Ivy Tech refugee CNA class a success but future funding is in question

Oct. 19--It has been nearly a year and one graduating class since Ivy Tech of Northeast Indiana launched their refugee training class for CNA's.

The class was a success and of the twenty students enrolled in program, on the Fort Wayne Campus, 100 percent of the students received certification. Fourteen of the graduates are now employed as CNAs, or 63 percent.

The funding for the program came from a grant through the refugee resettlement program, Indiana'sOffice of Family and Social Services which was awarded to the St Joseph Community Health Foundation. The program is specially designed to work with the students language skills to bring them up to speed through IVY Tech's language training program, teaching them the necessary medical language on top of improving their overall English so they can understand the materials they are learning during the course and after graduation be able to function in a medical setting.

Jerrilee K. Mosier, Ed.D., Ivy Tech Chancellor designed a similar program while working in Seattle and Cindy Chenoweth, RN, BS Program Chair Health Care Support, said they modeled their CNA program after that. Chenoweth said they now have the necessary pieces in place so they can now plug in other licensing courses for refugees using the same language curriculum techniques. Next semester they will be also offer a CNC, computer numerical control, which is designed for high tech machine operators, and CDL, a licensing course for truck drivers, in addition to another CNA class.

Distler said Matt Schomburg, Indiana Refugee Coordinator is carefully monitoring the CNA class as it is a gateway development course that could be used as a model other institutions around the state to help develop refugee job skills. Distler said they are closely monitoring the success of the program.

They have grant through the 2015 year, but according to Distler the money may not be available in 2016 year. With the influx of unaccompanied minors coming in over the boarders the funding dollars the state receives from Federal office of Refugee resettlement may not be sufficient to cover their grant.

Schomburg said they are only allocated so much money and when more refugees arrive more dollars are needed to help fund their resettlement. This means programs like Catholic Charities that get refugees established and employed within eight months of their arrival in the country need more dollars. Classes like the one at Ivy Tech, are a lower priority and are more likely suffer funding cuts.

"It breaks my heart to think I will have to cut that funding, these classes are so important," Schomburg said.

Schomburg told the Fort Wayne-Allen County Board of Health Monday what can be more important than giving someone a chance to become employed? He said when Dr. Deb McMahan, Fort Wayne-Allen County Health Commissioner told him a few years ago she was frustrated she to see people who had a real interest in the health care profession being limited to menial factory jobs. She hoped if he had some surplus dollars someday he could award them to funding development of refugee health care-workers. The Ivy Tech CNA program was the result of that conversation.

Schomburg said they were forced to recall funding for 2015 and then reallocate it to address the unaccompanied child refugees. But he found enough surplus in the budget to insure funding for the program through 2015.

Chenoweth said they are exploring other funding options for refugee students, should their grant funds be cut in 2016. They would also like to be able to train more refugees in the community who may not currently fit the current funding criteria.

As it stands the IVY Tech grant funds are available only to refugees who have been in the United States for at least six months but less than five years, reside in Northeast Indiana, are 16 or older, have reliable transportation, and receive a minimum score on an English language placement test.

Chenoweth said there are a lot of refugees who have been in the country over five years who would like to take the course. The challenge now is to find finical aid to help them too, while looking for alternate funding for 2016 for those who already qualify.

Nov 12 Ivey Tech will be holding an open house from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. for refugee students interested for signing up for the 2015 courses.

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