Mohammad Jammeh 

Unit Secretary/CNA – Gero Psychiatric Unit & LTCC (Long Term Civil Commitment) | UW Medicine

As a Certified Nursing Assistant, I work closely with patients to provide hands-on care and support with their daily living activities. I primarily work in a long-term care unit and geropsychiatric unit, so most of the individuals I care for are either elderly or young adults. Many of our patients live with chronic conditions like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and other neurocognitive disorders. I’ve always been someone who wants to help people, especially those who are vulnerable or struggling. I saw firsthand how much of a difference the nurses and CNAs made—not just physically, but emotionally. They were kind, patient, and made a scary situation feel manageable.

I often felt like I wanted to do more than just provide physical support; I wanted to understand what they were going through mentally and emotionally too. That’s what led me to the Behavioral Health Tech apprenticeship. I saw it as a way to build on my CNA skills and expand into a field where I could support the whole person, not just the body, but the mind as well.

The Behavioral Health Tech (BHT) Apprenticeship matched my learning style by combining hands-on learning with real-world experience. Since I am a CNA, I have patient care experience, but I wanted to learn in a disciplined and supportive method. It aligned perfectly with my career goals and values.

To me, this opportunity meant a chance to grow, learn, and move forward, both personally and professionally. It meant stepping into roles that challenged me, building meaningful connections, and gaining experiences that shaped the kind of nurse I wanted to become.

Behavioral health’s emotional needs were one of my biggest concerns. Supporting people through tough and even horrific situations is hard, especially when you’re learning. The program supported me on this journey with mentorship, supervision, and open communication. The instructor provided a safe space for me to communicate, process, and gain confidence.

My goal is to continue to grow within the health field and eventually become an RN/BSN. I’m passionate about supporting individuals through recovery and mental health challenges, and I want to continue to deepen my knowledge through continued education and experience.

Daniel Tadesse is passionate about making an impact in healthcare and using his voice to uplift others. He graduated from a pilot Introduction to Healthcare Employment and Apprenticeship Programs (IHAP) course. This training inspired him to share his own journey “Cooking Up Resilience.”

Cooking Up Resilience

By Daniel Tadesse

He was an orphaned immigrant child, conditioned to build his survival around others. First, he learned to navigate the streets, then how to construct a path toward stability — education, career, home. His hands became familiar with the work of creation. Brick by brick, he shaped a future to feel secure. Yet, the structure he built was never truly his — it was designed to serve expectations. Stability alone wasn’t enough. The real test wouldn’t be in constructing success, but in learning to rebuild himself.

Since the age of 18, he built his life in the construction industry, securing a job with the city. But this security slipped away. His employer parted ways with him, jeopardizing not just his career but his entire foundation. His source of income — the very thing keeping his home intact —hangs in the balance. His car is impounded and he feels his foundation breaking.

He faces his deepest fear — losing everything, being an orphan forced back into uncertainty. Survival demands a decision: blame society or start over. Blame is easy. He could let resentment consume him — believing that the system failed him, the world is unfair, and stability was never truly his. He does not want pride to keep him from rebuilding. But starting over? That requires letting go of bitterness, facing himself, and choosing to build again.

His most trusted companion, his dog Abby, teaches him the true meaning of unconditional love, and helps him start to rebuild. Through her, he discovers a word that would change everything: “No.” As he exercises this newfound boundary, the people around him reveal their true selves. It is liberating, but comes at the painful cost of losing those he had kept close. The pain of betrayal gnaws at his heart, but he creates distance to move forward.

He chooses something greater. Not for others or to meet expectations, but rather… love. He walks into a welfare office — a place he never thought he’d be. He applies for food benefits and unemployment, a humbling act that forces him to confront reality. As a child, he survived this way. As a middle-aged man, it carries a different weight. Ego took out his friends. Ego almost takes him out, too.

Searching for direction he steps into the public library. Between the shelves, his eyes land on a flyer pinned to the community board: Healthcare Apprenticeship Program. He almost walks past it. Healthcare? A world so different from construction. But something lingers. It’s not just about finding another job. It’s about finding purpose beyond the structures he built. His hands still know how to create — only now, it won’t be walls and roads. It will be care, healing, and hope.

The choice is clear — fall apart, or rise with intention. Life doesn’t wait. He learns to forgive himself for surviving the only way he knew — by pleasing others. Saying “no” becomes his shield, and setting boundaries, his armor.  He finds an outlet for grief — poetry, a way to release the weight of loss.

