CONTACT US 713-266-2456 / 713-963-9456
worklife@worklifeinstitute.org
Worklife Institute
Transforming Houston's Work Life Since 1988
WORKLIFE MINISTRY, INC., d/b/a Worklife Institute
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2024
Quality Work
The Institute’s services include corporate and individual consultation in organizational and team development, candidate assessment and onboarding, conflict resolution, and professional ethics; employee assistance programs; career transition and outplacement; entrepreneurship and mediation training; and services to transitioning military personnel and their families.
ABOUT US
and
CORPORATE INFORMATION
www.worklifeinstitute.org
Internet Privacy Policy
What personal information do we collect from the people that visit our blog, website or app?
When registering for activities on our site, you may be asked to enter your name, email address, phone number or other details to enable us to respond to inquiries and/or requests or questions.
When do we collect information?
We collect information from you when you register or enter information on our site, and/or subscribe to our newsletters.
How do we use your information?
We may use the information we collect from you when you register, sign up for our newsletters, respond to a survey, surf the website, or use certain other site features in the following ways:
• To improve our website in order to better serve you.
• To allow us to better serve you in responding to your client service requests.
• To send periodic emails regarding our program services.
How do we protect visitor information?
All sensitive/credit information you supply is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.
Do we use ''cookies"?
We do not use cookies for tracking purposes.
You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off cookies. You do this through your browser (like Internet Explorer) settings. If you disable cookies to “off”, some features will be disabled that make your site experience more efficient and some services may not function properly.
Third Party Disclosure
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information.
Third Party Links
Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third party services on our website. These third party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.
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Contacting Us
If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us using the information at the bottom of this page.
Institute CEO and President
Dr. Diana C. Dale is a clinically-trained corporate chaplain and the president and founder of Worklife Institute, a non-profit organization serving Texas and Gulf Coast families and companies since 1988. Services include life and career transition, employee assistance counseling, conflict resolution, business ethics and organizational change consultation.
Dr. Dale was a senior technical manager and chaplain in the engineering and energy industries before founding the Worklife Institute. She earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts from Stanford University, a Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry in Corporate Chaplaincy, did post-doctoral research at the UT Health Science Center in Occupational Health and Safety/Management Policy Science and a Ph.D. in Organizational Change from Graduate Theological Foundation. Dr. Dale has licenses as an Engineering Geologist, Marriage and Family Therapist, Professional Chaplain and Mediator.
In 2007 the Institute created the Texas Veterans Transition Program to assist military veterans and their families to reintegrate into civilian workplaces and communities. The program provides career and educational evaluation, connection to employers and retention coaching, using our Integrated Quality-of-Life approach, with supportive services including individual, family, legal and financial counseling. The Institute collaborates broadly with other veteran service providers and community organizations.
Tax Status and Funding
Worklife Institute is an independent 501 (c)(3) organization, governed by its Board of Directors. It is financially supported by corporations, non-profit organizations, foundations, and individuals. It welcomes inquiries about its work and contribution from those who share its objectives. All contributions are tax deductible.
Worklife Institute does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or handicap in any of its policies, practices or procedures.
Institute Executive Team
An experienced professional team conducts the programs of the Institute:
Dr. Diana C. Dale, PhD, LMFT, AAC
CEO / Program Director
diana.dale@worklifeinstitute.org
Elizabeth F. Burleigh, J.D.
Legal and Financial Advisor
efb@worklifeinstitute.org
Worklife Ministry, Inc., d/b/a Worklife Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization governed by its Board of Directors.
Worklife Institute does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap or sexual orientation in any of its policies, practices or procedures.
Our IRS form 990, audit, and other charitable organization certifying information is available on the following websites.
Worklife Ministry, Inc., d/b/a Worklife Institute
CEO and President’s Report
Diana C. Dale, D.Min, Ph.D.
CYNTHIA L. ARIZPE GARCIA (24-28) Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston
Lead Youth Development Specialist
DREW BIVONA, J.D. (23-27) Bivona Law, PLLC
Attorney at Law
Navy Veteran
ELIZABETH F. BURLEIGH, J.D. (23-27) CFO, Worklife Institute
Attorney at Law
Mediation Instructor
DIANA C. DALE, D.Min., Ph.D. LMFT (24-28) President & CEO, Worklife Institute
Chaplain
Mediator, Program Director
DENA G. FISK (21 - 25) Board Secretary
Realtor
VA-Guaranteed Home Loan Advisor
JEFFREY R. NEWPORT, J.D. (24-28) Board Chair
Law Office of Jeffrey Newport
Attorney, Mediator
LUIS R. PAULINO, LCSW (23-27) U.S. Army Veteran
Retired Director, VA Homeless Vets
ALAN R. ROBLEDO, BS (24-28) Lead Clerk, 333rd District Court
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran
JONA SARGENT (24-28) State Farm Insurance - Retired
Special Investigation Team Manager
LoanDepot Mortgage
RICK L. GABEHART, BBA Insurance Broker
ELIZABETH SMITH, Ph.D. Summit Resources, VP (Oil & Gas)
Founded in 1988
The Worklife Institute was founded in 1988 to serve the Texas and Gulf Coast Region. Its mission is to promote and facilitate the highest quality of work life, providing program resources that address with best practices and integrity the challenges of today’s business environment.
Highest Quality of Worklife
All Institute programs aim to promote the highest quality of worklife by encouraging in-depth reflection upon core values and providing practical tools to enhance employee and company well-being. The Institute maintains a Resource Center with consulting and training facilities and a large collection of reference materials.
