Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “For the best return on your money, pour your purse into your head.” Even in the midst of uncertain times brought about by the coronavirus, an emphasis on training and professional development remains paramount to CCH’s success. 
“CCH is committed to ensuring our staff has the required knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of our residents and the properties we manage,” says CCH President and CEO Syd Najeeb.
Syd adds that necessity is the mother of (re)invention. “We are grateful for the flexibility of our employees who have been very receptive to receiving training in new ways,” he shares. “We have re-sculpted many of our programs to ensure training continues in a virtual format. The process, so far, has gone exceedingly well.”
To date, more than 150 employees virtually attended CCH’s Annual Fair Housing training to get the latest updates, policy changes and new requirements of the Fair Housing Act. Enacted as part of the expanded Civil Rights Act of 1968, the Act seeks to ensure all citizens, regardless of race, creed, national original, religion, sexual preference or disability, have an equal opportunity to fair housing. The training keeps employees abreast of the latest development so they are knowledgeable and can adhere to appropriate rules and regulations.
Staff also completed mandatory COVID-19 training to review how to best manage the impacts of the virus. Employees were asked to sign a pledge indicating their willingness to adhere to CCH’s COVID-19 prevention guidelines. The pledge affirms CCH employees’ commitment to protecting the health and welfare of the workplace and keeping themselves and others safe.
Additionally, CCH rolled out Diversity Awareness Training this year to all corporate and site staff. As a culturally-diverse organization, CCH supports the inclusion of collective voices from different cultures and backgrounds in shaping CCH’s core values. Through diversity training, CCH is able to reinforce the intrinsic value of inclusion and to weed out unconscious bias which can cause damage to an organization’s reputation and its goodwill within the community.
CCH also continues to support professional development programs. A record 35 social service coordinators attended this year’s virtual conference of the American Association of Service Coordinators (AASC), held September 1–3. This is the largest gathering of social service professionals in the country and enables staff to learn first-hand about new developments and the latest innovations in the field.
“We are deeply committed to training and enabling our staff to have the latest updates to improve their job performance,” Syd shares. “By attending conferences, such as the AASC, and participating in ongoing educational programs, our staff is able to stay abreast of best practices and to bring back this knowledge to enhance the workplace.”
