Bon Secours celebrates Project SEARCH graduates

Seventeen students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities from Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover counties recently completed their internships for Project SEARCH at Bon Secours facilities throughout the Richmond region.

Project SEARCH is an international school-to-work program that helps students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities develop work skills in a real-world work environment. The program’s goal is to help participants find competitive employment.

“Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through worksite rotations,” according to the program’s website.

Interns were able to receive a wide range of experience at Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center, Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center and Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital throughout the year-long program. Some of the internship sites the interns worked in include labor and delivery units, imaging departments, laboratory services, orthopedics, environmental services, ambulatory surgery units and more.

Seniors who completed the program included Rachel C., William P., Jose L., Amanda L., Charles M., Kayla C., Hendrick C., Alexis D., Skyanne B., Elizabeth G-C., Courtney G., Lancine K., Brenna F., Gabrielle D., Linwood N., Jackson E. and Tucker G.

Students from the metro Richmond area celebrated the completion of their time in this program and will now begin the journey of leveraging the skills they learned to seek competitive employment.

To date, seven students have been offered employment (four within the Bon Secours Mercy Health network).