In pursuit of the ongoing well-being of employees, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Head Start/Early Head Start administrators attended the National Center on Health, Behavioral Health and Safety’s (NCHBHS) virtual Staff Wellness Institute from Tuesday-Wednesday, March 23-24.
“The overall wellness of staff remains a high priority, which is why we were delighted to participate in the conference,” said Lisa Tate, SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start assistant program director/center operations. “The theme was Staff Wellness and Community of Practice.”
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Also attending were Denise Brown, health program coordinator; Adrienne Kaesberg, instructional services program coordinator; and Shameka Brown, special services program coordinator.
“The conference’s goal was to support Head Start and Early Head Start grantees in creating a culture of wellness, positive morale and respect for staff through a systematic, program-wide approach to staff wellness,” explained Tate. “Addressing health and well-being helps staff understand that they are a valued component in providing the care and nurturing needed for our children to thrive.”
Tate listed three important takeaways from the meeting:
- How to build an effective staff wellness team
- How to create components of an effective staff wellness plan
- How to develop strategies to support implementation and sustainability of an action plan
“The NCHBHS will offer monthly training and technical assistance calls from April through September to support implementation of our action plans,” she added.
The SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Program serves more than 860 families and children birth through age five, including children with special needs, throughout St. Clair County. The program also provides services to expectant mothers. The program is housed in 12 early childhood centers, seven managed directly by SIUE staff and five collaborations. The program includes a rigorous school readiness program and provides comprehensive services, such as health/ dental screenings and family engagement and support activities.
