This grant award will further support the efforts from Staten Island Performing Provider System to fill workforce gaps on Staten Island and beyond.
Staten Island, NY, July 2022 – Staten Island Performing Provider System (SI PPS) has received the Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) federal grant award from the United States Department of Labor for $2 million over 4 years for four apprenticeship titles: Community Health Worker (CHW), Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA), Home Health Aide (HHA), and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). This grant award will further support the efforts from SI PPS to fill workforce gaps brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and will streamline the process from training to employment. The goal is to increase the number of registered apprentices by 500 in apprenticeable occupations throughout the region.
“Multiple letters of support were instrumental to this process. These letters came from health care organizations, faith-based organizations, continuing care organizations, and higher education training partners,” said SI PPS’s Managing Director, Strategic Initiatives & Operations, Ashley Restaino.
Joseph Conte, executive director of the SI PPS adds, “The SI PPS is honored on being awarded the Apprenticeship Building America Grant. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has recognized only 30 organizations across the nation to receive this funding. It is an acknowledgement of the PPS’s commitment to supporting those affected by disparities and healthcare employers who are struggling to fill positions. The apprenticeship model is an excellent approach to providing economic opportunity to those in need and supporting healthcare employers as they search for new team members to fill in gaps left by COVID. This award focuses on positions to support substance use disorder providers, nursing homes and home health agencies who have been especially hard hit and to expand our apprenticeship program throughout New York State and beyond.”
“The PPS is playing a vital role in attracting funding for training and employment to the members of the community who have been affected by the opportunity gap,” added Brahim Ardolic, MD executive director at SIUH. “Many don’t get a fair chance to even believe they can achieve something, let alone the resources necessary to reach for it. This has nothing to do with a person’s abilities and everything to do with the opportunities available to them. This work levels the playing field. We are going to see thousands of lives changed in Staten Island and beyond.”
About Staten Island Performing Provider System
In 2014, Staten Island Performing Provider System (SI PPS) formed an integrated network of medical, behavioral, and social services agencies under the New York State Department of Health Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program (DSRIP). Our founding goals included improving the quality of care, reducing costs and improving health outcomes for Staten Island’s Medicaid and uninsured populations. By the end of the DSRIP Program, we exceeded our goals and maintained our network to continue enhancing and refining the transformative work built in the Staten Island Community.
Today, we continue to work with our partners to improve population health outcomes, address social determinants of health, grow our network and reduce health disparities. We are dedicated to improving health equity by holding conversations with our community, creating educational and workforce opportunities for youth, and bridging connections with non-traditional service providers to meet people where they are in the community. Learn more at www.statenislandpps.org.
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