When Jefferson Health and Y.A.L.E. School formed a partnership 10 years ago, they shared a simple belief: every young person who wanted to work deserved the opportunity to succeed.
Together, they launched Project SEARCH, a full-day, 10-month program that gives students with autism hands-on experience through internship rotations in three different hospital departments. By the end of the program, interns are prepared for employment in the community, including potential careers with the host organization.
A decade later, the partnership’s impact is clear. Ninety-seven adults have graduated from the program, and 85% have found competitive employment. More than a third of those jobs are at Jefferson Health. Graduates average 24 hours a week of work and an hourly wage of more than $16 an hour.
Laini Sohn was part of the first class of interns in 2016. Now 30, she is still working at Jefferson Health, scanning and cataloging documents.
“It gave me practical experience,” Sohn said when asked about her internship. “Learning it from a book, I probably would have forgotten everything from that book by the time I got an actual job.”
Jefferson and Y.A.L.E. came together on Nov. 4 to celebrate the graduates and those who have helped them along the way. Former students and their families, along with local and state officials, filled the school’s Performing Arts Center, which was decorated with balloons and photos of graduating classes.
Peggy Chapman, director at Y.A.L.E., said local businesses that have hired graduates are a key part of the story. The list was long and included Apple Physical Therapy, Cooper University Hospital, First Harvest Credit Union, Masonic Village, Scrub Daddy, Virtua Health, Walmart, Wawa and Zena’s Shoes.
“The transformation doesn’t end at graduation,” Chapman said. “It continues with every new job, every new friendship, every milestone, and every dream realized.”
Project SEARCH is an international program that originated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in 1996 and now has more than 800 sites. The Jefferson Health-Y.A.L.E. partnership was among the first four Project SEARCH programs established in New Jersey and the first in South Jersey.
Y.A.L.E., short for Youth Adolescents Learning Experience, serves students with disabilities ages 3-21. In their final year of public education, as they prepare for transition, they become eligible to apply for the Project SEARCH program.
Jefferson (then Kennedy Health) introduced Project SEARCH at Cherry Hill in 2016. That pilot led to a second location at Jefferson’s Stratford Hospital in 2021. Interns work in departments including pharmacy, storeroom, patient transport and food service.
Staff members appreciate the help and the opportunity to mentor interns, who gain skills and confidence throughout the program, said Holly Dottoli, director of operations at Stratford.
“By the end of the internships, they can navigate the hospital better than we can,” she said.
Ernie Laux, a special education teacher who worked with many of the interns, said the program showed how valuable immersive work experience can be for young people.
One example is Jordan Wright, Class of 2021, who trained in physical therapy, transport, and his favorite department, pharmacy. After graduation, Wright was hired by CVS Pharmacy in Mount Laurel and has worked there for five years.
Jefferson and Y.A.L.E. administer Project SEARCH in collaboration with the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities, the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) and Samost Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Southern New Jersey.
There are now 15 Project SEARCH locations across the state, thanks to Solomon Okonkwo, State Project Search Liaison for the DVRS. Okonkwo, who was honored with a Vision Award at the ceremony, said the program’s growth reflects the vision that launched it.
“We had a clear vision; we wanted to bridge the gap between ambition and opportunity,” Okonkwo said. “We wanted to prove that an individual, when given the right environment, tools and support, will be successful.”
Laini Sohn’s mom, Judi, said she knew nothing about Project SEARCH when she was approached about the possibility of Laini being part of it. The family decided to take a chance.
Years later, Laini is living on her own in Collingswood, while her parents are a few towns away in Moorestown. Laini pays her bills, takes care of her dog, Nyla, and arranges her own transportation to and from work.
“Nothing in her life, her dad’s life, or my life would have been possible without Project SEARCH,” Judi said. “We took the risk, and it changed everything.”
