Join Doug Bryant and Abby Gibbons as they discuss the relationship between the efforts of Mobility Mentors like Abby and the Mason Center for Healthcare Education. Hear an inspiring conversation about how the two come together to create brighter futures for Knox County residents.

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Doug Bryant

Welcome back to Certify It the podcast for advancing your career in care. I'm here today with Abby Gibbons, mobility mentor from the Boys and Girls Club here in Knoxville. Thank you so much for being with us today. So, Abby, tell us a little bit about what a Mobility Mentor is and the work that you all do here in Knox County.

Abby Gibbons

I work as a part of the East Tennessee Collaborative Program. So we are a four year grant. Hopefully it will continue, but we don't know yet. So we started last year working with parents in the Knoxville area. We've expanded to more of East Tennessee. I mainly work with parents and Knox County and really it's funded through the state.

So we're funded through TANF. And our goal is to help families, just be better and so an increase in stability. And so we are looking at different areas of set goals. And so a big part of it is education and career. Of course, we want our families to be making more money and have opportunities for that.

Also, we set goals around mental health, around our finances, and housing. So pretty much all the areas that you could imagine that would impact a family we're able to set goals in. And our families have really made a lot of progress in the year and a half that we've been working with them so far.

Doug Bryant

Well, I'm so excited that you're here today because as an HR professional, when I first heard about the East Tennessee Collaborative and what you all were doing, I was so excited. I still remember the day I was on a Zoom, sitting at my house. I think it was back right after people were coming out of Covid, and I was talking to Pam Hedrick at the United Way about it, and I just could not believe that that was an opportunity that people here in Knox County were able to participate in, if they wanted to do that.

Our mission here at the Mason center and with the East Tennessee Collaborative is really there's a lot of synergy there in what we provide and, and what we're trying to do and what you all are trying to do. So can you tell us how something like the Mason center, in conjunction with the East Tennessee Collaborative and the Mobility Mentors, how that's going to be able to hopefully have an impact on our community.

Abby Gibbons

So I walked alongside one of my moms and we looked at a couple different options for doing CNA, doing LPN. And we kind of started like, “Okay, we're going to start with CNA.” So I gave her all the options like Hillcrest, and the Mason center has this really awesome opportunity where you can get paid while you're getting training done, and then you have a guaranteed job as well.

And so that was really helpful for her and her journey and kind of thinking of like, okay, I want to learn. I want to get a trade, I want to learn this to get the certification and kind of those built in support systems and, just kind of also one thing that we hear is like flexibility in the workplace because sometimes all of our participants have kids and a lot of work placements don't really understand the like, I have to get my kid on the bus, like, and I have to do these things.

And so it's been really awesome for her to be able to have a little bit of flexibility with, like the job placements and a little bit like timing and scheduling and things like that. And so she's been able to, pass her test and get her CNA and is starting to make more money and so, it fits right along with our goals of her becoming more stable and having new opportunities for her and her family.

Doug Bryant

We really tried to fill a niche in Knox County where, yeah, there's all these programs out there for health care, education and for getting certifications, but a lot of them just seem really unattainable in the fact that either the cost is prohibitive. the way that the financing works on that, maybe the people that you're working with or even some of the employees that we get, it's just prohibitive for them to be able to do it. So how is the nontraditional funding methods and financing that the Mason center is able to provide? Has that been helpful?

Abby Gibbons

I think it's just not having that barrier of like, okay, they're going to provide this training. And, you know, there's a commitment of working, of course, after you finish and all of that. And then there's also the opportunity if you want to do more, because I know that there's a connection with the LPN program.

And there's some other training that you guys offer here. So it just kind of takes away that initial barrier of someone trying to think about like, well, how do I move forward in this? You're like, no, you don't have to worry about that and we'll walk alongside you. So I think just kind of in the initial like getting started phase, that's kind of taken away some of the barriers. And then we've been able to help with some of the other things when it comes to transportation or any barriers that would come in that way.

