New apprenticeship program seeks to close gap in behavioral health care
As Washington continues to confront a growing need for behavioral health and addiction services, a nonprofit university has launched a new apprenticeship degree program to try to close the gap in needed care.
The Apprenticeship College of Health (ACH), operated by the nonprofit Reach University and funded by the Seattle-based labor management partnership Training Fund, is a first-of-its-kind program that will allow working adults to earn low- or no-cost work-based degrees.
“The Apprenticeship College of Health is built on a powerful, foundational idea: the jobs of today can and will lead to the degrees of tomorrow,” Reach University President and CEO Joe E. Ross said in a statement.
Ross said ACH will “drive learner upward mobility and build a workforce ready to save lives in every community.”
The program will initially offer Reach University’s existing associate of arts in Liberal Studies embedded within a behavioral health apprenticeship to become substance use disorder professionals, according to the university. The program is modeled after the Training Fund’s Substance Use Disorder Professional health apprenticeship program, and participants will be paid while they complete it.
If ACH receives accreditation and state approval, the program will expand to more degree pathways and health care fields, as well as offer a pathway to graduate degrees. Students must work at an ACH-partnered employer to enroll.
Training Fund Executive Director Laura Hopkins said in a statement that the nonprofit already works closely with hospital leaders and behavioral health innovators, and that ACH “is uniquely positioned to make a truly meaningful impact.”
“Through ACH, we’ll bring Reach University’s proven apprenticeship degree model to new communities as we meet the urgent demand for skilled behavioral health professionals and strengthened care for communities statewide,” Hopkins said.
Enrollment is now open for ACH. To learn more or apply, visit healthapprenticeship.org.