The Alabama Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership Network recently gathered for a joint networking event on the UAB campus.

Post-graduate and graduate-level trainees from the Leadership Education in Pediatric Education (LEPN) Program, Leadership Education in Adolescent Medicine (LEAH) Program, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Program, and the Pediatric Pulmonary Center (PPC) learned about other MCH funded training grants and engaged with trainees from 10 different disciplines (audiology, dental, family leadership, nutrition, nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, respiratory therapy, social work, and speech/language pathology).

Following the meet and greet trainees participated in an interactive session discussing their strengths using the CliftonStrengths assessment tool.

The Alabama MCH Network thought it would be a great opportunity to have all programs participate in the session as a group, although trainees have completed the CliftonStrengths assessments within their individual programs in previous years.

Participation in the assessment and interactive session targets many MCH leadership competencies, including self-reflection, communication, and interdisciplinary/interprofessional team building. The UAB MCH programs integrate the information learned from the CliftonStrengths sessions throughout the training year to guide individual and collaborative group learning activities to support their development as future leaders in MCH.