Indiana Community Action Network E-newsletter

April 2021

You have access to free coaching and HR consultation. But you need to act today.

In celebration of International Coaching Week (May 17-23), the Indiana chapter of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) is providing pro-bono, professional coaching sessions to our Community Action Network. But in order to take advantage of this free opportunity, you must RSVP by Friday, April 30. Act now!

What is it?

Free, professional coaching services are available to provide support, encouragement and development. Coaches can work with participants on productivity, leadership, a professional challenge, a personal fork in the road, and many other things. It could be a great place to work on anti-racism issues or to talk through how to keep doing this work with COVID looming large.

The theme for this year’s pro-bono program is Defying Challenging Times. With the range of economic, emotional, social and physical-world issues that you help Hoosiers navigate on a daily basis, it’s never been more important for you — as a leader serving on the front lines — to also receive support, recharge your resilience and take positive action now for what still lies ahead.

Who is eligible?

All who are interested are invited to enroll. This program is especially fitting for experienced directors, up-and-coming leaders, experienced managers and new supervisors.

How does it work?

• Each INCAA leader will receive two to three hours (two or three sessions up to an hour each) of confidential, individual coaching support from a single coach who is a member of ICF-Indiana. You and your coach will decide meeting cadence and duration.
• Coaching will begin in mid-May and conclude in July.
• Included in the program is a complimentary assessment to help you reconnect with your core values, motivations and drivers to take action to leverage your strengths, build self-awareness and thrive in challenging times.

There is NO expectation that you will solicit services from your coach in the future.  This is NOT a sales tactic on their part. This is purely the Indiana chapter of ICF's efforts to use their services for good. They wanted to make that point very clear. 

How do I register?

To register for the program, click here to complete & submit the enrollment form. You must enroll by Friday, April 30.

Call Amy Carter, Indiana Training Institute, at 317-638-4232 or email her at [email protected] with any questions.

“You deserve to be recognized for your hard work,” Amy says. “I hope you will take these coaches up on their offer to serve you.”

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Plan to attend these upcoming trainings!

Click on a training name’s link to be directed to the registration page. If no link is included, the registration is not yet active. Save the dates and visit the calendar on the INCAA website later to register.

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CAPWI staff focus on trauma-informed care when delivering Head Start services

Community Action Program, Inc. of Western Indiana (CAPWI) is taking a new approach to training — and evaluating its training of — its Head Start and Early Head Start program staff. Fifty-six staff members are engaging in a two-year, trauma-informed care initiative that involves training team members to approach their interactions with students with an extra level of sensitivity to the likelihood that these children have experienced some form of trauma in their lives.

Focusing on providing trauma-informed care is a cultural shift that includes practices such as educating all staff about the impact of trauma, creating a safe and supportive environment for students, and implementing tools that are helpful in assessing whether a student has experienced trauma. It also ensures that teachers and other staff are aware of their own attitudes and beliefs when it comes to the effect traumatic experiences have on children.

CAPWI is also using an online tool called the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC) Scale to measure staff attitudes toward this culture of providing services to children while being aware of and sensitive to the likelihood of some students having experienced childhood trauma.

CAPWI administered the scale before the first round of training and after, and its leaders are using the results to assess the impact of training, target resources where results show there is an additional need, and is focus on reflective supervision — all in an effort to improve its staff’s focus on providing trauma-informed care.

CAPWI Child Development Services specialist Kim Swinson shared with the Traumatic Stress Institute that, “Staff ARTIC scores have supported training efforts to strengthen the use of empathy (instead of control) as a means for supporting children and their families, and to better understand and support staff who struggle with their own histories of adversity and trauma, including vicarious trauma.”

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Above, clockwise from top left: Heritage Homes, Clugston on the Square and Whitley Meadows Apartments are Whitley Crossings' current communities. The fourth image is of the future site of Oak Street Place.

