News Project SEARCH Interns Ready for the 'Real World'

Seton Medical Center Austin honors six dedicated graduates

AUSTIN, TX (May 14, 2010) A group of dedicated, enthusiastic interns graduated from Project SEARCH at Seton Medical Center Austin (SMCA) today.

Project SEARCH is a nine-month professional internship for adults with developmental disabilities. The internships focus on building real-world independent work skills and provide hands-on training in several different areas of the hospital. The interns gain skills to help them find competitive employment and to one day live on their own.

Since September, every weekday from 7:30 to 9 a.m., the interns met to learn employment skills. From 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., they worked individual rotations within the hospital.

"The interns learn jobs that can be accomplished through complex, systematic routines," said Jenny Hawkins, program coordinator for Project SEARCH. "They develop skills that make them attractive candidates for a variety of jobs both at SMCA and elsewhere in the Austin community."

"In jobs with significant historical turnover, these graduates outperform their peers," said John Brindley, SMCA's president and CEO. "Their absenteeism and error rates are among the lowest of anyone in their respective departments and the joy they bring to work each day positively impacts the SMCA team. I am very proud that Seton is a key partner in the success of Project SEARCH."

While most interns try out different areas of the hospital, Bryan Barnett has stayed put in telemetry. His responsibilities continually increased thanks to his reputation as being reliable and his interest in new challenges.

Bryan was tasked with keeping all 64 rooms on the third floor adequately set with the required equipment. Equipment ranged from small, medium and large blood pressure cuffs to thermometers to oxygen tanks. He also checked bed alarms and ensured the lift equipment was charged and ready to use.

By freeing up critical time for nurses to spend time with patients and ensuring all patient rooms are well-equipped, Bryan's efforts improved patient safety at SMCA. His pride was easily translated through the smile on his face and the volume of his voice. Brooke Duren liked her job so well that she's willingly adjusted her schedule to come in at 6:30 a.m., twice a week. The schedule change was requested by the food service department to provide more opportunity for learning and increase Brooke's chances of obtaining a position post-graduation.

While not all of the interns will obtain a job at SMCA, in nine months they have built a valuable resume and marketable skills to further their goal of living in the 'real world'.

What is Project SEARCH at SMCA?

Project SEARCH at SMCA is a partnership among the Marbridge Foundation and the Seton Family of Hospitals. Seton is the first employer in Texas to implement the Project SEARCH model, which is nationally recognized for serving individuals with developmental disabilities through innovative workforce and career development.

Individuals from the Marbridge Foundation selected to participate in Project SEARCH at SMCA receive daily classroom instruction in employment skills as well as specialized job training in complex, routine positions. Through Project SEARCH, emphasis is placed on the ability of each person with the objective of finding a match for competitive employment based on skills, strengths and interests.

Pictured above is the Project SEARCH SMCA class of 2010, (from left) Brooke Duren, Kyle Leyden, Brendan Kelly, Justin Dick, Bryan Barnett and Luke Stenftenagel.