Leadership Fellowship Program
Our Leadership Fellowship Program, which is carried out at the Shriver Center in Waltham, MA, has been designed to train seasoned post-graduate practitioners from the core MCHB-defined disciplines who wish to develop or hone skills that will support them as they assume leadership roles in the field of neurodevelopmental and related disabilities.
Leaders must be able to:
- understand the historical context of the field of the neurodevelopmental disabilities and the ways in which consumers, economics, politics, and medical and technological advances drive changes in policy, legislation, and services;
- analyze the form and function of organizations and systems and how change is brought about within them;
- understand how policy is made, the current status of local, state and federal legislative issues, and how one can have an impact on and change those systems;
- formulate a vision of the future and to communicate that vision in a way that enables others to embrace and work toward its realization;
- be clear of his/her values and ethics, and create systems, services, and practices that embody those values;
- interact effectively with others and to lead a diverse workforce in the pursuit of creating services and supports for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.
Fellowship Curriculum
Fellows enrolled in the program are expected to rethink radically the ways in which healthcare is delivered, the content of healthcare services themselves, and the goals of the services. Once they have completed the Shriver LEND program, Fellows will have the leadership skills necessary to bring about substantial change within institutions, organizations and communities. Didactic and experiential components of the curriculum are based on a perspective of integrated service delivery systems rather than on a single institution.
Fellows are required to spend an average of 1 ½ days (Thursday and Friday) on-site per week over a 10-month period and take eight semester-long and one year-long course . The courses are taught at the Shriver Center by Shriver faculty and are fully credited by another of our partners, Suffolk University School of Management toward a Masters Degree in Health Administration (MHA) or Public Administration (MPA) at Suffolk University. The MHA degree is available tuition free to Fellows who currently have a master's degree in related fields and at a reduced rate to other qualified applicants. The MPA is available at a reduced rate to all qualified applicants.
Stipends
Fellows are eligible to receive a stipend of $10,000 for participation in the program 1 ½ days per week. Fellows who wish to obtain the Masters in Health Administration (MHA) degree or the Masters in Public Administration (MPA) degree from Suffolk University, may use their stipends toward payment of the tuition for the program. Under those circumstances, the stipend will be combined with Suffolk’s scholarship program, allowing for the reduced (or absent) tuition costs described above. Fellows who do not wish to obtain a Master’s degree may receive the stipend as income to supplement their time away from work.
Qualified Applicants
To be accepted into the program as an advanced Leadership Fellow, an applicant must possess a terminal degree in one of the twelve academic core disciplines. With the approval of MCHB, degrees in other disciplines (such as law, education, genetic counseling, etc.) may be eligible for the program.
Other criteria for acceptance into the program as a Fellow include the applicant’s:
- clinical experience in working with children, adolescents, or adults with neurodevelopmental or related disabilities and their families;
- leadership potential as suggested by professional and other experiences and LEND program interviews;
- interest in improving the health status of people with neurodevelopmental and related disabilities and their families;
- commitment to continue serving the MCH community following graduation from the LEND Program;
- career goals that are consonant with the LEND Program goals;
- academic record as indicated by college and graduate school transcripts;
- ability to commit the necessary time to successfully complete the program.