GREENWICH,
Conn., -- Abilis, the nonprofit
organization providing services and support to
more than 800 individuals with special needs and
their families, is hosting a Project SEARCH
Information Night for young adults with
disabilities to learn about its employment
internship program. Abilis currently
operates two Project SEARCH programs
in partnership with Greenwich Hospital and
the Darien YMCA. This free event will be
held at Greenwich Hospital in the Nobel
conference room, 5 Perryridge Road in Greenwich,
Connecticut, on Thursday, March 30, at 6:00
p.m. Space is limited and registration is
requested at abilis.us/calendar.
Project SEARCH is a national
program often run at hospitals throughout the
United States and is a nine-month internship and
job training program for young adults with
developmental disabilities ages 18-30. Abilis
has been running Project SEARCH in partnership
with Greenwich Hospital for the past four years,
and in 2022, expanded the program to include the
Darien YMCA. The Darien YMCA is the first Y in
the country to offer the Project SEARCH
program.
Project SEARCH targets young
adults with developmental disabilities for
competitive employment. The Abilis Project
SEARCH program at Greenwich Hospital offers
hospital related jobs. At the Darien YMCA,
interns learn many different jobs in multiple
departments in the facility, including
childcare, fitness centers and The Café. The
program offers total immersion in the workplace
and facilitates the teaching and learning
process as well as the acquisition of
employability and marketable work skills.
Interns participate in three, unpaid internships
throughout the nine-month program and explore a
variety of careers. In addition, interns
increase their independence, self-confidence,
and self-esteem, preparing them for future
employment.
“Abilis has been successfully
running the Project SEARCH program at Greenwich
Hospital and at the Darien YMCA,” noted Amy
Montimurro, CEO and president of Abilis. “Our
Project SEARCH graduates have successfully
gained employment and developed skills and we
are thankful that our partnerships with
Greenwich Hospital and the Darien YMCA to have
provided opportunities for our interns to
experience a variety of jobs and learn new
skills.”
Project SEARCH is a collaboration
among Abilis, Greenwich Hospital, Darien YMCA
and the Connecticut Department of Developmental
Services. To be eligible or Project SEARCH, the
applicant must be between the ages of 18 and 30
and eligible for Development of Disabilities
Services or willing to pay privately.
Applications for both Project
SEARCH locations are being accepted now and it
is recommended that if you are interested, you
apply, as enrollment fills quickly. Applications
are in both English and Spanish and available
online at abilis.us/project-search.
To learn more about Abilis’
Project SEARCH and register for the March 30
registration session, contact Nick Stewart,
program manager with Project SEARCH at stewart@abilis.us or
visit abilis.us/calendar.
Abilis is
a 501c3 non-profit organization that supports
more than 800 individuals with disabilities and
their families from birth through the senior
years. Founded in 1951, Abilis is a leader in
providing meaningful support to the community in
Fairfield County, Connecticut, in towns
including Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan,
Norwalk, Stamford, Westport and Wilton. The
organization has a long-standing reputation for
individualized, high-quality care. For more
information, visit www.abilis.us,
or follow on Facebook @Abilis,
Inc., Instagram @abilis_us
or Twitter @Abilis.
Project SEARCH was
developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Medical Center. Project SEARCH is a
business-led, one-year work-preparation program
for young people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities. Most participants
are enrolled while transitioning from high
school to work. The hallmark of Project SEARCH
is total workplace immersion, which facilitates
a seamless combination of classroom instruction,
career exploration, and hands-on training.
Project SEARCH's primary objective is to secure
competitive employment for every program
participant. For more information, visit www.projectsearch.us.