Community Health Worker and Direct Support Professional

Become a compassionate caregiver

Grand Rapids Community College, with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is offering assistance for individuals interested in programs that provide compassionate care to others. The Community Health Worker and Direct Support Professional Training Program provides students with funding and encouragement to succeed as a Community Health Worker, Direct Support Professional and other in-demand healthcare support positions. This program is here to ensure that you can gain the education you need to step into a rewarding career.

Is this program for you?

This program is for you if you're interested in pursuing a career in healthcare support. If you are interested in any of the following programs, please fill out this inquiry form to find out if you qualify. If you are in need of financial support or would like to speak with a Career Coach, contact us. We are happy to help! 

Submit an inquiry form

After we receive your inquiry form, we'll be in touch to let you know if you qualify.

Some of the qualifying GRCC programs include:

• Certified Nurse Aide
• Direct Support Professional
• Community Health Worker
• Medical Assistant

We want you to succeed!

In order to help participants succeed, this program may assist with financial barriers, transportation, mental health concerns, housing and food insecurities and childcare issues,

Wraparound services include an assigned career coach to support participants in completing training and obtaining employment. Career coaches deliver on a continuum of support from entry to exit to make training feasible by addressing participants’ needs as they arise over time.

Participants will meet regularly with their career coach throughout training, who will provide advising, mentoring, and continuous monitoring of participants’ support needs, and will work with them on employability “soft skills.”

Job Placement

As part of their employment readiness coaching, employer partners will conduct practice interviews with all health program trainees and are invited into the classrooms for roundtable talks about their organizations and available careers. Key partners in the project include three primary employers of CHWs/HSWs: Spectrum Health, Cherry Health, and Trinity Health. Thus, many training participants will become apprentices with these employers (and will be employed), or will be offered employment at their field placement sites.

For more information on the MiCHWA CHW Training Program or to receive updates on offerings, please contact Diego Roman at DiegoRoman@grcc.edu or call (616) 234-2219.

Employer Partners

• Corewell Health
• Cherry Health
• Trinity Health

Community Partners

• West Michigan Works
• Hispanic Center of West MI
• Grand Rapids Urban League

This training program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $2,943,914.00 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.