Reflections on Growth Within the Spiral

By Sandy Smolnicky

Growing up is never easy, even under the best of circumstances. For troubled youngsters, the challenge is infinitely harder. Since 1986, Family Advocacy Services, Inc.; has helped emotionally challenged children and youth ages 12-21, and their families 24 hours a day, 7 day a week. Serving approximately 225 children each day, and with an annual revenue of upwards of $15 million, the Family Advocacy Services, Inc.; approaches each day "One kid at a time-one success at a time."

Staff model relationships and approaches to problems and conflicts and stress in the world. Through this we teach young people how to live productive fulfilling lives and be of service to others. Finally, because of the need for youth to be socialized, we are involved and can effect change with the communities in which we are located. The programming at Family Advocacy Services, Inc.; is successful only with multiple interventions which are completely integrated by a team of professionals.

Effective, high-functioning teams are required for each youth to be successful. Teams must handle stress, crisis, coordination, and traffic, yet at the same time ensure the safety of the child and community, and impart a sense of hope, support and structure to the youth in their respective treatment programs. Team Spirit for Intact Teams has been embraced as our core strategic process to deepen and maintain a sense of "team approach and connection" in this type of community-based treatment setting.

In October 1997, 16 Family Advocacy Services, Inc.; managers and consultants in key leadership positions were certified as Facilitator/Consultants. Five more will be certified by March 1998. At the conclusion of the Certification, consensus was reached by the group to utilize the resulting roster of trainers and resources to implement Team Spirit to intact teams in the organization, and for all new employees. Four members of the newly trained team of Facilitator/Consultants were entrusted to:

• Conduct a series of individual interviews and meetings with each department coordinator regarding the implementation of the training at Family Advocacy Services, Inc.;
• Collect, summarize, and analyze data;
• Recommend a plan for implementation of Team Spirit at Family Advocacy Services, Inc.; and,
• Compile and present this material as a report and meeting within 30 days.

The resulting report revealed astounding commitment to the model. The Team Spirit Facilitator/Consultant retreat created a momentum, which was exciting but complex to implement. Logistics related to training need to be balanced with the daily work and concerns of Family Advocacy Services, Inc. Our biggest challenge is maintaining coverage of the daily program to the children and families in our organization while key people are in training.

Family Advocacy Services, Inc.; conducted in-house sessions for all 200 staff. The two-day workshop with up to ten cross-functional employees was conducted weekly by rotating teams of two in-house Facilitator/Consultants over a six-month period. At least two Facilitator/Consultants have decided to pursue Associate Status. Training our Foster Parents is planned after all staff has completed the training. Although our facilitators express anxiety about preparing for the sessions, there is no shortage of facilitators willing to step up to the task ahead.

Numerous internal and external forces and events associated with growth of Family Advocacy Services' journey have, over time, tested the strength of the vision we have to serve children and families. The personal, creative quest for the truth in ourselves extends into the organization's challenges. Our personal and collective quest for truth in each daily situation leads to the next creative step toward growth. Creativity and inclusiveness are required for the sense of unity and community we endeavor to create with our clients, our stakeholders and the authorities which govern us.

Team Spirit and the spiral techniques/structure brought an enormous sense of relief and challenge to Family Advocacy Services, Inc. We have embraced a team development structure, which tapped our personal and corporate natural tendency toward spirit filled growth. We have begun to teach our employees, in some cases our families, as we strive to live the model daily.

Sandy is President of Dockside Solutions, Inc. a for-profit Maryland corporation whose mission is to provide consulting services to individuals and groups who serve children, youth and families. 410-381-2326