Barnstable County Awarded Public Health Workforce Expansion Grant
The grant equips County to further support older residents during public health emergencies.
September 22, 2022 (Barnstable, MA) – Barnstable County is pleased to announce that the Department of Human Services is the recipient of one of four awards from the state’s Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) for a Public Health Workforce Expansion Grant.
This is a 26-month, $200,000 grant award of State ARPA funds which focuses on ongoing COVID-19 response efforts to recruit, hire, and train public health workers to respond to the pandemic and prepare for future public health challenges.
With these funds, the Department of Human Services will address the planning and preparedness needs of the older adult and caregiving populations on Cape Cod by providing professional and technical advice to service providers, towns, and other stakeholders and by recommending policy, practice, and systems change where relevant. Nearly half of the County’s population is age 60 or older.
“This grant opportunity was of particular interest to us given our close relationship with EOEA through our work on the SHINE Program, as well as the Cape’s demographics,” said Human Services Director Joseph Pacheco. “We’re thrilled to have been awarded this grant and look forward to assisting the region in planning for future public health challenges as they relate to the older adult population.”
The department’s grant application received strong support from Senator Julian Cyr (D-Truro) and Senator Susan Moran (D-Falmouth). “Barnstable County’s Department of Human Services has been instrumental in guiding Cape Codders through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Cape and Islands State Senator Julian Cyr. “I am delighted that the Department was awarded the Public Health Workforce Expansion Grant from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs in order to continue their critical efforts to support the Cape’s older residents during public health emergencies today and in the future.”
Senator Moran said, “Our front-line healthcare workers and municipal officials have been crucial partners in responding to COVID-19, addressing its unprecedented impacts with professionalism, even at the height of the pandemic when resources were stretched thin. I am glad to see that this funding will go to not only alleviating the strain the past two years have put on our local healthcare landscape but also to encourage its growth to ensure that we are adequately prepared in the event of a future public health crisis.”
ABOUT THE BARNSTABLE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
The mission of the Department of Human Services is to plan, develop, and implement programs that enhance the overall delivery of human services in Barnstable County and promote the health and social well-being of County residents through regional efforts that improve the coordination of services. For more information, visit us at:
https://www.bchumanservices.net/
https://www.instagram.com/bchumanservices/
https://twitter.com/HumanServicesBC
https://www.facebook.com/healthyconnectedcapecod/
ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ELDER AFFAIRS
The mission of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs is to promote independence, empowerment, and well-being of older people, individuals with disabilities, and their families. They ensure access to resources needed to live healthy in every community in the Commonwealth.
ABOUT BARNSTABLE COUNTY REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF CAPE COD Barnstable County provides exemplary government functions and services to keep our community healthy and safe, promote sustainable growth, and offers a proactive, open government that enhances the quality of life for the citizens of Barnstable County. Learn more at www.capecod.gov
