Building Pathways to a Brighter Future
Worksystems, Inc.
Health Careers NW
Location: Portland, OR
OTHER GRANT INFORMATION
Six-Year Project Period: September 30, 2015 - September 29, 2021*
Annual Award Amount: $2,324,768
Type of Organization: Nonprofit with 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than Institution of Higher Education)
Service Area: Portland, Oregon metropolitan area
Target Population: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other low-income individuals
FIVE-YEAR QUANTIFIABLE PROJECTIONS
Number of individuals that will be enrolled in the overall HPOG program: 1,348
Number of TANF recipients that will be enrolled: 405
Number of individual participants that will begin basic skills education: 670
Number of individual participants that will complete basic skills education: 480
Number of participants that will begin any healthcare occupational training: 1,100
Number of participants that will complete any healthcare occupational training: 880
Number of individual participants that will obtain employment in a healthcare occupation: 680
ABSTRACT
Health Careers NW (HCNW) is a public—private collaboration that prepares participants for training in healthcare career pathways, supports them through training completion, and places them in careers that offer family-sustaining employment. Participants explore and choose from among seven career ladders vetted by employers as in-demand, facing shortages, and providing opportunities for advancement: Nursing (CNA, CNA2, Medication Aide, LPN, and RN), Medical Laboratory (Phlebotomist, Medical Lab Technician, and Medical Lab Technologist), Medical Office (Medical Office Clerk/Receptionist, Medical Biller, Medical Records Technician/ Coder, and Medical Secretary), Assistive Technology (Durable Medical Equipment Repair), Mental Health (Peer Support Specialist and Substance Abuse Counselor), Dental (Dental Assistant and Dental Hygienist), and Allied Health (Medical Assistant, Physical Therapy Assistant, Radiologic Technologist, MRI Technologist, Sterile Processing Technologist, Surgical Technologist, and Respiratory Therapist).
Throughout the program, coaches provide access to a variety of supportive services, some grant-funded and others leveraged, including childcare, clothing and medical care for work, parking, transportation, personal care, and professional licenses and certifications. Worksystems, Inc. (WSI), the Portland Metro Workforce Development Board (or WIB), has assembled a stakeholder group that includes 21 healthcare employers, the state and local offices of the Department of Human Services (DHS), TANF JOBS contractors, a network of culturally competent community-based organizations, and 2 major community colleges in the region. The group continues to meet online. DHS management remains an active partner. Demand for benefits has meant staff positions that are frequent partners with HCNW Career Coaches are redeployed to meet DHS program needs and unavailable for coordination. DHS management has continued to attend ongoing monthly meetings to maintain a voice for TANF customers in HCNW that may need additional support or coordination.
The start of the Medical Assistant Apprenticeship has been delayed. Employees selected for the apprenticeship are currently completing coursework in Medical Terminology and earning Basic Life Support Certification. A new registered 1-year apprenticeship has been approved in CNA. There are five Long-Term Care employers set to start.
*This second round of grant awards has been extended an additional 12 months, ending September 29, 2021.