New JFCS partnership will help Transition Age Youth with disabilities find employment

JFCS’ Vocational Rehabilitation program, which provides personalized services to individuals with disabilities who are seeking to improve their work lives or find employment, is excited to begin a new partnership with Project SEARCH! The partnership is part of JFCS Career Services’ efforts to expand services to Transition Age Youth.

The Project SEARCH Transition-to-Work Program serves young people with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities. Typically, these are high school students who are on an Individual Education Program (IEP) and in their last year of high school eligibility. The program can also be adapted to serve out-of-school youth and young adults who are beyond school age. The goal for each program participant is competitive employment.

To reach that goal, Project SEARCH provides real-life work experience combined with training in employability and independent-living skills to help young people with significant disabilities make successful transitions to productive adult life. The Project SEARCH model involves an extensive period of skills training and career exploration, innovative adaptations, long-term job coaching, and continuous feedback from teachers, skills trainers, and employers. As a result, at the completion of the training program, students with significant intellectual disabilities are employed in nontraditional, complex and rewarding jobs.

As a result of JFCS’ partnership with Project SEARCH, we will provide placement services to a limited number of Transition Age Youth for the 2018-19 school year. JFCS Employment Counselor Ben Maier was one of the presenters at Project SEARCH’s Information Evening on March 13 for students and their families about the upcoming school year.