What is Raptor?

A couple of years ago we as an organization made the decision purchase a technology that has helped us keep the children in our facility a little bit safer. The technology is called Raptor and it is an instant scan of the nationwide sex offenders database. The database is automatically scanned twice a year with the names of all of our members, volunteers, and employees.

However, this is also a tool that we employ in the hiring process. This means that each new hire is put through a three step background check. First, a state (or national is needed) criminal background check is completed. Then a child abuse check is completed through DCFS, and the final step is done through Raptor.

This, combined with our Child Abuse Prevention training, illustrates how important member and participant safety is to The Y.

Please contact the Director of Business Operations for more information on Raptor or with ideas on how utilize this technology in other ways.

Balance of Give and Take

There was a great article in the December/January is of AYP Magazine on the importance of balancing being a "Giver" and being a "Taker". You can download the article here.

Even if you feel you knew that this was important the visual above alone is worth looking at. Measure where you are at on this scale and make an effort to realign your balance.

Training With Redwoods Online

As an association we partnered with The Redwoods Group back in October of 2010, and over the last year with improved in several areas as a result. The next step in that partnership is the on-line learning piece. This falls perfectly inline with our focus on becoming a learning organization.

Redwoods, through their Redwoods Institute Online Training Site, will help up deliver our core mandatory training's, Blood Borne Pathogens, Child Abuse Prevention, and Sexual Harassment Prevention. However, it will also deliver many other training's and resources in all department and at all levels.

To begin learning visit this site, and click on "I Am A New User". You will then need to enter your state, select our disorganization, and enter the access code "001757". When you enroll in a class it will tell you how long the course is and will let you either begin the course immediately or save it in your course list for up to six month. Keep in mind the mandatory training's need to be completed in your first 90 days on employment.

Leadership Competency Model Overview

In 2010, The Y as a movement began to focus on developing cause-driven leaders and to that end presented a new model for growth, learn, and leading. The overarching model is above and the learning model is below.

The Y’s Leadership Competency Model is:
 1. organized by four disciplines of cause-driven leadership
* Mission Advancement
* Collaboration
* Operational Effectiveness
* Personal Growth

2. comprised of 18 leadership competencies (leadership knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for success in the Y)

3. Organized into levels of leadership
* Leader
* Team Leader
* Multi-Team or Branch Leader
* Organizational Leader

Here is a power point to help further explain the model and how to apply it to your career.

Further learning on this model can be found within the LCM Guide, and you can download the LCM Guide here.

New Hire Orientation