The West Central Alabama AHEC, in coordination with partners across Hale, Marengo, and Perry Counties in Alabama, will implement The Longleaf Outreach Project, an innovative, community-based workforce development project aimed to increase the healthcare workforce pipeline in rural Alabama.
The Longleaf Outreach Project will intertwine aspects of the strong structures of the West Central Alabama AHEC’s Health Professions Academy (HPA) and Community Health Worker (CHW) programs to create the HPA 2.0 program and will provide immediate employability and workforce development to seniors and individuals not enrolled in secondary education ages 17+ by equipping them with community knowledge and understanding of barriers to mental and behavioral health services in our area, including social determinants of health, Youth Mental Health First Aid and community service opportunities.
HPA 2.0 will also train participants to become CHWs to increase behavioral health support for individuals at risk and diagnosed with SUD/OUD and other behavioral health conditions as identified during the project.
Contact: Mercedes Lightfoot
Email: Mercedes.lightfoot@wcaahec.org
Phone: 205-575-8172
[The Longleaf Outreach Project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number DRA23DWPAL-23119awarded to West Central Alabama AHEC by the Delta Regional Authority and with funding provided by the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Law.]