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February 2016
Policy&Practice
3
director‘s
memo
By Tracy Wareing Evans
T
he theme of this issue is one of
my personal favorites because it
shines a spotlight on what it takes to
lead our field in transformation, and
illustrates the complex context within
which health and human service leaders
operate daily. The issues we face are
not linear, simple, or predictable. They
do not fit neatly into electoral cycles or
grant timelines. They involve many fluc-
tuating actors, conditions, and norms.
Despite these complexities, health
and human service leaders across the
nation are boldly leading their agencies
through transformative changes.
Leaders within our field are asking
themselves:
How do we move from managing
people to managing networks?
Boldly Leading Through an Ever-Changing
Human Service Landscape
Illustration via Shutterstock
How do we move from managing
programs to managing resources
and systems?
How do we shift focus from program
delivery focused on a single pre-
senting issue to a prevention and
population-based health lens that
addresses risks before they lead to
problems?
At APHSA, I have the honor of
working with these transformative
leaders every day. I am humbled by
the stamina, spirit, and smarts that
our members and partners bring to
the table. As we enter a pivotal year
marked by a presidential election and
national debate around the growing
income divide, we do well to keep
the insights of these leaders at the
forefront of our thinking. Below, I’ve
highlighted just a few ways in which
the talented leaders within this field
are steering our collective work:
Framing Matters.
Framing is
critical. As APHSA Board President
and Commissioner of the Tennessee
Department of Human Services,
Dr. Raquel Hatter, has noted: “How
we speak about our work matters.
We have to speak strategically and
artfully, creating a degree of cognitive
dissonance that gets people to think
differently about something that they
have believed in for a long time.”
See Director’s Memo on page 30