About the Institute

What is the Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals (Institute)?

The Institute offers Family Support Professionals everywhere the opportunity to learn new skills and grow their careers. Through engaging, online modules and a personalized learning map feature, professionals take charge of their growth and advancement.

The Institute is being developed through a Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Innovation Award by building upon previous work of project partners to enhance professional development across the field.

Who are the partners in the Institute?

Iowa Department of Public Health and Virginia Department of Health are co-leads on this 2-year MIECHV Innovation Award.

Early Impact Virginia is supporting the work by providing Virginia’s existing e-learning modules and supporting the software design through their role in alpha and beta testing.

James Madison University’s Health Education Design Group is designing learning modules that adhere to best practices in adult learning and include interactive elements such as games and 360-degree video.

The University of Kansas’s Center for Public Partnerships & Research is designing software that allows professionals to identify pathways to achieve desired skills or competencies.

What is My Career Compass?

The dynamic learning map, My Career Compass, guides users through e-learning modules to develop the highest level of proficiency in topics like Early Childhood Development, Mental Health, and Cultural Competency. Project partners are building the Career Compass by mapping domains and competencies aggregated from all 50 states.

Today’s digital landscape offers the potential to radically change the way home visitors engage with families, access resources in the community, and ultimately develop into highly-qualified professionals. The Institute’s dynamic learning map offers educational opportunities in the digital sphere that provide an overall roadmap of competencies leading to quality service delivery, and illuminates career pathways for home visitors.

To learn more about the Career Compass, please watch this video.

What is the ASTHVI Expert Panel?

The ASTHVI Expert Panel was created through funding from the Heising Simons Foundation with the goal of acting as steering committee of subject-matter experts in the field of home visiting and family support for the Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals. The Expert Panel provides recommendations and guidance for the development team for the Institute.

The Expert Panel consists of the following members: