Project SEARCH first arrived on the medical center campus in 2015, a six-month pilot program designed to serve as a job-training workshop for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Since that time, the program — housed in the former Munroe-Meyer Institute building on the medical center campus in Omaha — has graduated more than 60 people and achieved a total employment rate of about 85% — a figure that has risen in the past three years.
Chris Miller, assistant director of employment services at the Madonna Schools, said that MMI has been key to the program’s success.
"The first and biggest asset they brought in was physical space," he said. "Thanks to MMI, we have our own classroom – and now that they’re in the new building, they are assisting us in looking for permanent space on the med center. That’s been huge."
MMI also has a dedicated staff member, Saige Vohs, assigned to assist the program. This year, she has been working to find a new classroom on the med center campus and facilitating a new internship with IEXCEL, planned to begin in mid-December.
"I am excited to see all of the students working in the med center along side their mentors," Vohs said. "Each new year brings a new set of young adults, all with varying strengths. It’s exciting to see their strengths in action."
Although the COVID-19 pandemic affected the program — which shut down early in 2020 — it hasn’t affected the employment opportunities, Miller said.
"The job market itself is strong, there are jobs everywhere," he said.
Project SEARCH intern Raheem Singleton-Sealy said he was enjoying the program.
"They’ve been teaching me about how to get around places, how to budget and manage my own money, and how to be a mature adult."
Chelsea Robinson, 20, another intern, said she enjoys the food service aspect of the internship, but her main goal is to "find a job."
Miller said matching graduates with jobs is the big payoff for Project SEARCH.
"This program is not just about training," he said. "The securing of competitive employment is the overarching goal. And we continue to be very successful in that area. We have graduates from the last cohort who are working full-time and receiving benefits."
But even working part-time, employment brings more than a simple paycheck, Miller said.
"A job can give you a purpose in life, as well as a sense of accomplishment," Miller said. "The social nature of the workplace is a big deal too – a lot of our graduates find a group of friends at the workplace. People can really gain confidence and self-advocacy skills, feel a greater sense of independence."