KVC Kentucky’s work has always been rooted in people: equipping our professionals, supporting families and strengthening communities. Now, with the launch of our new Training Center, that commitment takes on a dedicated space designed to bring learning, collaboration and connection to life!

Earlier this spring, KVC Kentucky welcomed staff, partners, donors, community leaders and other stakeholders for an Open House to introduce the new space. More than just a facility, the Training Center represents a meaningful investment in the people who make this work possible — and in the children and families they serve every day. Learn more about our brand new Training Center, and how it symbolizes our approach to serving.

About the New Training Center

KVC Kentucky has been steadily growing and expanding since the very beginning, and growth requires training. In recent years, we have faced the challenge of needing to host larger group trainings and events — without a dedicated space. We’ve sought alternative meeting locations in hotels, libraries and community centers. While we’ve been thankful for these other spaces, the coordination, cost and complexities added up. The solution? Renovating an upstairs wing of our Lexington office and building a state-of-the-art training room that can accommodate up to 50 people.

Launching this training center aligns with two of our defining values at KVC Kentucky: collaboration and cutting-edge training. President of Kentucky Operations Gina Klyachkin describes this investment as an important milestone in helping our professionals and communities achieve the most meaningful outcomes. 

“Our vision for this space was to have a state-of-the-art training space that would serve to connect our professionals who serve 81 counties in Kentucky, as well as be a space to connect with our community partners and be a community resource,” explains Klyachkin. We have already seen this vision come to life since opening the space through several trainings and community building events — including the Open House!

In the few months since finishing renovations, the training center has already proven to be a worthwhile investment, well-utilized by our staff and community partners. “As an agency that believes in providing high-quality training for our staff, we are doing trainings all the time!” says Megan Moore, KVC Kentucky’s Director of Innovation and Impact. “Every week, there are multiple trainings going on for our team members.”

Why Training is Core to the Mission at KVC Kentucky

Training is foundational to supporting families at KVC Kentucky, as it empowers and equips our team to apply evidence-based practices and feel confident navigating the many challenges that come with the social work profession. We believe that children and families deserve the best support and services possible, and that means training our staff to provide those high-quality services. 

“We have outstanding outcomes for our family strengthening programs and behavioral health services, and the way we consistently achieve these outcomes is through a commitment to the professional development of our team members,” Klyachkin explains.

But evidence-based training isn’t only for the children and families we support. It’s for our staff as well. Skill development training is proven to reduce burnout in social workers by giving staff a sense of support, camaraderie and personal accomplishment. In a field with such challenging work and high burnout, it’s important that our staff feel equipped to handle any situation and supported every step of the way. Continuous professional development is a form of self-care in our field!

Open House Event Highlights

The Training Center Open House was an opportunity to bring together the community partners, stakeholders, long-time donors and supporters who have come alongside KVC Kentucky over our 26 years of operation. It was a thank you to those who have made advancement possible and a chance to show our community the fruition of their support. Moore described the event like a big family reunion. 

“To have those ongoing, long-term, sustainable partnerships and relationships where we’re all working toward the same goal — it was amazing to all be in the same room together and catch up and connect during the Open House,” reflects Moore.

Attendees included council members, local political candidates and community referral partners, like New Vista and Ridge Behavioral Health. We are so grateful to every person we celebrated that day, because this work cannot be accomplished alone! We need the donors, the partners, the teachers, neighbors and community members to wrap around our children and families, helping them thrive in safe, supportive environments.

Thank You to Our Partners

We want to take a moment to thank the partners and donors whose generosity has continued to support our work in Kentucky communities. A special thank you goes to those who directly helped make this training center a reality, including Ed Enmen with Enmen, LLC, for his contracting expertise. Thank you to the Tempur Sealy Foundation, who provided a $25,000 annual grant that was utilized to help fund the renovation. Additionally, Kentucky Colonels  awarded us a grant that made it possible to purchase all of the technology and equipment needed to service off-site locations and host video conferencing.  

Looking Ahead: What’s Coming for the Training Center

We are excited about what the future holds with this new training center, from hosting community partner meetings to evidence-based trainings to team-building events. “This new training center will help us facilitate and enhance our training offerings for our team members,” says Klyachkin. 

“Our commitment to evidence-based training helps us ensure that our professionals have the very best tools and education to support our work alongside children, adults and families in Kentucky,” Klyachkin continues. “We also have long understood that complex issues facing those we serve require collaboration and a community-wide approach, and this space will allow us to facilitate more partnership and shared vision.”

Here are just a few of the ways we are already making use of the training center:

• Nurturing Parenting staff training
• Solution-focused therapy training for KVC therapists
• Weekly case consultation meetings
• Hosting community partners like Fayette County Public School
• MultiSystemic Therapy training

Beyond the evidence-based training and hosting community partners, this space is also being used to build relationships and connections among our staff. As a new gathering space for the team, our staff can come and spend time together for more than just training. We even added a popcorn machine for a fun staff treat, and used the space for a basketball viewing party during March Madness.

Additionally, community partners in Kentucky can utilize our training center for team training opportunities. If you are a community member in Kentucky who is interested in using our training center for your team, contact Megan Moore for more information.

Help Strengthen Kentucky Families

The KVC Kentucky Training Center is an investment not just in ourselves, but in the families we serve. By strengthening the skills, knowledge and confidence of professionals and caregivers, we’re strengthening the support systems surrounding children and families across Kentucky. “KVC invests a lot in making sure our employees have the skills and the resources that they need to do their job in sometimes really difficult circumstances,” explains Moore, who says that many employees have described the training they have received at KVC as the best they’ve ever had. 

Furthermore, community partners in Kentucky can utilize our training center for team training opportunities. If you are considering a career in social work, there is no better place for ongoing training and support than KVC Kentucky. See available career opportunities here.

Of course, this work exists because there are children, individuals and families in Kentucky who need our support. “In Kentucky, we are seeing increased need for mental health services and increased hospitalizations for mental health reasons,” says Klyachkin. “We want to provide resources, supports and strategies to individuals early that promote mental wellness and enhance parenting skills and relationships.”

KVC Kentucky needs your help to make this impact happen! Donate here to help us continue providing high-quality, impactful services to Kentucky’s children, families and communities.