Brightpoint takes over management of low- to moderate-income housing community

Previously affiliated with a not-for-profit organization committed to supporting people with disabilities, Whitley Crossings Neighborhood Corporation in Columbia City is now under the care and management of Brightpoint.

The formal transition to Brightpoint began in March and was the culmination of many months of planning designed to better serve the people of Whitley County. Under Brightpoint’s care, the housing community can better focus on removing the causes and conditions of poverty for its residents.

The Whitley Crossings Neighborhood Corporation features three distinctive and affordable lifestyle opportunities for low- to moderate-income individuals and families: Clugston on the Square, Heritage Homes and Whitley Meadows. A fourth community, Oak Street Place, is currently in development, with plans for completion by April of next year.

“Brightpoint has a long history of serving Whitley County with a wide variety of programs,” says Brightpoint President and CEO Steve Hoffman, “and we have developed affordable housing in other areas of northeast Indiana. We’re excited about this new opportunity.”

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Pace wants to make sure financial challenges don’t stand in the way of STEM camp attendance, despite not being able to offer a program of its own

Pace Community Action Agency, Inc., is expanding its STEM camp scholarship program to include both girls and boys from Daviess, Greene, Knox and Sullivan Counties.

In the past, STEM camp scholarships were available for girls in the service area, while Pace hosted its own program for boys. Pace will not be offering that program, Boys and Beyond, in 2021, due to COVID-19. Instead, Pace encourages both boys and girls to attend a third-party camp focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

“These scholarships are a valuable way we can help ensure that all kids have access to a variety of educational experiences,” says Dr. Bertha Proctor, Pace CEO. They are Pace’s way of making sure that financial issues do not stop low-income youth from learning skills in STEM-related fields, while encouraging their own self-reliance.

STEM-related careers are one of the fastest-growing fields in the job industry with above-average pay. According to STEM Occupations: Past, Present, and Future by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage for employees in STEM occupations is $87,570, nearly double the national average wage for non-STEM occupations.

Pace lists several day and overnight local camp options on its website, but camps do not have to be located within the Pace service area. Details and instructions for applying for the scholarship are available on the Pace website.

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Pace provides COVID assistance to households of a broad range of incomes, thanks to United Way of Daviess County

COVID-19 continues to have a financial impact on families in our communities.

In Daviess County, United Way and Pace have joined together to address these needs. United Way of Daviess County (UWDC) has provided Pace with a generous, $20,000 grant to continue providing service to county residents, including children enrolled in Head Start.

The funds don’t have the same income restrictions other Pace programs do. Pace has noticed that more individuals from higher incomes are requesting assistance.

“I was advised that employees who have been on quarantine for two weeks are concerned with how they are going to cover their rent and utilities, and buy necessities from missing time from work. These funds can provide relief!” says UWDC Executive Director Zella Taylor. “The funds are part of the UWDC ERI grant that was received from the Lilly Endowment and IUW, our state association.”

Pace will provide assistance with water and utility bills, technology expenses, health care expenses and more. With a letter from an employer stating that an individual has been off work for COVID quarantine, some may be eligible for a financial stipend.

The application can be found on the Pace website.

Lincoln Hills Development Corporation's golf outing is coming in May! 

Lincoln Hills Development Corporation’s (LHDC’s) 6th Annual Golf Outing to raise funds to support its programs and services is coming May 21. It will be held at Christmas Lake Golf Course in Santa Claus, Ind.

Several sponsorship opportunities are available for corporate partners and individual teams, including:

• Lunch sponsor (maximum 1): $1,000
• Corporate sponsor: $650
• Individual teams: $400

Some sponsorships come with course-advantage packs, which include mulligans and closer-than-normal tee-offs.

There will be food, drinks and many prizes. Enjoy this fun-filled day while supporting an important cause! More information and registration are available online.

P.S. Watch the LHDC Facebook page and website now through the end of May for testimonials from employees and board members who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Learn why they chose to be vaccinated, if they experienced side effects and more. The testimonials are part of LHDC’s mission to promote and shed light on the importance and availability of the vaccine.

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