New Employment Program to Train High School Seniors at Integris Bass Baptist Health Center in Enid
ENID, Okla. − Enid Public School seniors will begin developing marketable skills later this month as interns in the new Project SEARCH employment training program located at Integris Bass Baptist Heath Center.
This innovative program prepares young adults with disabilities, who are clients of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), for employment and assists them in finding permanent jobs when they complete the program and graduate.
DRS Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Peggy Dunson-Bower will provide funding for job coaches hired through 4RKids Foundation. The job coaches will teach basic tasks and fade away as interns begin performing the work independently. DRS supports interns with additional employment services when the program ends in May 2011.
Judi Goldston from the University of Oklahoma National Center for Disability Education and Training provides technical assistance to ensure that the program operates with integrity as outlined in the national Project SEARCH program model.
Interns have been selected for Project SEARCH and will work with the Enid Public Schools instructor, Ann Williams, on employment and independent living skills approximately one hour per day.
Integris Bass Baptist Health Center's Human Resources Director, Tera Latta, will act as the business liaison. Interns will work in the hospital care environment on job rotations such as, Sterile Processing, Housekeeping, Maintenance, General Office, Dietary, Inventory, Courier, Receptionist, Patient Transport, etc.
“What initially appeals to our clients is the chance to replace classroom time with real world experience,” Department of Rehabilitation Services Transition Coordinator, Kim Osmani said. “But Project Search also gives them a boost in confidence and gives them exposure to a variety of cool types of jobs where they could go to work in Oklahoma.”
A new Project SEARCH program also begins this month in Oklahoma City. Programs for high school students with disabilities are entering their third year in Tulsa and Ada.
More information is available from DRS Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Peggy Dunson-Bower at 580-233-0244 or pdunson-bower@okdrs.gov or Enid Public Schools Project SEARCH Instructor Ann Williams at 580-548-1472 or adwilliams@enidk12.org.