Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the Puget Sound Welcome Back Center?
2. What services are offered at the Puget Sound Welcome Back
3. Who is eligible for these services?
4. Is the Center a new idea?
5. Does the Center assist all health professionals?
6. What about individuals who have credentials in other
fields outside healthcare?
7. Does the Center offer educational scholarships?
8. Does the Center offer professional licenses?
9. Does the Center offer job placement?
10. When will the Center open?
11. Who can answer questions about the Center?
1. What is the Puget Sound Welcome Back Center?
The Puget Sound Welcome Back Center (formerly Gateway Center) is designed to build a bridge between the pool of internationally-trained health professionals residing in Washington and the severe shortage of linguistically and culturally competent health care professionals in underserved communities.
The Center, hosted at Highline Community College, will work with healthcare, education, and agency partners to assist health professionals from all over the world who have come to Washington and have not been able to re-enter their professions because of difficulties in navigating the credentialing process.
The Center has received start-up funding through grants from BuRSST for Prosperity and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC).
2. What services are offered at the Puget Sound Welcome Back Center?
The Center will provide individualized orientation, counseling, and support to internationally trained health workers.
The Center offers free classes and workshops. Examples are Communication in Health Care, Interviewing for Healthcare Jobs, Nurses' Support Groups, Pronunciation Labs
The Center will assist each participant in developing a career path plan that builds on each participant's skills, experience, and education.
In addition to orientation and support in obtaining the appropriate professional credentials and licenses for their profession, participants will be presented with other options or alternatives to consider. These options may include choosing a different health occupation offered through a community college or university or focusing their skills and experience in the areas of health care management, research, advocacy, or policy.
The Center will provide career-guidance courses and, where appropriate, technical courses to address skills gaps. Contextualized ESL courses will be offered to help participants to improve their English proficiency, as needed.
3. Who is eligible for these services?
Internationally-trained health workers currently residing in Washington are eligible for the program. The program does not have the capacity to serve individuals residing outside of Washington. Individuals residing outside the United States are not eligible for the program.
4. Is the Center a new idea?
No. This Highline Community College initiative has been planned in partnership with the California Welcome Back Initiative started in San Francisco in 2001. www.welcomebackinitiative.org The Welcome Back Center, now in seven states - California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.
5. Does the Center assist all health professionals?
Yes. The Center provides services to all eligible health professionals. This includes nurses, pharmacists, doctors, speech therapists, occupational therapists, laboratory and other technicians, psychologists, dentists, social workers, health educators, and many others.
6. What about individuals who have credentials in other fields outside healthcare?
The college's vision is to expand the Center's services so that, eventually, it will provide support to individuals in a wide variety of fields - education, engineering, science and technology, and others. However, the initiative will start with healthcare and it may be several years before the mission can be expanded.
7. Does the Center offer educational scholarships?
No. The Center does not receive funding to provide educational scholarships; however, an Educational Case Manager will help link participants to college and universities' financial aid offices.
8. Does the Center offer professional licenses?
No. Each participant will have to follow existing licensing procedures for his or her associated profession. The Center provides orientation about existing licensing procedures. (In some instances, the Center will provide license exam preparation materials to participants.)
9. Does the Center offer job placement?
No. The Center does not directly find jobs for participants; however, a job announcement binder will be available to share information with participants about job opportunities upon notification by potential employers and other agencies. The Center will also work with healthcare and agency partners who specialize in job placement.
10. When will the Center open?
The Center is scheduled to start serving participants October 2008. For the pilot year of the program, Sept 2008 - Sept 2009, there will be a limited number of participants.
11. Who can answer questions about the Center?
Call Puget Sound Welcome Back Center hosted by Highline Community College, at 206-878-3710 ext. 3345 or email welcomeback@highline.edu
The Center does not have the capacity to respond to inquiries outside of the United States.