Stability requires building a foundation no one can take from him. It starts with small routines. He makes his bed, keeps his space clean, and practices self-care. He realizes faith is tested most when everything feels broken. Loving God or others is easy when life is comfortable. True trust is built in uncertainty. Grace, somehow, keeps his mind intact, giving him the will to keep moving forward.

Rebuilding comes with losses, but his perspective shifts.

          Surrendering the car? Public transportation will carry him forward.

          Food insecurity? He learns to navigate resources like food stamps.

          Losing a career? That doesn’t mean losing the ability to work.

The fight to rebuild is just beginning, but his foundation is made stronger by his core values — faith, will, and the duty to serve. Choosing healthcare feels like the right fit for this new life.

His maintains his routine and plans ahead to remind himself that control begins with how he cares for himself. He guards his peace, mindful of who he allows into his life.  God’s plan is greater than his. Grace carries him through every storm and he lets go of what he cannot control.

He enrolls in a Certified Nursing Assistant program and continues to remind himself:

Growth isn’t a destination; it’s a continuous effort. Some days I stumble, but I keep refining, learning, and pushing forward. Now, I step into the next chapter — not in construction, but in care.  This isn’t just a career shift—it’s a transformation built on choice. The structures that I built before served others.  The foundation I build now allows me to love myself — fully, without apology.

This recipe works for me as I rebuild. For those searching — take what helps, leave what doesn’t, and keep cooking up your own resilience. 

Our Learners say it best!

Riley’s Success Story

Riley Winters graduated from the first Introduction to Healthcare Employment and Apprenticeship Program (IHAP) in partnership with Arivva in Summer, 2024.

“After following my travel nurse partner across the US for over a year applying unsuccessfully to remote copywriting jobs, I was ready to actually focus in on that job security I had been missing. With the help of the Training Fund, I have finally found it!”

Riley completed both phases of IHAP, including online classes, hands-on labs, and onsite clinical training. 

“This program made the acquisition of my Nursing Assistant certification so much more accessible than it would have been otherwise, primarily due to the financial assistance.”

IHAP also offers free wrap-around support services to help learners succeed and complete the program. These comprehensive options include: all program supplies, vaccination and clinical readiness assistance, scrubs, tutoring, and test registration and preparation.

Our IHAP Navigator is also able to connect participants with additional resources including childcare and transportation support, resume and cover letter assistance, and more!

Our Apprentices Say it Best!

Cynthia’s Success Story

First, she completed the apprenticeship… now she’s a mentor for the Behavioral Health Technician apprenticeship program!

Cynthia DeRocher, Activities Coordinator at Cascade Senior Living Services (CSLS), has grown her career and achieved her goals through the Health Care Apprenticeship Consortium’s (HCAC) earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship. Since completing the Behavioral Health Technician Apprenticeship in June 2024, she has come full circle: today, she is a mentor for other program apprentices – and is also celebrating 8 years of sobriety! 

A graduate of the very first Behavioral Health Technician apprenticeship cohort, Cynthia was eager to grab this opportunity when it became available. It seemed too good to be true: a one-year apprenticeship program includes classroom instruction, lab sessions, mentored on-the-job training, built-in support services to minimize barriers, and Nursing Assistant certification.

The program provided her with apprentice tuition, reimbursement for scrubs, connections to additional resources, and more. She especially appreciates the hands-on tech support and encouragement that she received throughout the program:

“This program was a blessing. I am 60 years old. It gave me all the help and support that I needed to complete the work and graduate.  

It gave me confidence that I did not have before – I am equipped with every experience, every day.

I can now help others.” 

Cynthia’s past lived experience with depression and recovery gives her additional insight into this career pathway:

“This program showed me things about myself that I had to come to terms with. I am in recovery myself, and will soon have eight years sober. I come from both sides.

I want to be the help that I did not have when I needed it.

Now I get to help people, and I gain more compassion – I feel like that’s why I came through this.“ 

From starting as a Restorative Aide at CSLS six years go, Cynthia is now the Activities Coordinator and her pay has doubled. She plans and organizes activities for 110 residents with various behavioral, mental, emotional needs. 

She plans to keep learning: “I want to absorb as much as I can and just keep learning. I just got a new apartment and am learning to make time for self care as well.”

L to R: Veronica Wade (Director of Program Operations, Training Fund), Diana Verrue (HR Director, CSLS), Cynthia DeRocher (Activities Coordinator, CSLS), and Sukanya Pani (Deputy Director, Training Fund).

