Victoria Roman, a substance abuse counselor with St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers and a graduate of North Country Community College’s Chemical Dependency Counseling program, leads a Narcan training class on the college’s Malone campus. (Provided photo — North Country Community College)

SARANAC LAKE — North Country Community College announced Wednesday that more than $50,000 in scholarship funds are available to Franklin County residents who are interested in the college’s Human Services and Advanced Emergency Medical Technician programs.

At the same time, the college is launching a trio of Human Services microcredential programs tailored to in-demand career opportunities in the region.

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Scholarship funds

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A total of $55,000 in scholarship funds has been made available to the college through the Franklin County Opioid Settlement Grant. The goal of the scholarships is to improve academic and economic opportunities for Franklin County residents while increasing the number of well-trained workers to mitigate the impact the opioid epidemic has had on Franklin County communities.

“On behalf of the college and the Human Services department, we’d like to offer a tremendous thank-you to Franklin County for its ongoing support of people who have interest in pursuing the helping professions,” said Kathleen Dowd-Maloney, Human Services Department chair.

The funding will provide two years of scholarships to incoming Franklin County residents enrolling in Human Services degree programs like Chemical Dependency Counseling and Child and Family Services, and/or the Advanced Emergency Medical Technician certificate program. Scholarships are available now for new students entering the spring semester, which starts Jan. 22. Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until the money runs out.

To be eligible, students must first apply to the college and select one of the above degrees. Once complete, students will see that the scholarship application is available to them within their application account.

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Microcredentials

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This semester, the college has launched a trio of direct support professional microcredential programs — levels I, II and III — that are designed to answer a growing demand in the region for professionals to help serve people with developmental disabilities.

Direct service professionals provide assistance to people with all of their personal needs and help them participate in programs that strengthen their life skills and ensure a safe and comfortable environment. North Country’s DSP microcredentials, which can be completed in two semesters, were developed in conjunction with agencies like Mountain Lake Services, Citizen Advocates, Adirondack Arc, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

The coursework for each level of DSP certification aligns with national standards through the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals. It also provides a pathway to higher levels of education, including AAS and AS degrees, in the college’s Human Services programs.

Through grant funding and collaboration with the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and SUNY, North Country is able to offer scholarships for students to complete any of the three Direct Support Professional microcredentials.

For more information on the scholarship opportunities or the new microcredential programs, visit www.nccc.edu/human-services or email kdowd@nccc.edu.