Clark College’s Allied Health programs have been recognized as the 2025 Partner of the Year by ESD 112’s Career Connect Southwest! The Allied Health team – represented by Dean Dr. Scot Headley, Olga Lyubar, and Lisa Barsotti – was honored at the STEM Rising Star and Regional Partner Awards Ceremony at ESD 112 on June 9. The event served as a celebration of meaningful and strategic collaboration across southwest Washington.

“This partnership has helped bring greater alignment between education and workforce systems, opening doors for students to explore and pursue careers in high-demand healthcare fields,” said Chad Mullen, Network Manager for Career Connect Southwest. “Their commitment to innovation and student-centered programming makes them a standout example of what’s possible when education and industry work together.”

Clark’s Allied Health team has partnered with ESD 112 on multiple projects this year, including the Healthcare Pathways Education and Industry Summit on March 7 and a CTE Dual Credit workshop for local high school teachers on February 27.

Education Meets Workforce

This summer, Clark is hosting AH 104, a rural healthcare camp that serves as an introduction to the healthcare field and the many professions available as career choices.

Five high school students from Kalama and one from White Salmon will visit campus for two weeks to learn from Allied Health instructor Miranda Devault, in collaboration with multiple healthcare professionals from The Vancouver Clinic. Through this partnership, students will have the opportunity to shadow different healthcare professionals, an invaluable experience as each student is planning to go into the healthcare field when they graduate. This event is graciously being funded by the Clark College Foundation and Entry Services. Upon completion, the six students will also receive three college credits.

Our partnership with ESD 112 also benefits teachers! A STEM teacher’s experience – which kicked off June 16 at the ESD 112 Conference Center – allows four high school teachers from Vancouver Public Schools to earn 30 clock hours – 15 of them STEM clock hours – and a $1500 stipend for participating in the Learning from and in the Healthcare Field workshop. They will gain firsthand exposure to healthcare careers and the skills needed in the field by working alongside local healthcare professionals and technical staff at The Vancouver Clinic. Dr. Headley’s former colleague, Dr. Maranda Turner from George Fox University, will provide specialized facilitation on how to integrate healthcare themes into their curriculum, and participants will have the opportunity to share their insights with fellow educators at a professional symposium happening this fall.

Learn More

Learn more about the impactful work from this partnership:

• Clark College Health Care & Biosciences
• Allied Health Center of Excellence
• Career Connect Southwest

On Wednesday, May 23, Clark College received approval from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the college’s regional accrediting body, to begin offering its third baccalaureate program: the Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Services (BASHS).

The BASHS degree program is designed for students who already hold an associate degree in Addiction Counselor Education or a related field, allowing them to advance their careers in the behavioral health professions. Sample courses include Multicultural Counseling in Human Services; Trauma, Grief, and Loss; Practical Family Therapy; and Systems and Social Justice.

Full-time students can complete this 90-credit program in two years. Designed with working professionals in mind, classes are taught in-person two evenings a week, with electives being offered online. The program also provides all the educational requirements necessary to sit for the Washington Department of Health Chemical Dependency Professional (CDP) exam.

“This degree program answers a need we’ve heard from local employers, who want professionals who are cross-trained in mental health and addiction,” said Dr. Marcia Roi, BASHS Program Director and head of the Addiction Counselor Education department at Clark College. “It also serves the needs of our students, who historically have not had a straightforward pathway to a bachelor’s degree that also meets the educational requirements of the CDP exam.”

The college is currently taking applications for fall 2018, the first term the new degree will be offered. For more information or to apply, contact Marcia Roi at mroi@clark.edu. Information is also available online at www.clark.edu/cc/bashs.