Health Support Specialist

Health Support Specialist

This certificate will provide the skills and competencies necessary to cross train aging services staff for the position of a Health Support Specialist (HSS). Each course will cover a different set of knowledge and skills pertaining to the HSS field. Students will also learn about the concept of person directed care, and about bringing culture change to the model of long term care.

This 9 credit certificate will consist of 145 on-line training hours and 2500 apprenticeship hours of on-the-job training. Upon completion of all modules, students will earn 9 credits, an HSS certificate and receive a Registered Apprenticeship Health Support Specialist Certificate from the State of Minnesota.

This program is offered in consortium Century, Ridgewater, and South Central Colleges. Students may take course work from any of the participating colleges.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of an approved Nursing Assistant course and on the Minnesota State Registry. Students will need to be employed by a participating long term care industry partner prior to, or within 3 months of, beginning the HSS coursework. This is necessary for completion of the 2,500 required apprenticeship hours.

Health Support Specialist, Aging Serivces Website