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Orientation & Support for Area Department Workers

Peggy Wiedmeyer, USWD Publications/Online

Over the last few years, USWD staff has tried to give Area Leaders, especially those involved in Area-level work such as  Area Council members and other administrators, more freedom, flexibility, choices and decision-making authority. Unfortunately that meant we didn’t always provide the concrete examples or “hands-on” support that some people wanted. In an effort to be less controlling, we erred by sometimes not giving enough direction. Consequently, since spring 2007 we’ve recommitted to orienting and supporting Leaders doing these tasks in a responsive and customized way.

Area Event Planners
Staff support for Area event planners is currently provided by Gail Gesley (backed up by Sue Garcia, So. CA/NV ACS) and Patricia DuBray. The USWD Events Handbook, a guidebook for Area Coordinators of Events (ACEs) and other LLL event planners, is being updated. What’s new about this project is that the work is open to participation by all Leaders who are interested in working on it. The three main writers so far have been one USWD Staff member, a former ACE (Patty Jacobs), and an Area events team member (Fran Dereszynski), with lots of input from the current ACEs. Every Western Division ACE received a draft of this updated handbook at the 2007 LLLI Conference.

Area Leader Departments
Staff support for Area Leader Departments is currently provided by Wista Waldroop, with back-up help provided by Peggy Wiedmeyer. Mentors have been added to the Leader Department to provide more support. This department also has a step-by-step orientation that is directed by each new Area Coordinator of Leaders (ACL), according to her needs and work style. The DA Notebook has been updated, and all ACLs have received information about working with agreements as well as one-on-one help from Wista and the two mentors.

Area Communications Coordinators (ACC)
Area Leaders’ Letter Editors (ALLE)
Staff support for ACCs and ALLEs is currently provided by Peggy Wiedmeyer and Deirdre Knowles. New ACCs and ALLEs receive personal contact via email and/or phone calls. They are encouraged to tell their support person what kind of support they want and need, based on their previous publications experience. The Publications Department now sends paper memos via surface mail every two-three months. The USWD Publications Notebook, which has been available online since July 2006, has been printed and mailed to any ACC or ALLE who wanted one but didn’t want to have to print it herself. All ACCs and ALLEs who were not able to attend the GSPS and/or LLLI Conference received handouts that were shared in Chicago.

Area Professional Liaison Department
Staff support for Professional Liaison Leaders is currently provided by Kelley Baer, with back-up help provided by Becky Hugh. The Professional Liaison Department has provided all of the PL Leaders with new PL Notebooks. Each new PL Leader who is appointed receives a personal phone call to go over things like the Health Advisory Council and the Legal Advisory Council, and how to access them. They also cover general PL issues, and are told that the USWD PLD is available whenever they are needed. Follow-up calls are made as needed, as are contacts by email. If a new PL Leader does not have a former PL Leader from her Area, who can orient her to the job and to Area Council work in her Area, then the staff PLD gives more individual one-on-one attention and help.

Communication Skills Instructors (CSI)
USWD Staff support for CSIs and Communication Skills Facilitators (CSFs) is currently provided by Sue Scott, Rosetta Bartels and Misty Dunn, with additional support provided by Deirdre Knowles. Prospective CSIs communicate with one or more of the Communication Skills Instructor-Trainers (CSITs) Sue, Rosetta, or Misty for orientation and training. Customized orientation includes personal planning for the prospective CSIs’ learning experience, a comprehensive CSI Toolbox and face-to-face training to practice the skills and facilitation of sessions, personal letters giving feedback to sessions the new CSI has led, plus phone-coaching, if desired, to prepare for sessions. The USWD CS Workgroup is always available for feedback and assistance with any CS-related projects or questions; resources are provided in our online files, and CN discussion groups. In addition, the CS Workgroup offers to coach CSIs, Leaders and/or Area Council Team members with difficult conversations.

Finance
Staff support for Area Finance Coordinators and Treasurers (AFCs/ATs) is currently provided by Becky Hugh, with additional support provided by Bill Dunn. Also coming on board as a mentor is Susan Geil, former AFC of Illinois. Finance folks received new notebooks including a new orientation checklist. The notebook is designed to be a living document with changes and additions being incorporated at the suggestions of those doing the work. This notebook will soon be housed on the USWD Website in the finance pages. Special additional handouts were created to help disseminate information about the new tiered membership program and organizational data system at LLLI.

Coordinator of Leader Accreditation (CLA)
Staff support for CLAs is currently provided by Lori Bryan and Sherryl Dombeck.

This is an overview of how USWD staff works to support Areas; it’s not meant to be limiting. In addition, members of staff want to be available for help or consultation however we are needed.

A directory of USWD Staff and mentors can be found here.