Sue Loughlin
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE — For 10 weeks, Terre Haute South Vigo High School student Joe Roberts worked as a volunteer intern in the medical records department at Union Hospital.
He did quality assurance of electronic medical records, which involved going through paper charts and ensuring everything had been screened and put into the appropriate place in the electronic records.
Now, he’s interning in the Clara Fairbanks Center, where he’s learning additional workforce skills.
Roberts, 19, who has mild cerebral palsy, is in his last year at Terre Haute South.
After high school, “I hope to get a job here” at Union, preferably in medical records, he said. Similar to any other employee, he’ll have to apply and be hired. At Union, he’s participating in a program called Project SEARCH, which assists students with disabilities in their last year of high school eligibility.
Instead of traditional classroom courses, students selected for the program work at a business location — in this case, Union Hospital — learning skills they can use when they seek employment after high school.
The program began in November and now has nine students who are working at various Union Hospital departments. The departments range from the Intensive Care Unit, to medical records, to the gift shop.
By the end of May, students will have the opportunity to complete two rotations at two different sites within the hospital.
Funding for the program is provided through Vocational Rehabilitation Services and also includes financial support from Covered Bridge Special Education District, Hamilton Center and Union Hospital. Other partners are the Vigo County School Corp. and Work One. The program manager is Debbie Wilford.
Project SEARCH is a nationally known program that originated at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.
About two years ago, Employment Solutions — the employment component of Hamilton Center’s Spectrum Services — was selected to implement one of several pilot programs in Indiana.
The program will accept up to 12 new students each year, and Roberts is part of the first group.
He’s already made an impression.
“Joe brings great determination,” said Wilford, who works for Hamilton Center’s Employment Solutions. “His disability doesn’t stop him at all.”
Roberts said he was a little nervous at first, but now he feels confident about what he’s doing. “I’m a hard worker and I’m fast at what I do,” he said.
His mother, Sandra Roberts, is grateful that he has had the opportunity.
“He’s learning skills that might help him get a job later,” she said. “It’s a great program and it can turn these kids into productive adults who will be self sufficient.”
A typical day at Union Hospital will include classroom instruction, where they learn about such things as resume writing and interviewing skills; participation at the worksite rotations; lunch with peers or Union employees; and feedback from the instructors. Their day lasts from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The young adults involved in the program are given support through on-the-job coaching and worksite accommodations.
Wilford noted that Union usually has mentors in each department that work with the students.
The Project SEARCH students come from Terre Haute North Vigo, Terre Haute South Vigo and West Vigo high schools.
Project SEARCH staff include Kara Sanders who serves as the special education teacher, and job coach Don Criss.
Jim Boland, special education department chairman at Terre Haute North, has been an educator for 39 years. “I believe Project SEARCH, as far as the delivery system of services for students with disabilities, is the best I’ve seen,” he said.
Students are learning real-life jobs skills, and so many partners have “bought into it” to make it a success, he said. “It’s such a broad-based effort.”
Students are benefiting, supervisors are pleased with the students’ work and parents that Boland has talked to are “happy and satisfied,” he said. “It’s just a win-win for all the agencies and all the people involved.”
The students in the program are “gainfully employable,” Boland said, as long as they get the necessary training.
Another student in the program, Kevin Huffman, started working in the gift shop on Monday. He’s learning to use the cash register, putting pricetags on various items and doing whatever needs to be done.
“I want to help people find stuff,” said Huffman, a West Vigo High School student. He enjoys working with the public.
“He is very helpful,” said Mary Long, who worked in the Gift Shop on Friday. “He just jumps in.”
On Friday, a customer asked Huffman where she could find a newspaper, and he directed her to the right place.
Huffman previously did a rotation in the Intensive Care Unit.
Project SEARCH staff are currently preparing to enlist students for the 2010-2011 program. Anyone who is interested in additional information should contact Wilford at dwilford@hamiltoncenter.org or (812) 231-8355.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.
