Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon.gov Homepage

HOWTO Grant Program

In partnership with Oregon Health & Science University and the Oregon Health Policy Board

What is the HOWTO Grant Program?


The HOWTO Grant Program is intended to expand health professional training within the state to address current and future shortages in the health care workforce in rural and medically underserved areas of Oregon.

The program supports innovative, transformative, community-based training initiatives that will address identified local health care workforce shortages and expand the diversity of the health professional workforce. 

The State of Oregon is committed to ensuring that all Oregonians have appropriate access to high-quality health care across the state. It is therefore important to ensure that the distribution of the health care workforce appropriately meets the needs of all Oregonians no matter where they live.

To help achieve this, the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Health & Science University have earmarked approximately $12 million over the 2021-23 biennium for the Healthy Oregon Workforce Training Opportunity Grant Program. This grant program is administered under the direction of the Oregon Health Policy Board in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority and OHSU.

HOWTO Grantees

​The first round of grantees to​​​ receive the ​​​HOWTO Grant began in March 2019.

George Fox University

Newberg, OR

https://sites.google.com/marianoandassociates.com/ipc-institute/leadership​

HOWTO Program Summary

This project establishes the Interprofessional Primary Care Institute. This Institute will leverage interdisciplinary care teams that will deliver Continuing Medical Education to primary care clinicians, behavioral health clinicians, nurses, and clinical pharmacists by providing intensive events for emergency primary care roles. 


Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center 

La Grand​e, OR


HOWTO Progra​m Summary

This project creates a distance education Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program, which has been tailored to be delivered with minimal travel outside the student’s community. This program will increase the mental health workforce in Eastern Oregon, recruiting nurses already embedded in the region and then retaining them as licensed PMHNPs in the region. 

Oregon Community Health Worker Associ​ation (ORCHWA)

Portlan​​​​d, OR  


HOWTO Program Summary

This project develops and supports Community Health Worker (CHW) training statewide in multiple communities experiencing health inequities and health workforce shortage areas. This program will also advocate for increased funding for CHW positions and actively support CHWs to obtain employment. ​


​The second ro​​und of grantees to receive the HOWTO Grant began in October 20​​​19.


Aviva Heal​​th

Roseburg, ​​OR


HOWTO Program Su​​mmary

This project establishes the Roseburg Family Medicine Residency Program in partnership with Mercy Medical Center. This program will address the burgeoning physician and broader clinical healthcare workforce shortage in Douglas County and other areas of rural Oregon. 

Clacka​​mas Workforce Partnership

Oregon City, OR


HOWTO Program Su​mmary

This project expands, develops, and increases the diversity of the local health workforce by supporting and enrolling Clackamas County residents, with a focus on the immigrant and refugee populations, into certified health programs such as certified nursing assistants, dental assistants, medical billing, and pharmacy technicians.

The Next ​​​Door Inc. 

Hood River, O​R


HOWTO Program Sum​mary

This project develops the Valle Verde program, a culturally specific 11-week Mental Health Promotion training series designed to expand Community Health Worker (CHW)and other provider training by providing Continuing Education Units. This training series will inform and provide specific skills to CHWs and mental health providers about mental health issues, stigma, awareness, and acceptance specific to local Latinx community members.

Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board

Portland,​ OR


HOWTO Program Su​​mmary

This project establishes the Behavioral Health Aide Education Program, under the Tribal Community Health Provider Project, for Tribal communities in Oregon, Washington and Idaho to increase access to local Tribal Behavioral Health Practitioners throughout Indian Country. This program will culminate in an associate degree or certificate of Behavioral Health Aide at Heritage University (HU) or Northwest Indian College (NWIC). Students from Oregon are attending the Behavioral Health Aide education program in person at HU and virtually at NWIC.

Oregon Was​hington Health Network 

Pendleton, O​R


HOWTO Progr​am Summary

This project establishes a medical assisting program in partnership with Blue Mountain Community College. This program will address the growing healthcare workforce shortage in Umatilla County and other areas of rural and frontier Oregon. 

