Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | September 16, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 9 B2B EI243116136.0 5/24 © 2024 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 24-3077897-D 1 Actual savings may vary depending upon plan design, network configuration, contracting and utilization. UnitedHealth Network Access internal analysis. Sept. 1, 2023. Members enrolled in UnitedHealthcare NexusACO products are not limited to Atrius Health and Reliant Medical Group providers. To view a full listing of network providers, use the "Find a Doctor" feature on uhc.com. Tier 1 providers may be subject to change, visit myuhc.com® for the most current information or call the number on your health plan ID card. Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Working together for Massachusetts UnitedHealthcare, Atrius Health and Reliant Medical Group are working together along with other local medical providers to deliver a group health plan designed to provide a simpler experience and cost-effective care for Massachusetts companies. With the UnitedHealthcare NexusACO® plan, employees can save on out-of-pocket costs by choosing Atrius Health and Reliant Medical Group, as well as other Tier 1 providers designated for quality and efficiency. Employers can save too, with rates up to 12% 1 lower than our traditional plans. uhc.com/nexus Including these and others: D I V E R S I T Y & I N C LU S I O N F O C U S Continued on next page applications, job placement, and gradu- ation plans. Classroom curriculum covers a holis- tic range of subjects needed for on-the- job duties including hands-on medical training, English courses, and lessons on professional boundaries, image, microaggressions, and understanding developmental disabilities. During their rotations, participants shadow and assist with a wide range of responsibilities, in- cluding supporting clients through com- munity integration, money management skills, and with activities of daily living such as eating, dressing, and bathing. Going through the HSCS program offers participants not only the ability to deliver care, but it provides a space for students to flourish on a personal level, said Tashiani Forman, Seven Hills career support and advancement navigator. "[From] when we first meet them, to the last day when we graduate, you see a complete difference in them, personally and professionally," she said. 'You help you, too' Aer immigrating to the U.S. from Haiti in 2022, the transition to life state- side for Joseph Casseus was anything but easy. In fact, it was so difficult that he wanted to return to Haiti, even though he was concerned about the level of violence experienced in the country. But then, Casseus learned about the HSCS program from a friend at the warehouse where he was working. He went on to graduate from the program's third cohort. "e program changed me," he said. Now a residential counselor, Casseus credits the HSCS program for making him into a more confident person, an experience shared by many in the pro- gram, said Forman. "We have people who are really within their shell when they come and afraid to speak up or have conversations," said Forman. "And aer they complete the program, that training gives them that confidence level to be open, and we just see people who wouldn't talk on day one to saying a speech at the end of the program. It's amazing." Today, Casseus said he has the money he needs to pay his bills and a career he's proud of. He was able to purchase a car with the $2,000 provided to program participants in an effort to mitigate bar- riers that would otherwise keep them from utilizing the program. He is also Medication Administration Program certified, a frequent requirement under Massachusetts Department of Public Health regulations for direct care staff to administer medication. Passing the MAP exam is no small feat as a report submitted to the DPH in 2022 by Lexing- ton-based Eastern Research Group reported 33.2% of survey respon- dents passed the three MAP exam test components on the first try. Some Open Sky staff with exceptional English skills haven't been able to pass the exam, said Omo Fagboore, Open Sky's career pipeline manager. Casseus, who is learning English, credits passing the MAP to his will. e HSCS program has impacted the way Casseus views himself in relation to the population in which he now serves. Open Sky career development funding Open Sky Community Services received $6.4 million in funding over three years for its Human Services Career Support program. Source Amount End Date Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services $2.8 million February 2025 Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, distributed by the Commonwealth Corp. $3.5 million September 2026 City of Worcester American Rescue Plan Act funding $99,000 December 2026 Source: Open Sky Community Services Joseph Casseus, graduate of the HSCS program's third cohort Tashiani Forman, career support and advancement navigator for Seven Hills

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