Building Skills, Strengthening Communities
Second Cohort Completes Behavioral Health Community Health Worker Apprenticeship
When Claude Young Jr. interacted with residents in his community, he was doing more than handing out information or conducting surveys – he was listening. Through the Spring 2026 Behavioral Health Community Health Worker (BH-CHW) Apprenticeship, the 19-year-old Baisley Houses resident completed six months of on-the-job training and higher education to launch a career in the behavioral health workforce. Apprentices in the program strengthened their career skills, accessed continuing education opportunities, and connected residents with critical resources to support community wellbeing.
Developed by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health, the BH-CHW Apprenticeship is New York City’s first nationally registered Community Health Worker apprenticeship with a behavioral health specialization. The BH-CHW Apprenticeship is a cross-sector partnership with the NYC Health Department, Hostos Community College, and 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds. Its implementation is supported through additional collaborations with community-based organizations, including Children’s Aid, Commonpoint Queens, Housing Opportunities Unlimited, King of Kings Foundation, Neighborhood Housing Services of Brooklyn, and VIP Community Services.
“Congratulations to Mr. Young and the entire graduating cohort on this remarkable achievement. Their dedication to serving their communities reflects the extraordinary impact New Yorkers can have when they are equipped with the skills, training, and opportunities to lead,” said Eva Wong, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health. “The Community Health Worker Apprenticeship is strengthening our city’s behavioral health workforce, while creating meaningful career pathways for residents who know their communities best. We are proud to celebrate these graduates and the lasting difference they will make in advancing healthier, safer, and more connected neighborhoods across New York City.”
Mr. Young is one of 20 apprentices who completed the program in 2026. His first introduction to community health work was as a 14-year-old volunteer with King of Kings Foundation, engaging in community outreach and violence prevention activities. It was a formative experience that deepened his interest to give back to the community and eventually led to his apprenticeship work at Commonpoint Queens – The Hub.
As part of his apprenticeship, Mr. Young recruited participants for educational and workforce programs, helped residents access health and self-development services, and assisted with running various workshops and job fairs in his community. Mr. Young also conducted surveys with youth and older adults to gather feedback about community needs. He often spoke with young people about gun violence in the community, which provided them with a much-needed forum to discuss the impact of these incidents and the resources they need in the community. His conversations with older adults focused on their health conditions, supports they want, and what they hope to see in the community.
“Everything is about helping people,” Mr. Young said. “It’s teaching me how to understand what someone might be going through and how to connect them with resources.”
The apprenticeship combined classroom instruction on community health, interpersonal communication, and behavioral health with on-the-ground experience serving the neighborhoods where the apprentices live and work. Completion of coursework with Hostos Community College, a City University of New York college, provided apprentices the opportunity to earn up to nine college credits.
Mr. Young is interested in marketing and communications and sees the apprenticeship as an opportunity to combine his interests with community service. “This allows me to use those skills while helping people see a future for themselves.” he said. “You’re helping your community, helping improve people’s mental health, and helping them find opportunities. That’s something I can see myself continuing to do.”
Supporting Mr. Young throughout the program was his mentor, Stephanie Foxworth, Senior Outreach Worker Supervisor at King of Kings Foundation. A resident of South Jamaica Houses, Ms. Foxworth has spent years working with young people, including incarcerated youth, helping them navigate challenges, connect with opportunities, and envision futures beyond limitations they may see around them.
Ms. Foxworth mentored five apprentices, helping them balance work, school, and family responsibilities while developing professional communication and leadership skills.
“A lot of times in the community, young people participate in a summer job for six weeks and then it’s over,” Ms. Foxworth said. “This program is different. It helps them grow. It encourages them to become more aware of their surroundings, learn what resources are available, and understand how helping others can strengthen the community.”
She has witnessed firsthand how the apprenticeship has changed both perceptions and lives.
“Some of the people who participate start engaging with seniors in the community, and people get to know them,” she said. “The same residents who may not have spoken to them before are now having conversations with them and rooting for them. It changes how the community sees them, and how they see themselves.”
Mr. Young’s cohort achieved a 95 percent completion rate, with several apprentices receiving job offers and many continuing to pursue college credits as they advance in behavioral health careers.
To learn more about the BH-CHW Apprenticeship, visit mentalhealth.cityofnewyork.us/bh-chw-apprenticeship.
To connect with NYCHA’s Community Mental Health team, email mental.health@nycha.nyc.gov.