Building Confident, Compassionate Leaders in Behavioral Health
Maximize Leader Performance
Effective leadership is at the heart of every successful behavioral health system. To help build that strength across organizations, KingFisher Services partnered with the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) to design and deliver a Leadership Academy that empowers professionals to lead with confidence, compassion, and clarity.
This four-month professional development program combines in-person and virtual learning to make leadership training both accessible and engaging. Participants complete 22 hours of guided instruction exploring essential topics such as:
- Trauma-Informed Leadership – Leading with empathy and awareness in complex environments.
- Effective Communication – Fostering trust, collaboration, and accountability.
- Stress Management & Work-Life Balance – Supporting wellness and preventing burnout.
- Practical Application – Translating learning into actionable workplace strategies.
Since its launch, the program has helped strengthen organizations across New York State’s behavioral health system. Graduates report enhanced confidence, improved communication, and greater team cohesion—outcomes that directly support workforce stability and service quality.
The initiative’s hybrid delivery and structured format make it ideal for both emerging and seasoned leaders, while its success demonstrates how targeted leadership development can drive measurable organizational improvement.
Scalable. Replicable. Grant-Fundable.
This Leadership Academy represents a tested and adaptable model that can be replicated by agencies and state systems nationwide. Designed with flexibility in mind, it can be customized to meet regional needs and integrated within existing training or workforce initiatives.
Importantly, the program has proven viable for grant funding, offering opportunities for agencies to expand leadership capacity while optimizing available resources.
Case Study:
Empowering Leaders Through the OASAS Leadership Academy
KingFisher Services proudly partnered with the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Support to deliver the OASAS Leadership Academy, a highly successful, grant-funded training initiative designed to elevate leadership across the behavioral health field.
This four-month program features one day of instruction per cohort each month, combining in-person and virtual learning to make development both engaging and accessible. Participants complete 22 hours of immersive instruction focused on trauma-informed leadership, stress management, communication, work-life balance, and more. All with practical strategies they can apply immediately in their workplaces.
“This course stands out. Its exceptional clarity and structured manner in which it is delivered, making the content highly accessible and easy to comprehend. Ken has fostered an engaging and supportive learning environment, which has made it easy to feel comfortable and participate actively. This being my second course, I can confidently say that the experience has been both enriching and thoroughly enjoyable”
The results speak for themselves: the Academy achieved a 96% retention rate, with participants reporting stronger confidence in managing teams, improved communication, and renewed focus on well-being and inclusion. With a 97%* overall participant satisfaction rate.
Program Highlights:
program with one multi-day session per month.
Of hands-on, interactive training
Designed for emerging and established behavioral health leaders
Click here to visit the program’s website
Testimonials
Reviews from KingFisher's
OASAS Leadership Academy
I absolutely loved this training, it never felt like I wasn’t engaged. I liked the real world examples.
Content was really relevant to my current work environment. Show that I need to stop being available for everyone else but me.
It allowed me to reflect in my current job and gave me more of an idea of how I would like to lead in the future.
Ken was authentic and engaging. Good examples taken from real life examples with emphasis on living what you say. Was wise and knowledgeable from experience.
Effective communicator with real world examples. Instructor was genuine and passionate, easy to listen to, and kept everyone else engaged
I love that this course provided a strong and basic foundation on leadership. I loved the real life examples.
Appreciate that it is broadly oriented, not just a human services perspective.
Content of program was on point with what I was looking for.
The training was a great balance of lecture and interaction, great day!
Excellent presenter. The entire class was interesting and motivating. I enjoyed the class and look forward to the next one.
It helped me understand that there are several different ways to be an effective leader.
Well structured, maintained timeless topics, interactive, kept members engaged, allowed time for questions/ comments and provided feedback
I am enjoying how the facilitator involves the class and the interaction among the group.
Ken is a great presenter! He makes the context easy to understand and relatable
I thought the examples and personal experiences were helpful to relate to. Both facilitators have a lot of lived experience which i’ve really appreciated throughout the training.
I think this course is perfect for those wanting to enter leadership or are new leadership.
Very comfortable environment, presenter has lived experience which adds to the integrity of the program.
I love that we were able to learn through discussion. You gain a lot more through each other.
Today’s course exceeded all expectations. The information was relevant, videos well thought out, and speaker was clear.
I love the examples and open communication / dialogue. I learned a lot from people’s examples. I also learned a lot from the different types of leadership.
Gave real advice on best practices. Reinforced my philosophy on how to conduct myself in professional settings.
The material was very helpful and I will utilize it in my program and with my staff. I feel like learning to delegate and work with them to prioritize will help me find a healthier work/life balance.
The course was clear and included evidence based examples that were highly useful and applicable in enhancing performance to produce quality work and fostering a collaborative environment with a shared mission.
The course was awesome! I like the way it was explained to us and the overall delivery.
The presenter gives real lived experiences and examples to make you understand how these things can occur and how you handle them when they arise.
I appreciate hearing tangible examples given by instructors to utilize tools with my team when I return to the office
This course was extremely helpful. I can say I now see leadership in an entirely different way and feel I will be more effective at the end of the academy!
Helped me see that I need to build my leadership ability and be less of a manager. Introduced me to new leadership styles.
I believe the course was conducted in a well timely and efficient manner. It helped me to change / improve my approach with my staff, bosses, and colleagues
I appreciate that it isn’t just Ken reading the slides. The discussions are SO helpful! Ken is great!
I enjoyed the course and the examples and have already learned a lot to take back to work with me. From the instructors and others.
So far in my career this is my favorite training to date. I was engaged the entire time.
This training is well needed in the workforce because this is an area we often neglect. It reminded me how important it is to take care of me and the facilitator respected all perspectives!
Work with Kingfisher
KingFisher Services works collaboratively with state and local partners to design, deliver, and evaluate leadership training programs that align with public health priorities and workforce development goals.
