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Project Updates |
Healthforce Leadership Mentorship Project (HLMP)
With funding from Healthforce Ontario, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and Human Resources Strategy Division, the Healthforce Leadership Mentorship Project (HLMP) is a collaborative initiative of OPHA, Toronto Public Health (TPH), and the Association of Public Health Nursing Management (ANDSOOHA).
HLMP focuses on interprofessional collaborative practice and includes the following critical components:
- development and implementation of a 360° Feedback Tool to assess leadership competencies for TPH and OPHA management staff;
- assessment of all current leaders in the organizations via the 360° feedback tool, with an aggregate organizational report focusing on critical areas of leadership competencies needing development;
- leadership coaching for new managers, supervisors and selected front-line staff who have career aspirations toward leadership in Public Health;
- mentorship program for seasoned managers to assist aspiring front-line staff on leadership (adapting the ANDSOOHA/PHRED Nursing Mentorship Initiative, 2005);
- role story development related to the vast array of professionals working in Public Health.
The overall objectives for HLMP include providing opportunities to enhance leadership competencies in public health professionals, developing succession planning in human resources of the public health sector, and improving the recruitment, retention and career satisfaction of experienced public health professionals.
HLMP began in February and will continue until July 31, 2007. Currently, the project is well underway with the enrolment of TPH and OPHA management staff into the 360° Feedback Process, leadership coaching into their third sessions, mentor/mentee meetings, and hiring an experienced writer to develop the role stories.
In the coming months, HLMP will be implementing the evaluation component and sharing the learnings with all health units across Ontario.
The HLMP team includes:
| Project leads: |
Connie Uetrecht, Executive Director, OPHA
Maureen Cava, Manager of Professional Practice, Toronto Public Health |
| Project coordinator: |
So-Yan Seto |
| Steering committee: |
Fran Scott, Heather Parker, Katie Dilworth, and Cathy Goring |
| External consultants: |
Michael Howes and Anne Bermingham, 2WA Consulting
Tina Sahay, Health Promotion Consulting Group |
For more information about this project, contact So-Yan Seto at 416-367-3313 ext 254.
Nutrition Resource Centre Program Highlights for 2007-2008
The Nutrition Resource Centre (NRC) plans for a productive year ahead centred around the revision of nutrition resources and tools to reflect the new Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide released by Health Canada in February 2007.
NRC is also adding a new provincial program to its home base. NutriSTEP™ is a scientifically validated screening tool in French and English that identifies preschoolers aged three to five with poor nutrition. It provides for early identification, parent referral to community resources for primary prevention and parental nutrition education. Development of the NutriSTEP™ tool has been led by Sudbury & District Health Unit and the University of Guelph with support from various funding bodies over the past eight years. This program highly supports the Ministry of Health Promotion's strategic framework and the first priority being children and health.
The Community Food Advisor (CFA) Program is moving into its 15th year with five programs beginning training for new CFAs in five sites which will add about 100 CFAs to its current base of 330 volunteers. Along with work which has begun on revisions to the CFA Resource Manual and training program to reflect the new Food Guide, translations to French to a variety of CFA resources will occur.
Eat Smart! will review its Program Logic Model and set priorities for program growth, into recreation centres, workplaces and vending machines and sustainability for the years ahead.
TAKE Five has changed its name to Colour it Up…Go for More Vegetables and Fruit to reflect changes in the new Food Guide. Program launch will be in the Fall of 2007. Stay tuned for details!
Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) - The NRC supports the implementation of Ontario’s Action Plan for HEAL through its work on the expansion of the Eat Smart! program and the development and dissemination of resources to assist families, caregivers and professionals in educational and care settings to support healthy eating and active living in young children. BusyBodies/Hop la vie! and the soon to be completed Eat Right Be Active booklets (one targeted to caregivers of children ages 3-5 years and one to caregivers of children ages 6-8 years) provide parents, caregivers and professionals with practical tools and advice to support healthy eating and physical activity in home, school and childcare settings. These resources are available through the NRC, EatRight Ontario and will be linked to the Dietitian Advisory Service that will become operational later in 2007-08.
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