Held each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month aims to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. URS is proud of our many successes helping people with disabilities find jobs in our community.

You can’t help but smile when you meet Katie Terry. Her positive spirit is as infectious as her grin. Katie, 19, lives in Springfield and was accepted into URS’ Project SEARCH Program at Springfield Regional Medical Center during her senior year at Northeastern High School. The program is a partnership between Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), Clark County Career Technology Center, Clark County Board of Developmental Disability Services and United Rehabilitation Services (URS) and gives students the opportunity to assess their skills and interests while rotating through various departments in the hospital. The program allows them to develop work skills as part of a pre-employment model known as Project SEARCH. URS provides “Skills Trainers” on-site in the hospital to oversee the daily job training and coaching of the students.

Through this program, Katie has developed the skills needed to work in the community, including intangible but important qualities like self-discipline, teamwork, focus, and dependability. Her training also individually focused on overcoming communication barriers. When Katie graduated, she was offered two jobs and accepted a position with McDonald’s in Springfield. She takes great pride in the responsibilities she has been given and her supervisor, Jessica, is pleased with Katie’s work ethic and commitment to excellence.

URS’ Employment Services Program offers many transitional job-readiness services for high school students and adults with disabilities to help them obtain the skills needed to secure integrated, community-based employment. The Summer Youth Program served 72 high school students during the 2018 summer session. Students were given opportunities to explore a variety of careers through supervised work experiences in the community with local employers and interactive classroom activities.

In March of 2017, URS partnered with Northridge High School to provide a Job & Career Readiness Program to stimulate learning about the local workforce and gain necessary employability skills needed to be successful. The collaborative program consists of educational classroom time with interactive materials and activities focused on developing each student’s understanding of their preferences, interests, needs, and strengths. Students then have the opportunity to sign-up for tours with local employers to meet real world business leaders and learn more about their companies and career fields. The employer partners include healthcare facilities, manufacturing sites, aviation companies, big box stores and automotive sites. Pamela Thompson, Director of Special Education at Northridge Local Schools said, “The program ensures students have the chance to explore their career choices, while still in high school, so they can hone in on their interests before fully committing to an educational or training pathway.” This innovative program continues to grow and is also partnering with Oakwood and Huber Heights Schools for the 2018-2019 school year.

URS’ Employment Services Department serves over 310 adults and high school students with disabilities annually, offering a broad range of services, including Project SEARCH, Pre–Employment Transition Services, Summer Youth Career Exploration & Work Experience, Community-Based Work Assessments, Career Exploration, Job Development & Placement, Job Coaching and Job Retention Services and Travel Training.

You can’t help but smile when you meet Katie Terry. Her positive spirit is as infectious as her grin. Katie, 19, lives in Springfield and was accepted into URS’ Project SEARCH Program at Springfield Regional Medical Center during her senior year at Northeastern High School. The program is a partnership between Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), Clark County Career Technology Center, Clark County Board of Developmental Disability Services and United Rehabilitation Services (URS) and gives students the opportunity to assess their skills and interests while rotating through various departments in the hospital. The program allows them to develop work skills as part of a pre-employment model known as Project SEARCH. URS provides “Skills Trainers” on-site in the hospital to oversee the daily job training and coaching of the students.

Through this program, Katie has developed the skills needed to work in the community, including intangible but important qualities like self-discipline, teamwork, focus, and dependability. Her training also individually focused on overcoming communication barriers. When Katie graduated, she was offered two jobs and accepted a position with McDonald’s in Springfield. She takes great pride in the responsibilities she has been given and her supervisor, Jessica, is pleased with Katie’s work ethic and commitment to excellence.

URS’ Employment Services Program offers many transitional job-readiness services for high school students and adults with disabilities to help them obtain the skills needed to secure integrated, community-based employment. The Summer Youth Program served 72 high school students during the 2018 summer session. Students were given opportunities to explore a variety of careers through supervised work experiences in the community with local employers and interactive classroom activities.

In March of 2017, URS partnered with Northridge High School to provide a Job & Career Readiness Program to stimulate learning about the local workforce and gain necessary employability skills needed to be successful. The collaborative program consists of educational classroom time with interactive materials and activities focused on developing each student’s understanding of their preferences, interests, needs, and strengths. Students then have the opportunity to sign-up for tours with local employers to meet real world business leaders and learn more about their companies and career fields. The employer partners include healthcare facilities, manufacturing sites, aviation companies, big box stores and automotive sites. Pamela Thompson, Director of Special Education at Northridge Local Schools said, “The program ensures students have the chance to explore their career choices, while still in high school, so they can hone in on their interests before fully committing to an educational or training pathway.” This innovative program continues to grow and is also partnering with Oakwood and Huber Heights Schools for the 2018-2019 school year.

URS’ Employment Services Department serves over 310 adults and high school students with disabilities annually, offering a broad range of services, including Project SEARCH, Pre–Employment Transition Services, Summer Youth Career Exploration & Work Experience, Community-Based Work Assessments, Career Exploration, Job Development & Placement, Job Coaching and Job Retention Services and Travel Training.