Technical Assistance  & Continuing Education Center

The need for leadership and supervisory development has been consistently documented by state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies in the Southeast. In direct discussion with VR directors, nearly all see the VR systems in a state of stress requiring some major transformation in how their agency responds to the growing trends affecting their effectiveness with customers. Related to this is also the need to provide strong skill development for mid-level management and supervisory levels of staff who have the task of managing the day to day operations of agency activity in a time of major change. In response to this need, Southeast TACE provides technical assistance and continuing education in the following areas:

Strategic Planning - The process of defining organizational direction, strategies and making decisions on allocating resources to pursue these strategies. Southeast TACE provides technical assistance that assists organizations in:

• Clarification of Vision and Mission- defining the overarching goals of an organization and what an organization does to achieve those goals
• Clarification of the operational environment including opportunities and threats
• Setting short-term Goals and measurable Objectives
• Development of an Operational Plan to achieve the Goals and Objectives
• Obtaining input and buy-in from key stakeholders.

Leadership Team Development - Organizations perform well if they have a strong senior leadership team. The team is greater than the sum of its parts in that it:

• Defines the vision for the organization
• Has a critical role in supporting projects that are key to the organization’s strategy
• Secures buy and support at all organizational levels
• Clarifies roles and responsibilities necessary to accomplish the organization’s goal
• Brings a diversity of skills and perspectives that are integrated into team approach to leadership

Southeast TACE provides technical assistance to build the capacity of mid-level and senior leadership to function effectively as a team that collectively sets a vision and goals and focuses organizational efforts toward achieving its goals.

Supervisory Development - Managing: the supervisor is the main link between the organization's goals and the people who are responsible for the daily activities that make those goals a reality. Southeast TACE provides related technical assistance and continuing education in following areas:

• Performance Management
• Managing Change
• Resolving and Dealing with Conflict
• Productivity and Time Management
• Team Building
• Meeting Management
• Decision Making and Problem Solving

Supervisory Preparation - Southeast TACE provides technical assistance and continuing education for organizations seeking to prepare staff to take on greater roles and for individuals who desire a greater understanding of supervisory and managerial work and to explore personal growth possibilities within agency leadership. This technical assistance and continuing education focuses on the following:

• Introduction to Supervision at Work
• Leadership Principles and Competencies
• Communication Skills for Leaders