Project SEARCH is an employment training program where youth with disabilities spend their senior year in high school working in three unpaid internships in a community business.
The goal of the project is to find competitive, integrated employment in the community for these young adults.
The Bon Secours Project SEARCH sites are part of a VCU research study examining how to best help youth with autism gain and maintain employment upon graduation from high school.
All sites are part of a grant awarded to Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Our partners work together to provide funding, support, and services to the students participating in the program. Our partners include:
At Bon Secours St. Mary’s Project SEARCH (site established in 2009):
Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital
Henrico County Public Schools
Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
At Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center Project SEARCH (site established in 2011):
Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center
Chesterfield County Public Schools
Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
At Maryview Medical Center (site established in 2013):
Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center
Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs (SECEP)
Didlake
Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
At Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center Project SEARCH (site established in 2013):
Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center
Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center
Hanover County Public Schools
Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)
We have had visitors to the hospitals from many places around the world to see what we are doing for students with Autism. People have come from Washington State, Saudi Arabia, Virginia General Assembly Autism Subcommittee member, and most recently a Supreme Court Justice from New Jersey. We have also been a part of numerous research journal and newspaper articles. Each hospital is part of groundbreaking research that is changing the way services are being provided to young adults with autism not only here in Virginia but around the world
Students participate in 3 individualized internships in a wide variety of different hospital departments over the course of the school year
Through hands-on-training, our interns have gained skills in: stocking, checking expiration dates, filing, copying, assembling paperwork packets, providing patient care and strong customer service, making deliveries, cleaning, sanitizing equipment, turning over patient rooms and putting together supplies for the nursing units.
Graduation attendees and speakers will include (varies by location):
Bon Secours CEO’s
Bon Secours department managers and staff
VCU Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Director (RRTC), Paul Wehman
VCU Project Director, Jennifer McDonough
VCU Research and Employment Staff
Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) Commissioner, James Rothrock
Virginia DARS staff
Henrico County Public Schools, Exceptional Education Director, Donice Davenport
Hanover County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Michael Gill
Chesterfield County Public Schools Director of Exceptional Education, Dr. Samantha Hollins
Henrico, Hanover, Chesterfield, and SECEP school system staff