Whatcom Community College’s chemical dependency professional program earns grant, national approval

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May 16, 2019

Whatcom Community College was recently awarded a $30,000 grant by the Washington State Department of Commerce to support its chemical dependency professional (CDP) program. The program fills a critical need in the local behavioral health workforce and was launched in 2018 in response to the increase in opioid dependency cases, both locally and nationally.

This is the second year in a row WCC has received the Skilled Worker Awareness grant, which aims to raise awareness of worker training programs and increase the skills of Washington’s workforce. The grant dollars will help fund a student recruiter / navigator to grow the CDP program, as well as WCC’s medical assisting program. Whatcom was one of only two awardees for this year.
Additionally, the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) approved WCC as an education provider to ensure chemical dependency professional courses meet state and national standards. Whatcom had previously been approved to provide the alternative training program for those already holding licensure in Washington State. This new approval status will expand opportunities for students and covers the College’s chemical dependency professional associate in science degree and certificate options.
Learn more about WCC’s chemical dependency professional program at whatcom.edu/behavioralhealth. 
About Whatcom: Whatcom Community College, a destination for cybersecurity, healthcare and business studies, offers a bachelor of applied science degree, transfer degrees, career preparation, online courses, and community education classes. The College is recognized as one of the top 150 community colleges in the U.S. by the Aspen Institute and ranks third in Washington State out of all colleges and universities for National Science Foundation grant awards. WCC’s accomplished faculty and staff serve 11,000 students annually. For more information, visit whatcom.edu.