Welcome to Career Corner, a regular feature in Cougar News which highlights workforce programs at Collin College. Today, we are looking at the Activity Care Professional program
Activity Care Professional is a new profession in the health care field which assists at-risk individuals, older adults, and special populations to lead longer, healthier, and more meaningful lives. Dr. Karrie Newby, the program’s coordinator, explained how this profession is an advancement in person-centered care.
How would you describe your programs in just a few words?
Dr. Newby: Collin College’s Activity Care Professional (ACP) program combines certified nursing assistant (CNA) training with Activity Professional training to provide specialized instruction designed to provide person-centered care to assist older adults and other specialized populations to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. This unique career path will remain in demand for years to come as an essential health care profession.
What skills will students learn in your programs?
Dr. Newby: The ACP program integrates health care skills with compassion while exposing students to a vast array of health professional career choices. In this way, ACP students are positioned to choose career goal pathways that best meet their preferences, whether through a clinical pathway, an administrative/educational pathway, or moving on to allied health practitioner careers in various therapeutic realms.
What certifications/licensing will your programs prepare students for?
Dr. Newby: Students will begin by completing their Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers certification, then go on to earn their nursing assistant (CNA) certification, Learn2Serve Texas Food Handler Training Certification, and Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission Seller Training Certification, in addition to preparing to sit for the first level of board-certification examination and credentialing through the National Association of Activity Professionals Credentialing Center (NAAPCC). Beyond these certifications, students will be prepared to meet requirements to sit for various other certifications to include RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) which assists students in becoming behavior therapy technicians, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and many more work-related, valuable certifications.
In what other ways will students benefit from the college’s programs?
Dr. Newby: Students will also be taught many soft skills to include cultural competency, communication, social, and patient-centered skills necessary to meet best practices for patient-centered long-term care or client-centered home care. Additional skills developed are administered under the tutelage of health care industry servant-leaders. Students will learn ways to provide compassionate care for life enrichment and opportunities for meaningful engagement.
Similar to a career in
Recreational Therapy
Average Salary: $40,900*
25% growth*
Programs
– Activity Care Professional Associate of Applied Science degree (60 credit hours)
– Level 1 Activity Care Professional Certificate (36 credit hours)
– Level 1 Activity Care Professional Certificate – Certified Nurse Aid (CNA) (15 credit hours)
– Occupational Skills Award – Activity Care Professional – Certified Nurse Aid (CNA) (nine credit hours)
Want to learn more about the Activity Care Professional program? Visit the department webpage at www.collin.edu/department/activitycare. You can also email Dr. Newby at knewby@collin.edu or call 972.548.6628.
For more information about other workforce programs, check out the information sheets at www.collin.edu/academics/info/ or visit www.collin.edu/academics/AcadPrg_careerclusters.html.
*Data obtained from JobsEQ (Collin County), O*NET, and Workforce Solutions of North Central Texas
Note: Job growth projected from 2019-2025
Note: The earning potential for employees with certifications and Associate of Applied Science degrees may exceed the average salary