Samaritan Pacific Community H​ospital

Newport, OR


HOWTO Pro​gram Summary

This project establishes the Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital Rural Training Track, a rural medical residency training track that will place residents in Newport, Oregon. This new track will address physician shortages along Oregon’s coastal region.


​The third round of​​ grantees to receive the HOWTO Grant began in November 2​​020.

Advantage De​ntal

Redmond, O​​R


HOWTO Program Sum​​​mary

This project establishes an internal Dental Assistance Training Program to address statewide shortages while increasing the diversity of this workforce. This program will train dental assistants for dual roles as patient navigators, through Traditional Health Worker education. 

Clackamas Community Col​lege (CCC)

Oregon City​, OR


HOWTO Program Summ​ary

This project develops a new dental program to offer alongside existing Career and Technical Education Day camps for high school students at Clackamas Community College. This camp will contribute to increasing the diversity of Oregon’s oral health care workforce by offering oral health care program scholarships for camp students to attend college. 

East Cascade ​​​Works

Bend, ​OR

HOWTO Program Summary

This project establishes the Central Oregon Behavioral Health Consortium, a collaborative of local agencies that will increase access to behavioral health care by providing training that is centralized, coordinated, and systemic workforce development and retention. These addresses behavioral health workforce shortages in central Oregon. 

Grain Integrative Health

Portlan​​​​d, OR


HOWTO Progr​​am Summary

This project establishes a naturopathic primary care residency program in Cascade Locks that includes an immersive diversity, equity, and inclusion training curriculum and provides experiential learning to Career and Technical Education high school students. This program addresses health disparities and diversity, equity, and inclusion in rural healthcare. 

Lutheran Community Services Northwest 

Portland, O​R


HOWTO Progra​​m Summary

This project expands behavioral health training pathways for refugees by supporting entry-level trainings to be certified as a Peer Support Specialistsupporting education and career training for refugees currently working in behavioral health and residencies for newly graduated clinicians focused on working with refugees. 

Northwest Oregon​​ Works

Lincoln ​City, OR


H​OWTO Program Summary

This project establishes a Behavioral Health Work-Based Learning Career Pathway that includes three levels. These levels range from Peer Recovery Support Specialist or Community Health Worker to master’s prepared Behavioral Health Clinicians. This project will address the coastal region’s workforce shortage and prioritize recruitment from the Latinx community. 

Oregon Alliance

Portland, O​​R


HOWTO Program S​​​ummary

This project develops and provides two training series for behavioral health providers, intended to improve retention of the workforce and address the root cause of ongoing underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities among the workforce. These trainings will be offered statewide. 

Pacific Univ​ersity

Hillsboro, OR


HOWTO Program Summary

This project establishes two new programs, a certificate program and a Physician Assistant Behavioral Health Fellowship program. These will be innovative team-based training opportunities. These programs focus on increasing the knowledge and skills of diverse health care providers to work effectively with patients dealing with behavioral health and substance use disorders. 

St. Charles Health Sy​stem

Bend, O​R


HOWTO Program Summa​ry

This project establishes a new Family Medicine Rural Training Track program in central Oregon in partnership with Oregon Health & Science University. This program will include an experience in a culturally congruent Indian Health Service/Tribal site and prioritize Native American medical students.​



Contact Us

For questions regarding the RFGP:
Danielle Pompe, Office of Contracts and Procurement
Telephone: (971) 374-3474
Email: danielle.a.pompe@dhsoha.state.or.us

For questions regarding the HOWTO program in general:
Jo Johnson

Upcoming Events

Advisory Council Meeting
April 26, 1 pm - 2:30 pm

Grantee Locations

Map ‭[2]‬


The HOWTO program is currently accepting Round 4 Grant Proposal applications.

All application materials and submissions must be done through OregonBuys Bid Solicitation: S-44300-00001806
Application period closes on March 14, 2022.