A new CT Health Horizons program will provide assistance to aspiring nurses and social workers at the University of Saint Joseph.

Submitted

The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in West Hartford has been granted $1,795,000 in CT Health Horizons funds to assist students who wish to pursue careers in health care fields.

CT Health Horizons, a three-year $35 million initiative created with federal American Rescue Plan Act money, is a collaboration between higher education and health care provider partners to grow and diversify the next generation of nurses and social workers.

USJ plans to use the funding to provide tuition assistance to students entering accelerated nursing and social work programs in order to help increase the state’s workforce in those important areas. It will do so through USJ’s existing programs, including its psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner master’s degree, psychiatric mental health practitioner post-master’s certificate, accelerated second degree (ASD) in Nursing, and master of social work (MSW) degree.

Additionally, USJ will expand the capacity of these programs by using part of the funding to create five new faculty positions and develop new articulation agreements with surrounding universities and area hospitals for program development.

As part of this initiative, USJ recently announced a partnership with Saint Francis Hospital and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital that will use CT Health Horizons Grant funds to address the demand for clinical health care workers in Connecticut. The three institutions will increase the number of USJ students placed in positions at Saint Francis and Mount Sinai.

By providing enhanced opportunities for USJ students’ clinical training at Saint Francis and Mount Sinai during their education, the partnership creates a pathway for future employment at both hospitals following graduation. The agreement also will prioritize seats for Saint Francis and Mount Sinai employees in select USJ programs. Program highlights include tuition discounts for Saint Francis and Mount Sinai employees, enhanced connections between the hospital’s clinical staff and USJ faculty, and mentoring relationships for new nurses and USJ graduate student research projects.

“The University is very excited to be part of CT Health Horizons, and to be able to utilize this funding to provide more opportunities for students to build successful careers in health care,” USJ President Rhona Free, Ph.D. said.

This investment in training nurses and behavioral health providers is in direct response to the nation’s need for more skilled professionals to provide post-pandemic health care services, particularly in the critical area of mental health. USJ expects to provide tuition support to more than 100 students entering nursing and social work programs over the next three years via this vital funding.

Learn more about USJ’s CT Health Horizons offerings at: www.usj.edu/CTHealth

ABOUT CT HEALTH HORIZONS

Connecticut Health Horizons is funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act – Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds awarded to the State of Connecticut by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (FAIN: SLFRP0128). CT Health Horizons is a collaborative partnership that includes Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the Office of Workforce Strategy, multiple state agencies, the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, and the Connecticut Hospital Association. Please visit CSCU – Ct Health Horizons for more information.

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