From The York Daily Record in Pa.:When Jan Null gave birth to her son, a nurse told her the baby's Down syndrome would prevent him from living a functional life.
In a few weeks, Null's son David Walmsley (pictured), now 20, will prepare for a career at the same hospital where he was born.
"This is how far we've come in 20 years," said Null, a Spring Grove area resident.
Walmsley, a Lincoln Intermediate Unit life-skills-support class student who graduated from Central York High School in June, will be in the first class of York Hospital's new program, Project SEARCH.
The one-year school-to-work program originated at Cincinnati Children's Hospital in 1995 and gives employment and educational opportunities to people with significant disabilities.
"I am so thankful . . . so excited," Null said. "That's what I want for my son. . . . I want him working and contributing. I want him around people."
Under Project SEARCH, WellSpan will partner with other organizations, including LIU and the York-Adams Mental Health/Mental Retardation program.
Students selected for the program are ages 18 to 21 who have an interest in competitive employment opportunities.
The program is designed to follow a traditional school year, said Diane Sargeant, director of education services at WellSpan Health.
As students gain experience in the hospital, they will be eligible to apply for jobs at WellSpan, she said in an e-mail.
Walmsley's former teacher Ruth Moore, a LIU special education teacher at Central York High School, will oversee the students and job coaches.
"Once all of the students are out working, I will get to go out into the different departments to monitor (their) progress and make any adaptations or accommodations that may be required for the student to be successful," Moore said in an e-mail.
Students in the program will learn to live independently, find a job, complete an application for employment, create a resume, use public transportation, and develop
social and communication skills, she said."About one hour a day will be spent on academics and the students will work approximately five hours a day in their assigned department."
Moore said the students will be immersed in the workplace and gain experiences not otherwise available to them in traditional classrooms.
The first Project SEARCH class at York Hospital this fall will include:
-- 10 students as interns in a variety of areas such as patient transport, food services, engineering, housekeeping, reception, hospitality shop and research
-- a teacher, job coaches, designated mentors and trainers within the departments
