Certificate of Leadership FAQ

Certificate in Leadership FAQs


The Certificate of Leadership program is a program that provides a multitude of ways for a participant to do self-investigation and discovery about their leadership style and development. The program then provides a flexible format for the application of this discovery and charting of the leadership path moving forward. To offer more perspective on the program, we consulted with past participants to develop these FAQs.

Have questions you don’t see on here? Contact AAMFT at central@aamft.org for more information!

How do I know if this program is right for me? Am I the right person for this program?
Anyone interested in leadership but isn't quite sure how to make those first steps, or feels stuck where they are at and looking to get unstuck, is perfect for this program. Graduate students just coming into the field, to seasoned clinicians or academics who have been doing this work for decades, all have valuable lessons to learn. Leadership is a life-long journey and it needs constant nurturing and challenging to continue to evolve and grow.

What if I don’t finish in time?
We recognize that some journeys are longer than others and to be honest, sometimes life gets in the way. We offer one deferment to the cohort immediately following yours if you need some extra time. We can’t guarantee your mentor can continue on with you, but we will make all attempts to pair you with someone else. * And if you don’t finish at all, well that’s ok too. The program offers several hours of continuing education credit and a lot of takeaways and skills that can be used in your personal and professional development.
        
I’m a busy person. I’m afraid this program will be too much for me. What kind of time commitment am I looking at?
As one recent certificate recipient told us, “The leadership certificate is not such a large time commitment that it couldn't be worked into anyone's busy work schedule. Because the final portfolio project is "what you make of it," it's very adaptable to your schedule and ongoing work you may already be engaged in.” If leadership development is truly a passion of yours, this program might be just what you need in your busy life. It helps to keep you organized and focused on challenging yourself to grow and strengthen your skills. Many of our successful certificate recipients have submitted portfolios where they indicated this program actually helped them achieve their next career goal or break through where they were stuck by challenging them to face things head
on.

How are my mentor and I paired? What is their role in this process?
Cohorts and mentors are both asked to fill out a survey indicating their leadership styles and goals for the program. These are used as a guide to help create pairings. One of our Certificate recipients remarked, “Mentors serve as helpful guide through this process, orienting you to the field as someone who has already been engaged in some type of leadership within the organization. (In my experience) Mentors are intended to scaffold your growth by meeting with you regularly, helping you develop your leadership skills, and offering support as you brainstorm and work on your final portfolio project.”

Where can I see the steps that need to be completed?
This checklist provided as part of this FAQ outlines the deliverables for the program for you. Most of the skills acquisition activities are due in phase one of the program. Phase two is your portfolio development period and is designed by you.

Who can I speak with when I have questions during the program?
The Certificate Program has a dedicated AAMFT staff member to help support you with questions about the program. And your mentor is always a great person to help you navigate. The program also connects you with the other members of your cohort to offer support.

How are the Certificates awarded?
To receive the Certificate of Leadership, a participant will first need to complete all of the required elements of the training. The final stage is to develop a portfolio project proposal, complete the project and submit this, along with personal reflections, to the Certificate Portfolio Review Committee. The Certificate Portfolio Review Committee will ultimately award the Certificates. Members of this committee are available to participants at multiple opportunities throughout the program to answer questions, provide clarification, and give feedback on project proposals.

*Deferments are not available for scholarship recipients. Those receiving scholarships should plan to complete the program with their assigned cohort.

Certificate in Leadership Checklist


This checklist is designed to help keep you on track during this process.

Phase 1- Skills Acquisition
The Certificate of Leadership program is divided into two phases: Phase 1 is Skills Acquisition and it lasts approximately six months. The start of this will be completed with your attendance at the Leadership Symposium.

  • Training at the 2023 Leadership Symposium (March 9 – 11, 2023)
  • Mentoring pairing with experienced LMFT leader
  • Submission of a blog or Network post in the online community of the Leadership

Network

  • Online trainings via Teneo, AAMFT’s online learning center
  • DiSC inventory
  • Certificate of Leadership Day (virtual event held on November 2, 2023)

Phase 2- Skills Application
Phase two begins at the conclusion of the Certificate of Leadership Day and lasts approximately one year. This is the skills application phase. During this phase you will develop your leadership portfolio utilizing the skills and lessons learned during phase
one of the program.

  • Portfolio proposal development and consultation with mentor
  • Portfolio proposal and mentor signature page submission (due December 15, 2023)
  • Portfolio development with continued consultation with mentor
  • Submission of the portfolio to the Portfolio Review Committee (due by July 15, 2024)
  • Award of 2023– 2024 cohort certificates