May 2024 Work Force Newsletter

Health Care

Workforce Updates

May 2024

Message from FLPPS/Common Ground Health Regional Consortium on Health Care Workforce

We wish to thank Dr. Robert Martiniano and Nafin Harun from the Center for Health Workforce Studies at SUNY Albany School of Public Health for their presentation sharing new health workforce data for the Finger Lakes region and New York State.

The meeting minutes, slide deck and recording are now available on the Consortium website.

HRSA announces increased loan repayment amount for primary care

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced that it has increased by 50% the initial loan repayment amount available to primary care providers through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Providers include M.D.s and D.O.s, including OB-GYNs and pediatricians; nurse practitioners; certified nurse midwives; and physician assistants who commit to practicing in areas with significant shortages of primary care providers.

Applications are now open for the NHSC Loan Repayment Program. Applications are due by May 9 at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Senator Schumer announces funding for Ibero's Community Health Worker apprenticeship program

Senator Schumer's office recently announced new workforce funding, including $800,000 for the New Workers Apprenticeship Program for Ibero American Action League:

This funding will be used to reduce the significant lack of providers of color in the healthcare system by providing paid apprenticeship opportunities to Black and Hispanic/Latinx Community Health Workers (CHW)s and Promotores de salud, (the Spanish term for CHW) from the Rochester community. There are only seven apprenticeship programs for Community Health Workers in New York State, and Ibero is currently the only organization sponsoring the program in the Finger Lakes Region.

Connecting refugees to local jobs: CCFCS secures $5.4 million grant for Refugee Employment Services Program

Catholic Charities Family and Community Services (CCFCS) has been awarded a 5-year, $5.4 million dollar job preparation and placement grant from the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), Bureau of Refugee Services (BRS). The funding will ramp up CCFCS’ already successful Refugee Employment Services Program (RES), which provides job preparation and job placement for the refugee population.

CCFCS operates RES as part of its Refugee, Immigration and Employment Team. It maintains a base of more than 100 local employers in the Greater Rochester area and has placed more than 370 refugees in local jobs since 2019. Over the same period, more than half of the refugees placed in jobs by CCFCS became self-sufficient within 90 days of employment.

The RES team is made up of seven highly diverse staff members who speak over five languages. Four RES staff are former refugees. Together, they provide a variety of services to prepare refugee clients for work and place them in jobs, including employment assessment and resume preparation, job search and completion of job applications, accompaniment to interview and orientations, and follow-up to ensure retention. To learn more, contact [email protected].

SUNY Albany to offer full scholarships for online graduate public health certificate

The School of Public Health (SPH) at the University at Albany is pleased to announce a new scholarship program for candidates interested in pursuing a graduate certificate in Public Health Fundamentals and Principles. The SPH received funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to develop a diverse future workforce that is prepared to address the important public health priorities of underserved communities in New York.

Students selected for this program will receive full scholarships for the six course fully online graduate certificate program and the opportunity to participate in specialized training on public health emergency preparedness, health disparities and other emerging public health workforce topics.

SPH is currently recruiting graduate students for the program for Fall 2024. Applications are due June 1.  

For more information, please visit the website at https://www.albany.edu/sph/scholarship or contact Mary Riley-Jacome at [email protected].

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness month, the Rochester Chamber of Commerce is offering “Mental Health First Response in the Workplace" through its Chamber Academy. This three-part program focuses on understanding and managing employee mental health. Participants will gain knowledge and skills to address mental health issues, covering topics such as the impact of mental health on individuals and the organization, trauma-informed workplaces, and building a mental health and wellness strategy for an organization.

This comprehensive three-session course will occur from 9 - 10:30 a.m. on May 9, 16, and 23.

A certificate of completion will be provided after the training.
Series Cost: $350 for Greater Rochester Chamber members and $500 for Non-members.

URMC Recovery Center of Excellence offering training to encourage help-seeking behavior

The University of Rochester Recovery Center of Excellence is offering a free training on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treatment-Seeking (CBT-TS), an evidence-based technique to encourage help-seeking among those in need of treatment. Starting in May, two types of trainings will be offered:

1) CBT 101 + CBT-TS: Tuesdays (Starting May 7) at 1pm EST

This training begins with the fundamental skills for delivering Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Peers and other non-clinical staff may benefit from this course. Training includes methods to encourage help-seeking behavior among those in need of treatment. It involves four weekly, one-hour sessions starting on the first Friday and concluding on the fourth Friday of the month.

2) CBT-TS: Friday May 10 at 1pm EST

This training is for those who are comfortable with the basics of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This may include but is not limited to physicians, psychologists, social workers, nurses, pharmacists, and others. Training involves a one-time, one-hour session held on May 10.

Click here to register.

