Ladders to Licensure

Background

In September 2024, EOHHS announced the release of a Grant Application for the new Ladders to Licensure program. Ladders to Licensure will help increase the capacity and diversity of the health professional workforce by funding partnerships between healthcare providers, institutions of higher education, and others to support employees in paraprofessional roles to pursue higher education and health professional licensure. Specifically, Ladders to Licensure will fund the following activities:

  1. Career Ladder Planning and Design (Required): Up to 6 months of funding for partnerships to design one or more career ladders that meet minimum program requirements 
  2. Tuition Supports (Required): An average of $5,000/employee of last-dollar funding for tuition and related expenses
  3. Career Ladder Implementation (Optional): Implementation funds to implement career ladders that meet minimum program requirements

December 2024 Award Announcement

EOHHS has tentatively awarded three Ladders to Licensure grantee partnerships, for the period of January – June 2025. Those three grantee partnerships are:

  • Community College of Rhode Island ‘Rise to Registered Nurse’ Partnership, focused on pathways from CNA to RN, with Kent Hospital (Care New England Health System), and RI Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, & Newport Hospital (Brown University Health)
  • Rhode Island College ‘Clinical Career Ladders to Licensure’ Partnership, focused on Social Work and Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with Child & Family Services of RI, Community Care Alliance, Family Service of RI, Tides Family Services, and RI Department of Children, Youth, and Families
  • William James College ‘Behavioral Healthcare Ladders to Licensure’ Partnership, focused on Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with Communities for People, Tides Family Services, and Family Service of RI

Grantees will begin their career ladders planning in January and will participate in a six-month learning collaborative, while also beginning to fund tuition for incumbent paraprofessionals at their agencies.