On November 4, 2022, the Human Services Program at Stella and Charles Guttman Community College hosted a Tenth Year Anniversary Celebration Supervisory Meeting. The meeting was organized by the Human Services Field Coordinator, Rev. Nancy Dessables, LMSW. Attendees at the event included Guttman President, Dr. Larry Johnson; Provost, Dr. Nicola Blake; supervisors from partner agencies; former program faculty and students; and current Guttman faculty, staff, and students. The event included several guest speakers who shared highlights of the Human Services Program over the past ten years. Human Services faculty and staff also shared updates on several new program initiatives underway, including an academic workforce initiative, a pilot apprenticeship program, and programmatic accreditation.
Academic Workforce Development Initiative
The Guttman Human Services Program is excited to be a part of the creation of a new workforce development initiative: The Academic Workforce Development Initiative (AWDI). AWDI will be a collaboration between the New York State Department of Health, AIDS Institute (NYSDOH, AI); Adelphi University (AU); Stella and Charles Guttman Community College, CUNY (GCC); and National Black Leadership Coalition on Health (NBLCH). Together, these organizations aim to help meet the health and human service workforce needs of New York State. AWDI will also provide mentoring professional development and pathways to employment for undergraduate and graduate students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and who are aspiring public health and human services, professionals. Dr. Marcia Edwards and Dr. Anya Spector will be leading this important and groundbreaking work.
Henry Street Settlement Apprenticeship
Plans are underway to launch the first human services apprenticeship in an exciting partnership between Guttman Community College and Henry Street Settlement. This pilot apprenticeship will consist of human services students learning about case management in one of the many service-based programs at Henry Street Settlement. Students will receive robust onboarding, job shadowing, training, and mentoring all in the context of a part-time temporary job. The goal is for apprentices to transition to a permanent position with increased salary and benefits at the end of their one-year apprenticeship commitment. Rev. Nancy Dessables is organizing this new and noteworthy partnership with support from Cristina Di Meo and Dr. Nicole Kras.
Programmatic Accreditation from the Council for Standards in Human Services Education
The Human Services Program is currently seeking accreditation from the Council for Standards in Human Services Education. The mission of the Council is twofold: first, to improve the quality, consistency, and relevance of human services education programs; second, to assure best practices in human services education through evidence-based standards and a peer-review accreditation process. The Human Services Program is looking forward to an accreditation site visit in Spring 2023. Dr. Nicole Kras is leading this work with assistance from the Human Services Team.
