Grant Opportunity

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced the following grant opportunity:

Health Careers Opportunity Program Skills Training and Health Workforce Development of Paraprofessionals Grant.

Visit http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=257734 .

Below you will find a brief description of this opportunity and a link to the website which has complete funding and eligibility information. If you are applying for this grant opportunity, please let us know via email to HCRWorkforce@oshpd.ca.gov to ensure OSHPD canreport how many California stakeholders are applying for federal grants.

If you are interested in applying for a grant and would like to receive a letter of support from the State, please send your request via email to HCRWorkforce@oshpd.ca.gov.

In your letter, please include the addressee’s name, the amount of your grant request, your grant objective, and any relevant information you would like the State to consider.  Also, please include the deadline date of your grant application submission. 

The purpose of theHCOP Skills Training and Health Workforce Development of Paraprofessionals Programis to train and expand the health paraprofessional workforce to meet the employment needs of the community through existing certificate training programs that provide a pathway to an associate’s and/or bachelor’s degree and community partnerships to support job placement, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

The grant program will also help improve the public’s access to quality health care by supporting programs that increase diversity in the paraprofessional health workforce. A diverse, culturally-aligned, and competent workforce is necessary to improve access to quality health care, reduce health disparities and improve health equity in all U.S. populations. HRSA is seeking to train approximately 750 health paraprofessionals per year through this program. The funding is to support students in community, technical, and tribal colleges and universities, who are seeking to obtain formal training in a health paraprofessional field.

Paraprofessional certificate training programs may include care coordinator, community health worker, dental assistant, home health aide, medical assistant, patient navigator, outreach worker, promotora and other health paraprofessionals that correspond to the needs identified in an applicant’s health paraprofessional employment needs assessment and Labor Market Information analysis specific to the geographic region proposed.

An anticipated total of $2 million will be available starting September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2017, with an estimated amount of up to $200,000 per award/per year. Total estimated awards are 10 to 15 grants.

Eligibility includes: accredited schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, public health, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy, allied health, chiropractic, podiatric medicine, public and nonprofit private schools that offer graduate programs in behavioral and mental health, programs for the training of physician assistants, and other public or private nonprofit health or educational entities.  

The deadline to apply is July 16, 2014. 

For more information about this grant opportunity, click here: https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/SFO.asp?ID=18ae37c2-724a-4e80-8757-200e0d379f1c .

Two technical assistance calls are scheduled for applicants:

• June 19, 2014 at 11:00 am Eastern Time
• June 24, 2014 at 3:00 pm Eastern Time
• Call-in Number: 1-800-369-1711
• Participant Code: 4110394
• Adobe Connect Link: https://hrsa.connectsolutions.com/hcoptrainta/