Careers in Social Work to be Highlighted Statewide

for Students in Kindergarten through 12^th Grade

 The Vermont Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) work with students in schools and community settings to encourage the exploration of careers in health care.  In 2012, mental and behavioral health professions will be prominently featured in health careers explorations programs, thanks to a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to meet Vermont’s changing health care workforce needs.

The integration of mental and behavioral health care into primary care is a trend in Vermont that will continue and build demand for social workers in community health centers.  Nicole LaPointe, MSW, the Executive Director of the Northeastern Vermont AHEC and Director of the statewide Vermont Health Careers Opportunities Pipeline (VT HCOP) project, says that, “This project will introduce students to the many types of career possibilities in mental and behavioral health, with particular emphasis on practice in the primary care setting.”

The VT HCOP project was designed to “lengthen and strengthen the health care workforce pipeline in Vermont,” says LaPointe, by reaching younger students and by adding more about careers in mental and behavioral health care and pharmacy to their career exploration curricula.  New programming is being developed for students in secondary and post-secondary grades, as well. 

In the summer of 2012, a six-week, academic enrichment program called CollegeQuest to Health Careers will offer Vermont students courses in cultural competency, health care policy, ethics, and college preparation.  Related community projects will provide hands-on learning for students in human service settings. CollegeQuest is exclusively for students of modest income, and students who are the first in their family to attend college.

More opportunities will be created for students to consider health careers in middle schools and high schools throughout Vermont this spring, including careers in social work.

“Learning in the workplace, with mentorship from health professionals, has a powerful impact on the students who engage with us,” says Laura Remick, M.Ed., HCOP Program Manager.  “Over and over, the most positive feedback we get from students is about the time they’ve spent job shadowing with professionals.”

“If you have time to share with a student in your area, to introduce your scope of practice or share knowledge from your area of specialty, please contact us, and we can connect you with your regional AHEC office,” says Remick, who can be reached at 802-748-2506.  A typical job shadow experience takes less than three hours.

The VT HCOP project includes a broad collaboration of health, education and workforce interests in Vermont.  Partners include:

·         The Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Center for Rural Students at Lyndon State College

·         Lyndon State College and the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship

·         The Community College of Vermont

·         The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation

·         The Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

·         The UVM School of Social Work

·         The Vermont Interdisciplinary Leadership Education for Health Professionals (VT-ILEHP) program at the University of Vermont College of Medicine

The Vermont AHEC is a network of academic and community partners working together to improve the distribution, supply and quality of the health care workforce in Vermont.  The network consists of a Program Office at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and three Regional Centers.  Vermont AHEC brings more than 15 years of experience in health care workforce development to this project.

For more information about projects and programs of the Northeastern Vermont AHEC, please visit the website: nevahec.org.

Media Contact: Nicole LaPointe | P: 802-748-2506 | E: nlapointe@nevahec.org