November 7, 2014

by: Emily Hastings

UCP Partnerships – Project SEARCH at Cleveland Clinic

The Project SEARCH High School Transition Program is a one-year school-to-work program for students with disabilities who are in their last year of high school. This unique program is a partnership between a host business, school system and vocational rehabilitation agency that provides on-site internship experiences so that the students may acquire necessary skills for employment. This is an evidence-based program whose primary objective is to secure competitive employment for young people with disabilities while changing business culture to show the value of hiring persons with disabilities.

Carol Ann Shinsky, an employee of the Cleveland Clinic, attended a Project SEARCH open house at Mercy Hospital in Lorain County. Carol is also a parent of a child with a developmental disability. After the presentation, she contacted a close friend and neighbor who was in a position to implement such a program at the Clinic. After approximately a year of planning meetings with Cleveland Clinic management, UCP of Greater Cleveland, BVR, and Project SEARCH Co-Founder Susie Rutkowski, the program began in 2013.

Project SEARCH student interns attend the program Monday through Friday from 8:00am-2:30pm. Each day they attend at least an hour and a half of classroom time during which an instructor reviews employability skills such as time management, team work and work ethic. For the remainder of the day, the interns report to their internship departments to receive on-the-job training from staff members as well as job coaches. The interns go through three separate internship rotations at the site for a period of 10 weeks each. Some of the departments within the Cleveland Clinic that Project SEARCH interns work in are Surgical Support, Digestive Disease Institute and Environmental Services.

A big advantage of the Project SEARCH model is that everyone benefits from the partnership:

  • Student interns: Interns receive on-the-job training and employability skills training while immersed in a world-class hospital setting. They have the opportunity to learn job skills in three different work areas, giving them a wide array of transferable skills to utilize in resumes, applications and other work settings. Collectively, this gives the clients invaluable experience that will assist them in searching for competitive employment upon completion of the program.
  • UCP (vocational rehabilitation agency): Project SEARCH demonstrates UCP of Greater Cleveland’s mission to empower children and adults with disabilities to advance their independence, productivity and inclusion in the community. UCP has been provided opportunities to attend meetings at the Cleveland Clinic, such as the Cleveland Clinic Diversity Task Force meeting to discuss the challenges faced by those with disabilities in healthcare settings. UCP has also been able to recruit future Project SEARCH interns and promote the program to groups from other communities by giving them tours of the program at the Cleveland Clinic site.
  • Cleveland Clinic (host business): One way the Cleveland Clinic has benefited from this partnership is that Project SEARCH’s presence has allowed for the culture of the Clinic to shift, showing staff as well as patients and visitors that people with disabilities are just as competent as a person without a disability. Some staff from the Cleveland Clinic (managers, business liaisons, etc.) have spoken to Project SEARCH staff about uncertainties or concerns regarding working with people who have disabilities. This has provided UCP the opportunity of educating the wider community on working and living among those with disabilities.

UCP of Greater Cleveland has a 60% success rate with placing student interns in quality positions as a result of this program, as opposed to the national average of 20% for young adults with disabilities who are not in special programming. If you are interested in learning about how to partner with UCP of Greater Cleveland’s Project SEARCH program, please contact Sharon Meixner, Transition Services Manager, at smeixner@ucpcleveland.org or (216) 791-8363 ext. 1261.


6 responses to “UCP Partnerships – Project SEARCH at Cleveland Clinic”

  1. I am the grandma and guardian of 18year old Samuel Zurenski. Sam is classified as disabled, and currently is attending a special high school for children with learning disabiities in Carbondale IL. Sam will be returning to Cleveland on May 29th. I just saw your program and I think it should be an excellent fit for Sam Could you provide me with more info. Sam and I live in Beachwood ohio. Sam has not received a diploma yet. There will be a Social Graduation the end of May. Please tell me whether your program requires or does not require a diploma. He has completed all academic work, but we want to keep him eligible for Beachwood B.of Ed, if this is required. Is it too late to apply for this program? Are there any spots available for September. PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO WHOEVER CAN HELP ME!!! THANK YOU. Marcia Ontell

    • DWana, thank you for your interest in Project SEARCH. Yes, we have quite a few partnerships throughout Cuyahoga and Lorain counties which will continue next year. I have forwarded your comment to our Transition Services Manager, Sharon Meixner. Sharon is the person who runs the Project SEARCH program here. If you do not hear from her in the next week, please call her at 216-791-8363 ext. 1261 or email her at smeixner@ucpcleveland.org.

  2. Ms. Ontell, thank you for your comment on the Project SEARCH program. Sam might very well be a good candidate for the program. Your email was forwarded to our program staff. However, please feel free to give them a call if you don’t hear from them in the next couple of days. Please call Sharon Meixner at 216-791-8363.

  3. I was forwarded the link to this blog. It is wonderful to see that this program is “in my own backyard”. My son was diagnosed with ASD in the 4th grade. This has not stopped me from finding elementary, middle and high schools that provide resources. He has been successful and is now a rising junior in high school who will be inducted into the National Honor Society in the Fall. However, I have been struggling to find summer internship programs that are available for him. It sounds like this program is an option. Will this program be available the Summer of 2016?

  4. Are there any Project Search opportunities for a student with Down Syndrome at Cleveland Clinic Akron General or Cleveland Clinic Medina for the transportation department? He is a very enthusiastic young man that works wonderfully with patients in wheelchairs.

    • Hello Jackie,

      Right now we do not have any partnership with Cleveland Clinic in Akron or Medina. However, we have a Project SEARCH site at Westfield Group in Medina County. I have forwarded your question on to our Transition Services team, and one of them will be in contact with you to discuss further.

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