Agency CEOs Must Lead, Advocate, and Champion Self-Care and Wellness

by Jennifer Hancock, MSW, LCSW

     I have been reflecting on what it means to lead, advocate and champion wellness, as President/CEO of Volunteers of America (VOA) Mid-States. Our organization, like most not-for-profits, is challenged by the pace of change and complexity of the social problems we seek to solve. This question stays on my mind daily: How do we invest in our people to support their ability to sustain under these pressures?

     VOA has five core values: diversity, integrity, justice, compassion, and commitment.  These values are not only integral to our work with those we serve, but also how we approach our relationship as an organization with the hardworking people who are my colleagues. Our core values influence how we make hiring decisions, evaluate performance, and unite all stakeholders.

     An exceptional example of our core values in action is an agency-wide wellness initiative.  This initiative was developed through a purposeful and participatory process, which included engaging external experts in self-care and organizational wellness. Rather than senior leadership crafting a plan based on their world view, our consultants facilitated a process to go directly to the source. We engaged a diverse group of employees with more direct connection and commitment to our clients, i.e., our direct service professionals. Honoring the integrity of their work by prioritizing their ideas was essential. With insightful feedback of our direct service professionals in hand, our external consultants and human resources leadership designed a multi-faceted wellness program. 

     One component of our wellness initiative is the Patricia Cummings Scholarship. Named after a former board member and social worker, this fund is designed to invest in VOA employees who identify a self-care need but need funds to make the investment. This fund recognizes that maintaining the highest level of compassion for those we serve and for each other requires a deliberate plan to continuously invest in ourselves.

     This scholarship is just one of myriad activities that we’ve institutionalized and continue to implement in our organization. We aren’t perfect. We’re always learning from this process. For instance, with programs spread across five states and many employees working in remote locations, we constantly must consider the justice of how to invest so that everyone benefits, equitably. A continuous quality improvement spirit is deeply embedded in our process. Thus, every meeting, we ask: “What are we missing?  Who else needs to be at this table to inform our work?”

     I know that to have authentic and impactful employee wellness, I must own my part. And, for me, this includes not just investing in wellness and participating in the process on behalf of the organization, but also participating in my own wellness. I would be an imposter if I weren’t devoted to my own self-care. For me, that congruence is where my true leadership credibility rests.

     Happy Social Work Month! May we celebrate our field with an even more purposeful resolve to make self-care a part of our practice! As a CEO, I am committed to lead, advocate, and champion self-care and wellness. Will you join me?

A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Jennifer Hancock, MSW, LCSW, is the President and CEO of Volunteers of America of Mid-States. Jennifer earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Kentucky, where she developed the foundation for her career dedicated to social justice and serving those who most need our community’s support and advocacy. She has done that in multiple capacities over the past 20 years, including the past eleven years with Volunteers of America Mid-States. Jennifer also operates a private practice in mental health counseling services and is adjunct faculty at the University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work. In addition, Jennifer gives her time as a board and committee member to Kentucky Children’s Justice Act Task Force, State of Kentucky Corrections Commission, The Leadership Louisville Center, Community Shield, Rotary Club of Louisville, Louisville Resilience Steering Committee, Louisville Agenda Steering Committee, and as an Advisory Council Member of Young Professionals Association of Louisville.