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Southwestern Connecticut’s The WorkPlace serves as its Workforce Development Board, helping job seekers prepare for careers and strengthening the workforce for employers. Their Health CareeRx Academy program focuses specifically on preparing participants for careers in the healthcare field.

The Rochester Health Professions Opportunity Grant (ROC-HPOG) program at Action for a Better Community Inc. is different from other HPOG programs. Located in Rochester, NY, the program is made up of partnering community organizations and educational institutes. This setup enables ROC-HPOG to host program information sessions and provide support services at multiple healthcare trainings locations throughout Monroe County. The program was designed this way so community agencies could recruit program participants, guide recruits to the appropriate training partner, and, eventually, employment.

The Partnership to STEP UP in Health Careers (STEP-UP) program at Chicago State University (CSU) provides healthcare training and career laddering for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other low-income individuals. They serve participants in the city of Chicago, especially the south side and southern suburbs.

Before he discovered the Health Professions Opportunity Grant (HPOG) Buffalo program at Buffalo and Erie County Workforce Development Consortium, Inc., Jacob considered himself a typical example of the working class poor. He lived paycheck to paycheck, working dead-end jobs with no direction. At the end of the day, he barely made enough money to support himself. While he received Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) benefits, he made too much to qualify for food stamps. Times were difficult for Jacob and he desperately wanted to make a change in his life.

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) has posted the preliminary fiscal year (FY) 2020 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) national financial data table and national pie chart and summary table.

Siraylafa was working three jobs and still not making ends meet. She first enrolled in the VOAMI Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program in late 2017. She started nurse aide training and completed the classes in June 2018. Siraylafa revisited HPOG in late 2019 and enrolled in phlebotomy training which she completed in June 2020.

BreAnna is a single mother of four children. She reached out to Project H.E.L.P. in Spring of 2020, but had trouble finding a class that would fit her schedule. BreAnna started certified nursing assistant (CNA) training in February 2021 and returned to her classes that March after taking a break to handle some medical complications. She completed her training and found a job in April.

This report describes the first year of the second round of the Health Profession Opportunity Grants Program (“HPOG 2.0”). HPOG 2.0 provides education and training to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other low-income individuals for healthcare occupations that pay well and are in high demand. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded this second round of five-year grants in 2015. The first round of five-year grants was awarded in 2010. HPOG 2.0 grants were made to 32 grantees across 21 states, including five tribal organizations. In the first year of the HPOG 2.0 Program, the grantees enrolled over 5,000 participants.

As a single father, Julio struggled for many years to provide for his children. He worked whatever jobs he could find, from cashier to cook to bike messenger, but wanted more. Julio received assistance from the New York Human Resources Administration. During a visit, he learned about the Allied Health Career Pipeline Program offered through Hostos Community College. They offer free healthcare training and career services to help eligible students obtain employment in the healthcare professions. Julio immediately registered for the program and began Certified Nursing Assistant training in January of 2020.