Conference to focus on rural older adults 

The virtual 2024 Let's Talk About Health: Caring for Older Adults in Rural New York will be held on May 17 at 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

This virtual conference for both health care professionals and formal and informal caregivers will provide information specifically regarding health care in rural and upstate New York. This year’s topics include:

• An overview of the NYS Master Plan on Aging,
• Presentations on the services and resources offered by the AAAs and local libraries,
• An update on how to support older adults diagnosed with depression,
• Tips on aging in place, and
• A discussion of challenges faced by older Veterans in rural areas.  

This activity is jointly planned and hosted by the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center at the University of Rochester, The Alzheimer’s Association Rochester/Finger Lakes Chapter, Ithaca College Gerontology Institute, Lifespan of Greater Rochester, and the Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center (WNY R‐AHEC). All of these organizations receive funding from HRSA and have specified a rural focus to our educational programs. 

Continuing education credits are available for physicians, social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists and mental health practitioners.

Reframing Aging facilitators are available to provide training

The National Center to Reframe Aging is dedicated to ending ageism by advancing an equitable and complete story about aging in America. Earlier this year, a group of local facilitators were trained by the National Center and are now available to conduct trainings to share effective, evidence-based communication strategies to combat ageist perspectives and stereotypes and improve the public’s understanding of aging and the many contributions older people bring to society.

Reframing Aging workshops can be customized to meet your needs and timeline. Service providers, business/organizational leaders, communications professionals and students who want to support a different view of aging in our community are welcome!

If you are interested in hosting a Reframing Aging session or presentation at your organization, please contact Leanne Rorick, Co-director of the Monroe County Aging Alliance, or Melissa Pennise, Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives at Common Ground Health, to be connected to a local facilitator.

The local Reframing Aging Initiative is sponsored by Monroe County Aging Alliance, a joint initiative of Rochester Area Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes, with funding provided by Monroe County Office for the Aging.

Free virtual summit to focus on youth mental health

National Center for Training and Technical Assistance on Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) is hosting a no-cost Virtual System of Care Summit (SOC Summit) on May 14-16, 2024. 

The SOC Summit is an opportunity for all children's mental health partners to reunite, renew, and re-energize their efforts to support children and young people with behavioral health needs, as well as their families. The summit is open to anyone who is invested in the mental health and wellness of children, youth, and families.

First responder training available from Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer’s Association® Approaching Alzheimer’s: First Responder Training is a free online course to prepare you to respond to common calls involving a person with dementia. Developed with input from first responders, the training offers:

• Access to the Association’s 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900, making it convenient for all shifts and new hires.
• Learning through a self-paced, online curriculum.
• Videos and interactive activities.
• Compatibility with any device, including laptop, tablet or mobile devices.

Visit alz.org/firstresponders to take this free online training.

Project SEARCH® offers opportunities for young adults with disabilities

Project SEARCH® provides employment training and education for young adults with disabilities. The program is dedicated to workforce development that benefits the individual, community, and workplace. The Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities serves as the statewide coordinator for Project SEARCH® in New York State.

The Project SEARCH® site at Jewish Senior Life is currently recruiting new interns. If young adults are interested in applying for this Project SEARCH® site, please contact:
Jessica Bellerdine, Coordinator
[email protected]; (585) 236-0161
or Marianne Durrant, Director of Employment Services 
[email protected]; (585) 340-2009. 

RochesterWorks seeks employer partners for ROC Your Job program

RochesterWorks is looking for additional employers to partner with for the ROC Your Job youth after school employment program. Participating employers can expect:

• 100% of the cost of employee wages covered by RochesterWorks.
• Support of Monitors/Job Coaches to support the placement.

To learn more, please see the Intern Request Form FAQs for employers or providers. To request an intern, submit the Intern Request Form. 

Interested employers in need of further assistance can contact Delia Smith by email at [email protected] or calling (585) 258-3500 ext. 5232. 

New report highlights Community College and industry partnerships in rural workforce development

National Skills Coalition's new report, College and Career Possibilities Rooted in Place highlights how industry partnerships benefit rural learners and employers alike – and shines a light on the rich variety of rural contexts, state systems, investments, and policies that can help drive and sustain effective partnerships between rural community colleges and local industry.

Read the report to learn about how rural industry partnerships create place based pathways and opportunity, the key factors that make for strong, effective partnerships, and how state and local policymakers, officials, and administrators can support rural community college and industry partnerships.

Save the Date: United Way's annual nonprofit summit

On June 25 at 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Finger Lakes Community College, United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes will host the 2024 Nonprofit Summit: We Thrive Together.

Workshop announcements and registration will be available later this month. 

Causewave offering grants capacity building initiative to nonprofits

With support provided by the Rochester Area Community Foundation and the Greater Rochester Health Foundation, Causewave Community Partners is offering free grant writing support to small and mid-sized nonprofits.

Click here to learn more about this new initiative.

Please share your health care workforce updates

If you have a training opportunity or workforce update you'd like us to share, you can send it to [email protected], and we will add it to the next newsletter.

Please share this newsletter with others in your organization who might benefit and encourage them to sign up to receive it. 
https://www.commongroundhealth.org/newsletter-sign-up