Strong ecosystems of care need a well-prepared, diverse, interprofessional workforce that includes people from the community served and is supported to deliver high quality, person-centered care. Success in building that kind of workforce takes partnership, intentional investment, and creativity.

The Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Pathways Program in Camden, NJ is building professional pathways, addressing workforce shortages, and elevating the voices of people with lived experience (PWLE). Through community collaboration and strong academic and employer partnerships, this initiative is transforming frontline workforce development.

A critical catalyst for innovation within the program has been the recognition that students need resources and support to overcome many of the same barriers they will see among their patients, including housing instability, food insecurity, mental health challenges, transportation needs, resource navigation, and document sourcing. In 2022, the CMA program formed a partnership with a local social services provider, Center For Family Services (CFS), providing wrap-around support for all program participants, as well as curriculum development and facilitation for the Summer Bridge program. Wrap-around support includes personalized case management and resource navigation, document sourcing, transportation assistance, and a living stipend over the Summer Bridge period of the program. The CFS Curriculum focuses on professional development, job readiness, and financial literacy.

In 2023, the program launched a partnership with the Camden Coalition’s Community Ambassadors program, matching Community Ambassadors with CMA students to serve as trusted coaches who can help students work through challenges, frustrations, and ambivalence. This community coaching model has succeeded beyond expectations, resulting in an increase in program completion — 93%, up from 73% the previous year — and glowing feedback from students, 100% of whom said that the coaching relationship was helpful and that they hope to stay in communication with their coach after the program.

These and other innovations were developed over years of trial and error, and were made possible by the commitment of the partners involved in the CMA Pathway Program — Rutgers-Rowan Joint Board of Governors in partnership with Camden Coalition, Center For Family Services, Camden Community College, Camden City School District, Cooper University Health, and CAMCare — to figure out exactly what it takes to make a community-based workforce a reality. During this webinar, panelists will share those real-world insights, lessons learned, and opportunities for sustainability and growth.

This webinar is for anyone interested in community-based workforce development: training programs, public health agencies, funders, health systems, community-based organizations, and more. We also welcome attendees from the local community interested in learning more about a success story for community health in Camden.

Speakers:

• Eve Burdett, Community Ambassador, Camden Coalition
• Megan Lepore, Chief of Staff, Center for Family Services
• Aariyanna Washington, CMA Pathways Program Student
• Corey Hoffman, Director Programs and Partnerships, Rowan University/Rutgers-Camden Board of Governors
• Gladys Antelo Allen, Director of Training and Education, Camden Coalition