Reach University Launches Debt-Free Behavioral Health Apprenticeship Program to Address Workforce Shortages
Reach University, a nonprofit accredited institution, has announced the opening of a new health-care college focused on behavioral health apprenticeships. This initiative aims to address the critical shortage of health-care workers, particularly in behavioral health. The program will initially launch in Washington State, offering an associate of arts degree in liberal studies with a focus on social science. This degree is embedded within a behavioral health apprenticeship designed to prepare students for careers as substance use disorder professionals. Reach University plans to expand this program to include stackable bachelor's and master's degree pathways, subject to accreditor and state approval. The university's president, Joe Ross, emphasized the importance of building a talent pool for licensed counselors, as current pathways into these fields are often expensive and inaccessible. 
