PACE Professional Development Program

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

Maricopa County Human Services Department FY22’s PACE initiative is defined as the advancement and fostering of staff professional growth, targeting approaches which focus on strength-based, holistic coaching practices. PACE is a professional development program aimed at setting the “PACE” or the tone for the Department. It is a program which determines the needs of HSD staff and designs appropriate professional development, supports and tools to better meet the needs of their clients. PACE is a relationship and strength-based practice designed toward improving long-term whole-family functioning and its objective is to integrate meaningful relationship-based services that support TRANSFORMATIONAL whole-family well-being. PACE enables its objective by; - Front-line staff helping clients take the lead identifying goals for their defined family - Focusing on the family holistically rather than just one person or what is defined by a funding stream/program - Utilizing different approaches and perspectives to improving outcomes for families Making a shift from a transactional interaction with clients to a transformational approach can be difficult to accomplish, but, necessary in order to; - Offer better ways to assist clients - Have a greater impact on families - Implement proactive prevention - Exercise evidence-based best practices - Maximize front-line staff engagement Maricopa County Human Services Department is committed to PACE as an effective tool that is central to the delivery of high-quality support services that foster strong client outcomes. The Department utilized research-based staff assessment, coordinated coaching strategies and trainings to support the professional development of HSD front-line staff. The model built upon staff’s knowledge, experience, and competencies to improve client-based relationships and their outcomes, leadership support, tools and resources, breaking down intergovernmental silos and engaging partners. Maricopa County Human Services Department’s PACE professional development implementation team measured its front-line staff’s increased PACE engagement, confidence and knowledge through a series of online pre and post self-assessments. Maricopa County (MC) Human Services Department (HSD) also captured the impact of the PACE experience through the eyes of its clients through online evaluations.