WORKLIFE INSTITUTE HIGHLIGHTS OF 2023
Worklife Institute was founded in 1988 by Dr. Diana Dale as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational and workplace services resource center for the Texas and Gulf Coast region and to collaborate nationally for best practices. The concept for Worklife Institute came out of the 1980s’ economic upheaval with corporate restructurings and massive employee layoffs. Internal employee counseling programs were outsourced, former employees had to take their career trajectories into new directions, and managers sought consultation to deal with the ongoing corporate changes.
Dr. Dale, an engineering geologist, technical corporate manager and industrial chaplain, created the Institute as a provider center to assist transitioning employees and changing corporations. In 1988 she received a three-year start-up grant from Trinity Wall Street Foundation. Initial client requests were for career transition and employee assistance program (EAP) help, then for corporate ethics training and compliance programs, conflict resolution, manager and team development and organizational change management, followed by training programs in Mediation and Entrepreneurship.
The Texas Veterans Worklife Transition program began in the Fall of 2007, with the TRIAD (Texas Resources for Iraq/Afghanistan Deployment) grant through the San Antonio Area Foundation. The program took the best-practices services of our existing programs and integrated them to serve veterans and their families. All the Institute team members have military backgrounds, so are familiar with the needs of our veteran family population. Since 2008, the program has been funded by TRIAD, Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans Assistance, Easter Seals, The Rotary Club of Katy for computer updates, and other veteran-aimed grantors.
The Transition program addresses veterans’ #1 identified concern – to gain productive, fulfilling employment with an upwardly sustainable career path while achieving work/life balance and community involvement. The program serves all eras of veterans and their family members.
The Career transition track begins with assessing occupational interests, qualifications, desired work setting and whether to seek employment directly or to first complete academic work, apprenticeships and required certifications. WI offers two preparatory training programs, Professional Mediation and Entrepreneurship, as well as weekly transition and benefits workshops.
Our team guides educational program selection, collaborates with best-practice programs and campus veterans’ success centers, the VA, Texas Veterans Commission and Texas WorkSource employment programs. Many TVC Career Advisors in our area refer to us regularly. We encourage our clients to complete their current training programs then transition into the employment process, which includes civilian and federal resume building, career fairs, employer selection, the job application process, interviewing and onboarding.
Worklife Institute has a dense provider collaboration and referral network, works with the Reserve and National Guard units in the region, participates in veteran benefits events and is part of national collaborations such as America’s Warrior Partnership. Over this past year and this year in-person benefits and hiring events are being resumed following the pandemic.
Our sponsored programs are broadcast to the community through our interactive website with calendar, Facebook, LinkedIn, and ongoing event updates using Constant Contact, which is distributed to our current client participants, prospects and other provider organizations. Our Headquarters is located in a Galleria area office park, with easy access to the freeways and bus routes. We maintain a spacious Resource Center designed for hospitality and empowerment, which has consultation and training rooms, resource libraries, computer workstations, lounge area, open kitchen, children’s resources and is handicap-accessible with free parking.
Each year Worklife Institute serves an average of 400 veterans and their families. Over 75% enter the program specifically for career evaluation and transition, with an additional 25% coming for our supportive services of personal and family counseling, legal and financial advisement and military caregiver assistance. Most of the career clients also use these additional services. 70% find high-quality employment by the end of the year, with over 75% of the positions being in the “white collar” professions, entrepreneurship and skilled trades.
Since 2008, over 6,000 clients have been through our program, with thousands more making initial contact with us through benefits and career fairs and military unit events. Our more than 70 referral partners also receive our program information and are invited to send their clients to our workshops. We retain all our alumni client folders, because a large number return to reengage in program services.
We expanded our training and consultation services to respond to the increased stressors experienced by our clients during COVID and post-COVID changes in work patterns. More clients requested financial assistance and rehousing assistance, so we worked with our partner organizations to provide them relief and added financial literacy and sustainability workshops to our program. We continue to get requests from our veteran clients for guidance to upgrade their service-connected disability ratings and other VA-provided benefits. We keep up to date on which service groups are providing the best advice.
Our veteran families continue to request assistance in exploring entrepreneurship, so we have maintained our partnership with the Small Business Administration’s regional Veterans Business Outreach Center. Their team traveled to Houston during March and October this year to present their four-part Entrepreneur Training Program, which also introduced our participants to an expert group of resource persons from the greater Houston area. We keep expanding our program to include a year-round series of workshops that go in-depth on different aspects of forming and growing businesses.
During 2023 we continued as a partner in the Texas Veterans and Family Connection collaborative services program coordinated by Easter Seals and funded by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. We exceeded our grant client services quota and were awarded surplus funds to accommodate our extra share of clients. We also continued our grant by the AARP Foundation to provide workshops in Digital Skills for online career and business networking and safe media navigation.
Good News and Thanks from 2023 Clients:
Each month we publish a success story about a recently graduated client. We also receive positive feedback through our quarterly surveys and many emails expressing gratitude for our services. Below is a sampling of recent testimonials from our clients:
. I have gained employment and am in training. I appreciate all the work you have done with me.
. You have a great organization, and I enjoy spending time there.
. I want to thank you for your interest, advice and time in assisting my efforts to rejoin employment.
. Thank you for providing me with advice, especially your first-hand experience with federal contracts.
. Thank you for providing all the training and counseling, which were very helpful, and I learned a lot.
TRANSFORMING HOUSTON'S WORK LIFE SINCE 1988
Contact us: 713-266-2456
worklife@worklifeinstitute.org
1900 Saint James Place, Suite 880
Houston, Texas 77056
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