The Equity-Grounded Leadership (EGL) Fellow Program is an immersive 11-month leadership development experience. Each cohort is comprised of up to 25 current or emerging leaders with learned and lived experience who have a deep desire to effect change in their organizations, communities, or regions.
Program Structure
Fellows are selected through an application process to engage in 11 months of guided and self-directed program content. This includes in-person and virtual cohort meetings where Fellows participate in facilitated dialogue, hear from subject-matter experts, and engage in time for self-reflection. They also work with advisors on projects, receive individualized coaching, and engage in a variety of self-paced learning opportunities tailored to their individual or project goals.
Skill-Building Methods
Fellows develop their skill and confidence as an equity-grounded leader through four primary methods of engagement:
- Curriculum: Leaders expand their knowledge and build experience in the Principles of Change
- Facilitation: Leaders are guided by facilitators who foster a safe space for collaboration and learning
- Mentorship: Leaders receive group and individualized support through coaches, advisors, and their peers
- Collaboration: Leaders learn by doing through their participation in community-driven, meaningful, collaborative projects
The Fellow Program supports the development of leadership skills and confidence by:
- Focusing on the individual as a leader. Participants learn to lead visibly and with confidence as their authentic selves. Personal goals are identified, and progress is measured.
- Prioritizing the power of relationships. Long-lasting relationships are cultivated with other leaders and the broader community that continue beyond the Program. The cohort develops a shared vision, and facilitators deliver the curriculum in a person-centered versus hierarchical approach to emphasize competencies aligned with the vision.
- Spurring collective action. Participants take action through experiential learning. They co-produce transformative solutions through project design, development, and implementation that result in collective change for their organization, community, or region. Projects are directly aligned with work that already is or needs to occur and are thus supportive of existing (or necessary) efforts within the Fellow’s organization, community, or region.
- Adapting content and approach based on individual and cohort experiences, goals, and needs. Fellows in each cohort are unique and thus the program curriculum is delivered in a way that meets their unique needs and goals as leaders. Coaches and advisors are matched to Fellows based on shared interests, experiences, or skill sets.
Experiential Projects
One of the most impactful components of the Equity-Grounded Leadership Fellow Program is creating and implementing experiential projects to improve equity in behavioral health systems and services in Fellows’ organizations, communities, and/or regions. Fellows will work to design and implement these projects with the support of project advisors and the evaluation team. View examples of projects from the Pilot Cohort.
Program Supports
Each Equity-Grounded Leadership Fellow Program cohort is led by an experienced and committed team of leadership coaches, advisors, facilitators, and wellness coaches. The supports are assembled to meet the cohort’s needs, goals, and experiences. This unique expert matching ensures that a cohort’s Program Support Team is committed to the Fellow’s development and well-being and is prepared to respond.
- Program Team: The Program Team is on hand to support Fellows through every step of their journey.
- Co-Facilitators: Program co-facilitators assist cohorts with content expertise and application.
- Program Management: Each cohort has a program manager and coordinator to support the day-to-day operations of the program.
- Personal Coach: Fellows are matched with a leadership coach who will support their individual equity-grounded leadership development.
- Project Advisor: The advisors will guide and support Fellows and their assigned groups through their collaborative projects.
- Evaluation Team: Each cohort’s development is assessed through evaluation, and Fellows receive individual evaluation guidance on their collaborative projects.
- Wellness Coach: Fellows can meet with a wellness coach to support their wellbeing.
- Peer Support: Fellows support their cohort colleagues throughout the experience, serving as peers to co-create the Fellow Program experience.
Past Cohorts
The development of the Equity-Grounded Leadership Fellow Program followed more than a year of co-producing the concept with leaders nationwide. Through focused dialogues, CBHL sought to understand experiences, needs, and barriers to advancing health equity in organizations and communities. This feedback was used to inform the Fellow program content and structure.