Doug Bryant

Yeah, one of the, one of the things that we really tried to focus on when we were looking for a location was making sure we were on a bus route, because of transportation. You know, when you're trying to upskill people who are underemployed or people that are in situations like the clients that you all serve, that's really what our mission is, is trying to make sure that we can provide that for the people that need that the most.

So it's been super helpful. We've got students all the time that get off the bus up at the top of the road and walk down, to come to class. So how do you think that this is a program like what the Mason center is offering? How is that preparing the next generation of health care professionals? How do you think that's going to be able to do that here in Knoxville?

Abby Gibbons

I think I mean, we all know that there's such a need for health care positions like everyone's, everyone short staffed. So I think just having the steps to easily get there, it's going to feel like more attainable, for the next generation and current people that are looking for to change jobs and looking for a skill where they're like, they feel like they're stuck at a certain wage, they're like, okay, I can go do this, and I can do this for less this amount of time. And then if I want to go on, I can do this. It's a clearer path, for increasing income and opportunities. so I think that that's awesome just to have that be readily available.

Doug Bryant

So we are always pursuing other healthcare partners to be able to do what Hillcrest is doing with the Mason center, to help provide those scholarships and that tuition assistance, for that. So what would you say about partners that may be out there right now wondering, is this something I should do? How big is the need for tuition assistance and things like that trying to get into the workforce.

Abby Gibbons

I mean, I think that that we have a lot of resources in our community, and I can't speak to the whole healthcare, need, but, I think just if you kind of think about an, parent that has kids, that has to work, that has bills like that has all these things, like if you are able to take away some of the barriers that it's not going to feel attainable at all.

And so, those types of partnerships and incentives are going to help broaden the workforce and help get more people into even thinking about that as an option. because going back to school, trying to further education as a working parent is a lot. And if it's if it feels like something that you can do that's manageable and you can still have some income while you're doing it, then that's a win win for everybody.

Doug Bryant

Yeah. One of the things we see too, on the Hillcrest side of of the Mason center is the retention that happens when that, you know, one of the things that, we teach in leadership class all the time is you need to make sure that your employees feel like they're valued. And everybody is looking for that sense of belonging, and what we have found is people that go through those programs where the employer has said. “Hey, I'm going to invest in you, I'm going to do this.” Those employees really stick around and give back to who's been giving to them. And it's been a really good partnership, with us and those clients that you all are trying to help.

Mid-Roll

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Doug Bryant

What was the most exciting thing to you about being able to have those resources available to you for your clients?

Abby Gibbons

I've never participated or been a part of a grant that has been so like having so much resources, to be honest. And so I think I was really excited to be able to like, okay, families are really going to be able to make some movement and kind of break some of the cycles and some of the things where there's no community resources to help with, like the transportation piece.

Like that's huge for people to be able to get to work or to get to school and things like that. And so I was just really excited. And then I got to learn about the model that we use. And so we use the empath model, and it's really based on what the participant wants to do. So it's very participant driven.

And we're just here to support. And I learned about brain science and just how to have a really holistic coaching approach. And then I got really excited because I was like, we're building skills together, we're learning together, we're partnering. And, I don't have to have the answers, so we figure it out together.

And that's kind of what I, what I love so much about our program is okay, that didn't work out. Let's see what our other options are. That didn't work out. And that's just an amazing approach to life because things are not always going to work out how we want them to. And right. And how do we adjust and how do we have a growth mindset?

And even with some of my participants not passing the test the first time, like they had so many people at their worksite that it was like encouraging them, no, you're going to get it the next time. You got this. And even if you take the class over again, like you got it and that was really encouraging to me for them to know, like they have people in their corners that are there and that want them to succeed as well because they have relationships with the people that they work with and they want them to succeed. And so, I love community collaboration and partnership. And so that's been so fun to, like, get to meet different people and also like to build new partnerships with people doing amazing things in our community.

Doug Bryant

When the name couldn't be any more fitting than collaboration. Because this isn't just Boys and Girls Club, there's Mobility Mentors and all kinds of different nonprofits. You're one of how many?

