Children’s Home Society CEO honored for workforce transformation
April 13, 2023
Children’s Home Society of South Dakota CEO Michelle Lavallee received a national honor Wednesday for the innovative and impactful ways her organization has approached workforce development.
Children’s Bureau Champion Awards are given by the bureau, which is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for outstanding leadership and workforce transformation.
Lavallee and her team developed a national model “for how to create a workplace culture which fosters professional growth, personal respect and leads to positive impacts on the lives of the children the team is blessed to serve,” the organization said in a statement.
Under Lavallee’s leadership, a new employee reward package was created, which includes paying for student loans and higher education, improving time off, competitive insurance coverage and additional benefits.
“I am honored to receive this award on behalf of our 348 employees, our board, benefactors and our community,” Lavallee said. “Empowering our team members and energizing this incredible group of people is not just about building a strong culture. It is about creating an environment in which we can all best serve the children and families we are blessed to share our lives with.”
These benefits have increased staff pride, satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment, the organization said.
“Every day we want the kids we serve to feel like they can do anything in life, overcome any obstacle. Michelle makes our team feel that way too,” team coordinator Blake Bennett said. “The work we do is sometimes hard and emotionally draining, but as an organization, I know people are here to support me too — to make my journey in life meaningful.”
Within the organization’s six core programs, 75 percent of staff provide direct care to people impacted by traumatic events. Because working daily in an emotionally charged environment can lead to burnout, secondary trauma, high turnover and chronic stress, Lavallee has focused on developing a trauma-informed organization, or TIO.
In the past few months, the TIO team has created a one-hour video on adverse childhood experiences, trauma and trauma-informed care grounded in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and ACEs neuroscience for the entire organization. Every employee and board member has watched the video with a goal beyond shared language and understanding. With a trauma-informed lens, employee interactions are grounded in empathy, awareness and accountability, CHS leaders said.
“Michelle impacts and inspires everyone around here,” CHS board member Jack Marsh said.
“She has built a trusted team of engaged, compassionate and skilled professionals. Michelle’s unwavering commitment to staff and those served by CHS means some of the most vulnerable children, youth and families in the state of South Dakota receive care and treatment from a well-equipped, trauma-informed team.”
Another initiative, CHS University, was created as a leadership program not often seen in the nonprofit world. The goals include leadership effectiveness, self-awareness and leveraging individual styles and talents to shape a cohesive team.
“All employers are facing workforce challenges, but in our world, keeping an exceptional and consistent team in place to serve the people we serve is vitally important,” Lavallee said. “So many of the children we care for have lived lives without consistent love and attention. When a little boy or girl sees a familiar face each day here, we know we are providing them a genuine sense of security and connection.”
