The staggering need for medical care providers – including certified nursing assistants and geriatric nursing assistants – has led to a new Catholic Charities program aimed at helping individuals achieve their career goals while finding the assistants the medical community – and its patients – need.
“Compassionate Caregivers is a program designed to train the next generation of nursing assistants,” said Mark Saunders, Compassionate Caregivers program manager. “People are in need of work, and there is an endless need for nursing assistants in the medical field. We are meeting people where they are by offering both day and night training sessions to address their schedules. We understand the barriers each person may be facing so there will be intensive case management to address various things such as childcare needs, behavioral health concerns, and even transportation.”
On the road to a stable career
There is a specialized approach to meeting those needs. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, residents of Baltimore City, and adversely affected by COVID-19 – by way of loss of employment, or alteration of income or housing.
The program is a partnership between the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development and Catholic Charities as part of an effort to address the city’s interconnected economic and public health crises caused by the pandemic.
When enrollees complete the program, they may be hired at any of the area medical institutions including St. Elizabeth Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, and Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital.
“Our goal is to help residents travel the road towards a stable career, and we are thankful to our partners throughout the community for that,” said Saunders.