Project Abstract Project Title: The Detroit Tri-County Social Work Health Career Opportunity Academy Disciplines in Application: Allied Health, Social Work Requested amount: Year 1: $650,000 Five Year Total: $3,250,000 Overview: The Detroit Tri-County Social Work Health Career Opportunity Academy is well-positioned to assist students in one of the poorest areas in the United States that HRSA also considers medically underserved and a provider shortage area. This program provides tailored academic, economic, and social support to community college Allied Health students and Bachelor of Social Work students while simultaneously training community-based experiential health professionals. The academy focuses on increasing the number of health care social workers because it is the #1 high-demand, high-wage profession in Michigan. This program includes three structured programs (Ambassadors Program, Summer Program, and Adult Learner Program) and two unstructured programs specifically developed to support students from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, including underrepresented minority students interested in health careers. Goal: The goal of The Detroit Tri-County Social Work Health Career Opportunity Academy is to prepare 475 current and future allied health and social work professionals to provide culturally responsive health care in the Detroit Tri-County area by August 31, 2028. Objectives: Our objectives are to (1) provide 125 undergraduate social work students from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds with The Detroit Tri-County Social Work Health Careers Opportunity Ambassadors Program; (2) provide 125 community college students from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds with The Detroit Tri-County Allied Health Careers Opportunity Summer Program; (3) provide 50 adult/non-traditional students from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds with The Detroit Tri-Co
unty Adult Learner Health Careers Opportunity Program; (4) provide 125 students from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds from the area with Financial Wellness and Resources workshops financial aid and student loan payment programs; and (5) provide 50 community-based experiential health professionals with continuing education in the area on the experiences of underserved communities by August 31, 2028. Implementation: Our team will accomplish program objectives by providing students and community partners with training opportunities. We will collaborate with existing community partners to recruit community college and university students into our structured and unstructured programs. We developed the programs based on our experience with prior HRSA funding, information from our interdisciplinary consulting team, and existing research on improving the recruitment, matriculation, retention, and graduation rates of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Therefore, our programs provide educational, economic, and social support as well as education on research, health disparities, social determinants of health, and health equity. An interdisciplinary consulting team will support interpreting findings from continuous quality improvement efforts to inform program revisions. Funding Preference Eligibility: Our comprehensive program of three community colleges and one university seeks to coordinate educational services in the Detroit Tri-County area. We plan to develop culturally competent individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, which will help create a competitive applicant pool of individuals seeking healthcare career opportunities. Our goal and objectives align with HRSA Strategic Plan, Goal 3.2, to improve the supply, geographic distribution, and diversity of the health workforce.