Strengthening Teams With Connection-Driven Leadership & Intentional Practice: The Omni Family Institute Case Study

January 22, 2026

1:00 – 2:00 pm ET

As human-services organizations face workforce shortages, staff burnout, and growing consumer complexity, leadership with emotional intelligence (EI) will have a cultural advantage. EI involves recognizing and managing one’s own emotions while understanding and influencing those of others to improve team performance. Yet while health and human service leaders often encourage staff to engage using EI, many overlook how vital it is to model it intentionally at the leadership level.

During this one-hour live presentation, Mindy Kiser, President of Omni Family Institute, will share how emotionally intelligent leadership can strengthen team connection, resilience, and performance. She will present concepts from the evidence-based curriculum Together Facing the Challenge (TFTC).

With a long-standing history starting at Duke University, TFTC has evolved to utilize a combination of training, coaching, and technology to help staff better support caregivers of youth in out-of-home care. It does this by fostering a trauma-informed lens, emphasizing strong relationship-building, and promoting realistic, practical interventions.

Key takeaways for executive leaders:

Examine the TFTC curriculum and how key concepts can be used in leadership to build consistency, trust, and performance across teams
Recognize and address the needs of the current workforce
Identify practical steps to cultivate workplace environments where connection drives performance

Featured Speakers

Mindy Kiser, President, Omni Family Institute

Mindy Kiser serves as the president of Omni Family Institute and brings over twenty-five years of experience in child welfare and human services. She is a passionate advocate for trauma-informed care and has dedicated her career to supporting vulnerable children and families through evidence-based practices that promote well-being and resilience. Mindy is the co-editor of the fourth edition of Together Facing the Challenge, a nationally recognized curriculum for staff and caregivers. She is also a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner and previously served as the National Director of Quality Assurance with The Bair Foundation. She holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from Liberty University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Slippery Rock University.

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