Mentoring comes to DHHS

DHHS is piloting a mentoring program designed for women and starting in the Divisions of Social Services and Public Health. The program will open to other DHHS female employees in June of 2006.

The goals of the mentoring program are to increase recruitment, retention, training, and improvement in the work environment for women, including:

• To assist these employees in developing a strategy for career development to increase knowledge, skills, and competencies;
• To increase the recognition of achievement of females; and
• To provide a resource to ensure opportunities are open to female employees and provide access to available information and resources to advance their careers in state government.

The mentoring program was created in response to results obtained from the Special Emphasis Project (SEP), conducted by the Office of State Personnel. The SEP was established to ensure that the state lives up to its responsibility to its employees to provide equitable compensation and a work environment free from discrimination. OSP embarked upon the SEP in 1999. The SEP was designed to ensure a work environment in which all are treated in a fair and equitable manner. The initial focus of the SEP was on African American males and a report of results was presented to the Governor’s Office in May 2004. The most recent group focus under the SEP was females.

The initial meeting for the program was held July 29 with a group of mentors and mentees. Special speakers including Kathy Gruer, DHHS HR director, Pheon Beal, Social Services division director, and program directors Charlene Shabazz and Bonnie Tripp Simmons were invited to kick off the program.

Mentees will have one-on-one sessions with their mentor and attend professional meetings with their mentor to network with people who can assist with their career development. Mentees have created career goals to discuss with their mentors for their initial meeting and have updated their resumes for their mentors to critique.

Mentors will learn new skills in coaching, giving feedback and active listening in a non-supervisory capacity. They will meet quarterly with each other to network and discuss their mentee’s progress.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor or mentee, please contact Lori Millette, project coordinator, at Lori.Millette@ncmail.net, or call 919-733-2940. Training is provided.

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Last Modified: September 1, 2005