AFSCME apprenticeships give Oregon members skills for behavioral health jobs

As they neared Thanksgiving, a cohort of Oregon AFSCME United We Heal apprentices had a lot to be thankful for.

At an apprenticeship graduation ceremony in Portland that coincided with National Apprenticeship Week, newly minted behavioral health professionals shared their excitement and gratitude on reaching a milestone that will provide meaningful careers for them and will help fill gaps in the behavioral health workforce.

United We Heal’s registered apprenticeship programs fit into a larger effort by AFSCME’s Job Training and Development Center to create and support workforce development opportunities nationwide to help solve the public service staffing crisis.

Lysandra Robnett, who graduated from the Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor apprenticeship program, described how she wants to help people who’ve struggled like she has.

“A little over five years ago, I walked out of prison, and I never would have thought I’d be anywhere where I’m at today,” Robnett said. “I really wanted to be a part of the change I want to see in the world. And I have that lived experience of being on the street, being addicted, all those things. And I just wanted to make people know that they matter, even though they’re still struggling, they’re still human.” 

Robnett and other graduates completed months of required on-the-job training and classes, which equipped them with the skills needed to fill in-demand positions in behavioral health. United We Heal’s apprenticeship programs work with Oregon employers to train new workers, at no cost to them, to help them advance in their careers and fill vital roles desperately needed in the behavioral health industry. 

Other recent Oregon graduates participating in the ceremony earned state certifications as Qualified Mental Health Associates through their apprenticeship training.

One of them was Andrea Andrew from Sunstone Way, a shelter for people experiencing homelessness, who described what graduating from the program meant to her.

“I fell into addiction for three years,” recalled Andrew. “In those three years, I caused a lot of wreckage. I got three felonies. I came down here to Portland, where I went through detox and got into some programs here. Going through my own personal story, then working with the underserved population or the vulnerable population, I realized how much of a big need that was … with the homelessness situation here in Portland.” 

Andy Friedman, executive director of United We Heal Training Trust, said Oregon’s behavioral health crisis requires a strategic response.

”By having United We Heal partner with employers, giving them autonomy to select and hire apprentices, we strengthen our state’s ability to tackle this problem head-on,” Friedman said. “Our graduates are a powerful example of our dedication to solving the ongoing crisis, thanks to this partnership.”