Alumni
Claude A. Gilmore, BS, MSSW, MHSA
Youth Policy/Comprehensive School Health/Adolescent Health Director, Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services/Division of Public Health
Area of work: Youth Policy and Program Development
Claude has a Bachelors' degree in Social Work from Carroll College, a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Masters degree in Health Services Administration from Cardinal Stritch University.
Claude spent the first ten years of his career as a social worker in the trenches of the state's largest urban city working in the public sector with youth and families involved in the juvenile justice, child welfare, mental health and family therapy systems. This was a difficult undertaking both for the sheer pain, chronicity, poverty,and at times, sense of hopelessness of those I served to the humbling experience of seeing the human spirit overcome overwhelming odds. It is this resiliency that gives us hope.
During the past 16 years, Claude has worked for state government in management covering hospital administration, state drug prevention(Drug Czar), bureau management, and now youth policy.
As Youth Policy Director, his role is to integrate dispersed adolescent/youth program and policy silos involved in a range of risk behaviors across the divisions and departments so that the state and its local partners increase coordination, decrease duplication and maximize limited resources for the ultimate goal of improving the lives of our young people.
Personal Information:
I am a 51 years old African American and have been married for 27 years and have three wonderful young adult children. My home state is South Carolina where my family of origin reside. I am a Christian and give God all the praises for his grace and mercy for my success and failures. I enjoy the discipline training of martial arts, playing and watching games, sitting in my lawn chair, spending time my family and friends, and serving others when and where I can.
I like to say that I stand on the shoulders of giants, my late mother and my father's love, discipline, and sacrifices all help shape who I am and upon whom and can't thank them enough.
What I would like to get out of this program:
I have spent a considerable part of my work time focusing on attending job specific required training and the day to day demands our intensive work in public health. This has been heightened in the environment of budget deficits and personnel and program cutbacks.
I also teach part-time at the Cardinal Stritch University and provide aspiring working adults the forum to stretch themselves to think outside the box and grow. I do have some very bold ideas on youth policy that I hope to institute under the public health auspices but this requires me to pull myself out of the daily grind and get some new ideas and perspectives on how I can move these ideas forward.
My current executive management environment is very focused on results, using what works (evidenced-based) and encourages us to not spend exorbitant time in long drawn out processes. One of things that I hope the program can provide me is to help me to frame an overarching adolescent health approach for both our internal and external stakeholders embracing age groups consistent with the National Initiative to Improve Adolescent Health and to help zero in on our adolescent health disparities.
I also hope to learn from others and establish new networks for public health professionals of color and expertise.