Abby Gibbons

So we have 22 mentors now and it's across nine different organizations. So it's very collaborative and there are lots of different types of services and things, organizations that we offer.

Doug Bryant

So Abby, what would you say to someone that's looking to get into health care? Maybe they've never been in health care before and they're looking to break into that industry. What would you say to someone that's looking to do that?

Abby Gibbons

Yeah, I think for me, when I'm talking through different career options, it's like, do you have a heart for serving people? Because I think it comes down to that. Like, are you a people person and do you want to engage and help in whatever that kind of role is? and kind of then talk through the steps.

So I know you guys are a great start. The Mason center is a great place for starting through some steps for different courses and things, but then also understanding what other options there are for growing within the healthcare field.

Doug Bryant

So if I was an employer or if I was even a person that was out there that would benefit from the services that you all are providing, how would I get in touch and what does that process look like? If I wanted to participate?

Abby Gibbons

For sure, I think, reaching out, I'm on the United Way website. There's like a page for our program. So there's an email, like a general email. They could do that. We're kind of at capacity for some of the counties, which is an awesome problem to have because the word is out and lives are like being changed for the better for our program.

And so, I reach out to the United Way and connect with one of either our director or someone like Pam, who you mentioned before and just kind of see what that process would be for referrals. We usually have an open referral, for the, on the website. but now we're kind of on a waiting list, but we'll be graduating people because in a few months I'll be at like the two year mark for some of my participants.

So there will be some spots that will be opening, but it just connects with, you know, in a way. And they kind of see, because I know you guys have sent some people to kind of vice versa. one of my coworkers enrolled, somebody. So that was exciting to see to get that extra support on that side of it as well.

Doug Bryant

Yeah, on the Hillcrest side, we've actually had you all come out and set up tables, for our employees to be able to participate, if they want to do that. And it's been again, it's been really good on both sides, the partnership that we have. So do you have any closing thoughts or anything that you want to leave people with?

We will put in the show notes how people can contact you all. We'll put the United Way website and all of that in our show notes so that people can get in contact. But what's the biggest takeaway? What is the thing that at the end of the day, you sit there and you're like, I can't believe I get to do this. And what are some of those outcomes that you've seen that just really makes this worth pursuing? Yeah.

Abby Gibbons

I think, a lot of times we get stuck in a cycle of survival, and this program helps our participants get out of that cycle to be able to dream a little bit. And I always when we start, I always have them write down things like, well, what is your audacious goal, or your deferred dream that you, you really wanted to work on and you have it and so have them write those down.

I'm like, it can be a really short term thing, or it can be a long term thing. and, and write that down. And I've had participants buy homes. I've had participants pay off debt like have savings for the first time ever, like, graduate with a bachelor's degree, finished LPN school, get their CNA. So people are making moves and these are their goals that they want to work on.

And we're here to support. And it's so exciting, exciting to see the light come back. because a lot of times it's like we're just living, we're trying to survive, but we're able to provide a space hopefully, hopefully, I think we do. But we're able to provide space for our participants to dream and to think, and imagine a life outside of their norm, to move forward for stability, for their family. And it's an honor and a privilege to be a part of that. and so I love all my participants so much, and I'm so grateful to be walking alongside them.

Doug Bryant

What it really shows. And I'm going to talk to Pam about changing your titles. Okay. You should be like Dream Weavers or or dream makers. That's what it should be. I mean, Mobility Mentor has it's, you know, it's got a good ring to it, but I don't know. Well, thank you so much for being here today. Hopefully we'll be able to get the word out about what you all are doing and how we're able to support that within the community. and thank you all for being here. You've been listening to Certify It the podcast for advancing your career and care. We'll see you next time.

Outro

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Certify It by the Mason Center for Health Care Education. Get connected with us on social media and at themasoncenterknox.com. If you haven't yet, subscribe to this podcast on YouTube and anywhere you get your podcast. And if you're interested in sponsorship or donations to help further our cause of providing affordable, flexible health care certification programs for individuals seeking career mobility in skilled nursing, senior living, and long term care fields, visit theMasoncenterknox.com.