas and best practices for operating efficiently so more of your revenue can be used to improve and enhance quality. The concept of money is mission, how to balance heart with reality of paying all the bills and keeping doors open, knowing what you give away for free. 

Learning Objectives:

• Learn the cost components of quality services and how to manage a budget
• Learn to articulate the connection of money and mission
• Learn ways to operate more efficiently 
• Build leaders across your organization that understand how to build and operate from a budget 
• Develop savvy org. leaders to analyze need, financial and people resources, and risk to make wise decisions. For example, so many of us opted to raise wages for DSPs without financial backing because the risk of not doing so would have put an even greater burden on getting enough staff. 

11. Integrating Technology

Session Description: Current best practices in the technology needed to efficiently operate an organization, use of remote technology and person-centered technology. Getting everyone on board with the technology approaches selected, project management 

Learning Objectives:

• Build a technology strategy including a culture that embraces technology for both operations and service delivery
• Learn various technology options for solving organizational challenges and achieving results
• Understand the importance of the project management process 
• Understand how to manage the technology integration process

12. How Best to use PAR as your Strategic Partner 

Session Description: PAR is your membership organization comprised of a team of professionals and fellow member provider organizations, and Associate members, all of whom can help you with solutions to your everyday challenges and deliver high quality services. Many provider organizations, especially smaller ones, underutilize PAR. A review of resources available from PAR and stories of how PAR has helped will be discussed. 

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the scope and structure of PAR
• Learn how to get the most out of your PAR membership