The Kansas Health Profession Opportunity Project (KHPOP) is intended to provide healthcare education, training and employment to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients and other low-income individuals. An overall goal for the project is to reduce healthcare labor shortages and, simultaneously, decrease total individuals receiving public assistance. This project may be a solution to some members who are having a hard time finding individuals trained in specific areas such as CNA, LPN or RN. Organizations should partner with their local Workforce Center to identify those individuals who would be eligible to work in the nursing home setting.
We asked Shari Heim, KHPOP Director to provide more information about their project. If you would like more information about this program and how it could work for your individual community, contact her at (785) 291-3277 or by email.
Kansas Health Profession Opportunity Project (KHPOP)
Kansas Department of Commerce (Commerce) has been awarded a second round of funding for participants to be served in a career pathways grant made available through the Federal Department of Health and Human Services. This five year grant is part of the Health Professions Opportunity Grants (HPOG) initiatives, which Commerce commonly refers to as KHPOP or Kansas Health Profession Opportunity Project. The KHPOP grant is intended to provide healthcare education, training and employment to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients and other low-income individuals. An overall goal for the grant is to reduce healthcare labor shortages and, simultaneously, decrease total individuals receiving public assistance.
The model of service delivery, to those participants meeting one of the eligibility criteria above, is unique in that Kansas utilizes the Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDB) established workforce centers for service delivery. By partnering with the LWDB, the program availability reaches the entire state vs an isolated target area. Each of the five LWDBs are equipped with 2-3 Career Coaches who function as mentors for all of the individuals qualifying to participate in the KHPOP grant. The LWDBs also leverage resources from within partner staff to assist with the case management functions of the participants during the intake process. This creates a cohesive bond between the workforce center staff and the participant and opens the lines of communication to foster success in the program. Career Coaches are the liaisons between the participant, case managers, training providers and employers. Responsibilities span from building one-on-one relationships with participants to fostering self-esteem and motivation and developing career pathways goals and plans while assisting the participant to focus on achieving them.
Eligible participants receive a wide range of services through the KHPOP grant, including but not limited to: basic skills training, healthcare occupational training, other skills development activities, academic supports, personal logistical supports, employment assistance supports, and work-based learning opportunities. Participants, based on needs and eligibility, have access to services such as adult education and literacy activities, basic skills/literacy activities, workshops, career guidance, individual career planning, linkages to community services, proficiency testing, assessments, supportive services such as child care, transportation and counseling and much, much more.
Occupational Training is restricted in Kansas to those healthcare occupations pre-approved by the federal awarding agency (HHS). Currently, Kansas is training participants in the following approved healthcare occupations:
- Registered Nurse
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists, Other
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians, Other
- Radiologic Technicians
- Licensed Practical and Vocational Nurses
- Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
- Nursing Assistants
- Physical Therapist Assistants
- Dental Assistants
- Medical Assistants
- Medical Transcriptionists
- Phlebotomists
- Home Health Aide
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Dental Hygienist
- Surgical Technician
Commerce also participates in an impact study, which allows for a lottery selection of participants to be served while maintaining a control group of participants not being served by this program. The purpose of the impact study is to create a treatment and control group for which confidential evaluation of progress effectiveness can be analyzed. The ratio of the random assignment is 2:1, which allows for 2 participants out of every 3 to be served with KHPOP grant funding. Those randomly assigned to the control group, in many circumstances, are referred to other partner provided services within the workforce centers, but do not receive KHPOP training as a result of random assignment.
Currently, Commerce has just completed year 1 for the five year grant. Similarly to other HPOG grantees, Commerce experienced a delay in ramp up for year 1 as a result of system development, training, and general promotion of the program. Commerce is confident future year goals will be met and/or exceeded by the end of the five year grant period.
Lastly, of the 241 served in the Treatment Group (shown above), 29 are TANF recipients and are likely to become self-sufficient by the end of training and show gainful employment in the healthcare occupation trained. In addition to those being actively served during year 1, there are another 207 pending random assignment for potential training during year 2.
KHPOP has been a very successful contributor to the overall decrease in public assistance and has been key to fulfilling demand occupation vacancies experienced in the state. Commerce is looking forward to continued success throughout the duration of the grant award and looks forward to future opportunities with career pathway grants.
