Review of service commitment requirements
The Caring Gene® Career Pathways Training (CPT) Program covers education costs for participants pursuing an education in an eligible healthcare, behavioral health, or social care title. In exchange, those participants agreed to work for three years at an approved employer and fulfill the service commitment requirements.
Broad overview of the service commitment
All participants will complete three years of full-time work in the title paid for by the Caring Gene® Program. If you trained as an LPN, for example, you must fulfill your service commitment as an LPN. (Please note that getting a promotion during the three-year service commitment period does not count against you in any way.)
The other important requirement is the location. Participants must work at an approved employer, a facility that services a patient population of at least 30% Medicaid and/or uninsured individuals, or is affiliated with a social care network.
What counts as full time?
Full time means 35 hours or more per week.
Can you work at more than one site?
Yes. You can combine part-time jobs at multiple sites—say 15 hours at one location, 20 hours at another—to satisfy the full-time requirement.
A couple of things to note:
- Each site must be an approved employer in order for the hours to count toward your service commitment.
- You are not locked in to one employer for all three years. You may change jobs throughout that time, as long as each site is an approved employer.
Check out our approved employers page for a list of providers. NYS DOH updates their page regularly, as well.
And current Caring Gene® Program participants can visit their student dashboard, which has curated positions based on your title, all at approved sites.
When does the clock start?
Two things must be true for your service commitment to begin: You are employed in your title, and your employer is an approved site.
If either one of those things hasn’t happened, any work you do doesn’t count toward your service commitment. And work cannot be counted retroactively once the missing piece falls into place.
For LMSW participants: A limited permit isn’t a CPT Program requirement on its own. However, if you’re working in an eligible LMSW position at an approved employer, your limited permit is what ensures your time counts toward your service commitment as you wait on full licensure.
Current program participants should reach out to their case managers with specific questions.
What are the deadlines?
You must begin qualifying employment and start your service commitment by March 31, 2028.
How do you stay on track once you start?
When you committed to the CPT Program, you agreed to meet with your case manager regularly, and that will continue through your service commitment, with quarterly meetings to update your information and track your progress.
Should anything change in between those quarterly meetings, report it to your case manager right away.
What happens if you don’t complete the service commitment requirements?
If you don’t complete your service commitment, you may be required to repay the tuition and other program costs covered on your behalf.
And please note that a lapsed or suspended license doesn’t stop the clock, even if the lapse or suspension wasn’t your fault.
Exceptions to repayment are limited to what NYS DOH considers “extraordinary circumstances.” That’s a narrow category, covering situations like disability or death, as determined by DOH. A layoff or a job change isn’t automatically covered.
If you’re between jobs, taking a leave of absence, or dealing with a licensing issue, reach out to your case manager immediately.
When in doubt, just ask your case manager!
Here’s the tl;dr:
- Confirm your employer, or any potential employers, are approved service commitment sites.
- Secure employment in the title paid for by the Caring Gene® Program.
- Work at least 35 hours per week, at one approved site or across several.
- Notify your case manager when qualifying employment begins.
- Meet with your case manager on a quarterly basis, at minimum, to update your information.
- Complete your three-year service commimtment.
It can feel a bit overwhelming, but the Caring Gene® team is ready to help. Connect with your case manager through your student dashboard with questions or concerns.