Ballad Health partners with Project SEARCH, Johnson City Schools to bring new employment preparation opportunities to students with intellectual disabilities
A new partnership will bring employment opportunities to students with intellectual disabilities through a newly announced internship program at Johnson City Medical Center and Niswonger Children’s Hospital—the first of its kind in the Appalachian Highlands.
Project SEARCH, which has international reach and helps students with significant intellectual disabilities access employment development opportunities in their communities, has been introduced in Johnson City to bring an internship program to local high school students in their senior years to help them find work after graduation.
“We’re proud of this new partnership and the opportunities it will provide for the students in our community,” said Kenny Shafer, chief executive officer at Johnson City Medical Center. “Our facility is proud to work with Project SEARCH to ensure these students will leave our programs not only with marketable, transferable skills, but also job prospects, whether in their host facility or wherever they choose to work.”
Johnson City Schools will provide a certified teacher to help coordinate the program, communicate with hospital team members, act as a special education case manager, give instruction and support the interns. Goodwill Industries of Tenneva Area will provide skills trainers.
“Ultimately, our goal is to provide students with an opportunity to work in a variety of settings while receiving structured support and instruction necessary for post-secondary employment,” said Dr. Allecia Frizzell, Johnson City Schools Supervisor of Special Education. “This has truly been a collaboration among community partners. We are especially thankful to have Niswonger Children's Hospital and Johnson City Medical Center as our host site. They have worked alongside us and have been critical to providing this experience for our students.”
The program’s first six interns signed letters of intent at a special ceremony at Science Hill High School. Students were awarded their spots after meeting qualifications for graduation and undergoing an interview process.
The program will train students in a wide variety of departments within the hospital, including transport, dietary and food services, engineering, child life and environmental services. A team member will be present any time the students are on site to serve as the on-site instructor. After a three-week orientation period, students will work at their internships through the school year, following school schedules.
“This program is an invaluable asset to our community because it equips young people with intellectual disabilities with the skills they need to find employment, helping them transition to a successful adulthood,” said Tara Chadwell, assistant vice president of child health programs for the Ballad Health Niswonger Children’s Network. “This is a promising first step for a program that could reach across the Appalachian Highlands in the years to come, providing an amazing opportunity for these students to develop the skills they need for a bright future.”
Students who participate in Project SEARCH will complete a program designed for immersion, with three 10-week internships under the direction of a full-time special education instructor and on-site skills trainers to guide them. The first cohort of students will complete their programs in June 2025, ending the internship with marketable skills and potentially a job at their employment site.
“We can’t wait to welcome our newest team members at Niswonger Children’s Hospital,” said Chris Jett, CEO of the Niswonger Children’s Network. “It takes all of us, from all walks of life, to care for our patients and our families, and we are incredibly thankful this program will introduce some valuable talent to our facility so we can all focus on caring for our community.”
Project SEARCH began in 1996 at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where it has grown from a single program site at the research facility to a large and continuously expanding international network of sites. Today, the program continues its work to provide employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. The program has since been deployed in 10 countries and 48 states across the country with 628 program sites and nearly 30,000 people served since 2010.
“It’s an honor to welcome such a unique, beneficial program to our community,” Chadwell said. “Our first graduates will be entering the workforce before we know it, and Ballad Health is proud to step up and provide these services to individuals who might not otherwise have job prospects after graduating high school.”
