A limited number of grants are available for students enrolling in Walters State’s Division of Workforce Training Allied Health Program. The classes are noncredit and are usually ineligible for financial aid. Funding is provided through the Tennessee Department of Labor Rural Health Workforce Initiative.

Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The grant will pay for the tuition and for additional professional development courses focused on workforce readiness, career mapping, mind matters, and the American Heart Association basic life support class.

Students must contact Dr. Linda Nelms, coordinator of health programs, at Linda.Nelms@ws.edu or Kristy Parkins, facilitator, at Kristy.Parkins@ws.edu to be enrolled.

These classes are offered through the college’s Division of Workforce Training and do not require any prerequisites or placement scores.

• The Direct Support Professional (DSP) program is an online, competency-based, 12-course program. This program addresses a critical need in this area for direct support professionals who often provide care in a patient’s home. Students will earn DSP-1, DSP-2 and DSP-3 certifications are eligible for a national credential as a direct support professional. Direct support professionals usually work one-on-one with individuals who have intellectual or developmental delays, assisting with a variety of tasks while encouraging independence.

• The Registered Behavior Technician works in clinical settings under the supervision of board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA), providing treatment plans for patients, including children, with autism spectrum disorder or developmental disabilities. This field is focused on science and human behavior, and alleviating problematic behaviors in individuals. RBTs may also work in schools or home settings to assist patients in reducing problematic behaviors or learning daily living skills.

• The Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) is 70-hour program training professionals to collect blood specimens from clients for laboratory analysis. Students will become familiar with all aspects related to blood collection and develop comprehensive skills to perform venipunctures safely. Classroom work includes terminology, anatomy and physiology, blood collection procedures, hands-on practice, and clinical training in skills and techniques for performing puncture procedures.