Our Members Say it Best!

Krystal’s Success Story

Krystal Thomas completed the Nursing Assistant-Certified training program and utilized supportive services to grow her career and improve her children’s lives.

Krystal Thomas, a Patient Sitter at Swedish Medical Center, has 17 years of healthcare experience. Now, through the Training Fund and Health Care Apprenticeship Consortium (HCAC), she has completed her Nursing Assistant training, securing her position at Swedish Medical Center, and has also been accepted to Renton Technical College’s Pre-Nursing DTA/MRP program.

Although she planned to attend college, there were challenges: Krystal could not afford to drop her full-time status to complete the required credit hours toward a Nursing Assistant college program.

When she learned about the Training Fund’s Nursing Assistant-Certified Training program, she could not believe it was free. This 8-week program includes classroom instruction, clinical experience, and also includes built-in wraparound support services to minimize barriers and promote program completion

Krystal received a full stipend while enrolled in the NA-C program, as well as support services, work shoes, and connections to additional resources. And she especially appreciates staff encouragement along the way:

“My instructor, Grace, has been there through everything. She is phenomenal!

She loves what she does and is 100% behind her students. She even supported me during the DAWN Gala event – I am so very thankful for her.”  

Krystal’s journey has not been easy, and she has overcome many barriers along the way.

She chose to enter healthcare soon after becoming an emancipated minor. As a single mom with three children, a secure job was important to her: 

“I didn’t have support growing up – I kind of raised myself and was stuck navigating on my own. Now my kids are my motivators – I make sure that I have a plan because there is no back up.

I have section 8 housing and am very thankful for support I’ve received. But I want to make sure they understand that hard work and dedication does pay off.”  

Krystal was invited to present the Keynote Survivor speech at a 2024 DAWN Gala, detailing how she had made a fresh start for herself and her family. She made special note of how the Training Fund has supported this journey:

“I am very thankful for this program and the knowledge.

The Training Fund has helped me tremendously – if it were not for them, I probably would not be at Swedish Medical Center right now.

Before I even completed my 40-hour clinicals, I was hired at my position. The program inspired me and kept me going.” 

As a SEIU 1199NW Union member at Swedish Medical Center (one of our trust employers), Krystal now has access to additional Training Fund member benefits, and will soon be able to use Tuition Assistance to attend school for nursing pre-requisites.

She knows that she wants to be a nurse, and eventually start her own home health agency:

“I can hop on any floor and be effective, and I have people that will ask for me. I am there to make sure that the patient sees a familiar face and that treatment is effective.

My original unit and colleagues keep telling me I need to be a nurse: go to school, and we’ll hire you when you’re ready come back.”

Now she is an advocate for the NA-C training program. And she uses her story to inspire her children and others to follow their dreams:  

“There is so much more to me than just going to school and being there for my kids. This program has given me confidence, and it’s a stepping stone to bring light to others – I know a lot of people need that.” 

Learn more about our Nursing Assistant-Certified Training Program.

Connect with the Training Fund to find out how you can achieve your career and education goals! 

Our Learners say it best!

Kianna’s Success Story

Kianna Hill was one of 14 graduates from the Introduction to Healthcare Employment and Apprenticeship Program (IHAP) in partnership with Seattle Jobs Initiative in Spring, 2024.

The IHAP employment program trains entry-level job seekers for healthcare careers and is free of cost to participants. It consists of two phases: Phase 1 is a three-week Healthcare Foundations class that helps participants explore a range of healthcare careers and develop workplace readiness. Phase 2 consists of a six- to eight -week NA-C Training program.

Kianna completed both phases of IHAP, including online classes, hands-on labs, and onsite clinical training. As the graduation speaker for her IHAP cohort, Kianna shared her motivation for enrolling in IHAP:

“My passion is caregiving. Unfortunately, I struggled with addiction issues. My addiction ended up taking me away from my family, my friends, and my passion. I had to change the people and places around me, and am gaining two years of sobriety this month.

I decided to enroll in the IHAP program after I saw others complete the IHAP and NA-C programs.

This is an opportunity to get back into my passion.”

IHAP also offers free wrap-around support services to help learners succeed and complete the program. These comprehensive options include: all program supplies, vaccination and clinical readiness assistance, scrubs, tutoring, and test registration and preparation.

Our IHAP Navigator is also able to connect participants with additional resources including childcare and transportation support, resume and cover letter assistance, and more!