Enriching young adults’ lives through work readiness internships

Several new faces have brightened the halls at Parkview Wabash Hospital in recent months. Going about their daily duties, three young adults have learned valuable skills, formed friendships and brought joy to hospital co-workers, patients and guests.

Brianna “Bri” Lengel, Maddy Ball and Hunter Keaton are participants in Project SEARCH, a worksite-based, school-to-work program providing opportunities for students with disabilities. Parkview Wabash is a host business, working in partnership with the Arc of Wabash County, which started the work readiness program locally last year.

Headquartered at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where it was originally launched in the late 1990s, Project SEARCH now has program sites across the country and in the United Kingdom. 

Courtesy Parkview HealthMaddy Ball works with a co-worker in nutrition services.“The program requires a host business to bring in interns to work in various departments,” says Kerri Mattern, leader of Community Health Initiatives at Parkview Wabash Hospital. “It teaches skills the participants can take into any workforce, such as arriving on time, working as a team, and completing tasks on time. The program builds confidence and independence. It’s wonderful from a work training and a personal skills perspective.”

All in their 20s, Ball, Lengel and Keaton have encountered a challenge that faces many people with disabilities as they age out of high-school-based programs: finding gainful employment in adulthood. Since October, each has had the chance to encounter new situations and discover their talents as they’ve rotated through hospital areas including guest relations, nutrition services and environmental services.

Parkview Wabash and the Arc of Wabash County work together to give participants a meaningful internship experience. An Arc instructor is on-site, meeting with the participants at the beginning and end of each day. This provides time for Ball, Lengel and Keaton to set their sights on upcoming tasks, celebrate victories and discuss questions that have arisen during the workday.

Parkview Wabash’s involvement in the program grew from a conversation between Deb Potempa, market president of Parkview Health South, and Jeff Patton, CEO of the Arc of Wabash County. 

“When Jeff asked us to consider being a host facility, I was excited to bring this to our hospital leaders,” says Potempa, who is also a member of the Arc of Wabash County’s board of directors. “I knew from experience with Project SEARCH how rewarding this learning experience would be for the interns and our leaders and co-workers. I am proud of those who embraced the opportunity to make a profound difference in someone’s future, and I encourage other businesses to be open to this opportunity.”

Courtesy Parkview HealthBrianna “Bri” Lengel works with a co-worker in environmental services.In addition to the program at Parkview Wabash, Parkview Hospital Randallia in Fort Wayne collaborates with Easterseals Arc of Northeast Indiana, which operates a similar program called the Employment Readiness Academy. Parkview Randallia has also hosted interns, and Parkview LaGrange Hospital will soon be a host worksite as well. 

“We’re committed to creating a workplace that supports a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, and our partnership with Easterseals Arc of Northeast Indiana has proven to be a comfortable way for these individuals to discover new opportunities in existing roles throughout our health system,” says Dena Jacquay, chief administrative officer at Parkview Health, who also serves on the board of directors for Easterseals of Northern Indiana. 

“Our hope for every Project SEARCH participant,” says Mattern, “is that they gain a sense of what they can contribute to a team so they can go on to find work that will enrich their lives, enable them to create social connections and support themselves financially.”

For a closer look at how these programs are changing lives, view Parkview’s video.

This article was created in partnership with Parkview Health.