Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Professional Development and Training and Family and Human Services partnership helps workers, employers, and students

The collaboration between PCC’s Professional Development and Training (PDT)and the Family and Human Services (HUS) programs represents a strategic alignment of academic rigor, practical workforce readiness, customized offerings, and incumbent worker training.

Since 2022, this partnership has been bringing subject matter expertise to industry partners anchored by a high-impact Behavioral Health First Aid micro-credential series, which bridges the gap between foundational classroom learning and immediate low-barrier access to skill development, while maintaining a focus on the specialized needs of the social service sector and other industry partners.

Micro-Credentialing Series

The centerpiece of this collaboration is a four-course micro-credential program in Behavioral Health. These stand-alone courses provide students and working professionals with advanced skills in mental health and suicide first aid for both youth and adults, incorporating critical training like Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST).

Targeted Skill Development

The initiative focuses on deepening practitioners’ understanding of suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention, and trauma-informed care while equipping them with tools to support diverse client populations in crisis.

Accessibility for Working Professionals: By offering flexible learning options — including online, remote, and Saturday formats — the collaboration ensures that coursework is accessible to students who are already employed in the field, but require specialized training to maintain or advance their careers.

Logical Pathways

The program is open to the broader community, and PDT students are eligible to transfer their non-credit CEUs into the HUS program as Credit for Prior Learning (CPL). This approach creates a direct pipeline into academic credentials while supporting entry-level and intermediate human service roles such as case management, crisis intervention, and advocacy.

Ultimately, this synergy enhances incumbent workers, metro-area employers, and PCC students by embedding accessible professional-grade certifications directly into the credit and non-credit experience. This integrated approach ensures that PCC graduates are not only academically prepared for transfer to institutions like Portland State University but are also immediately equipped with the “ready-to-work” skills demanded by regional human service employers.

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