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Leaders from Montgomery County including County Executive Isiah Leggett and Director of Human Resources Joe Adler, visited the Clinical Center Dec. 5 to learn more about the NIH Project SEARCH program, a 30-week unpaid internship and work immersion program for young adults with intellectual disabilities.
The CC piloted Project SEARCH in 2010 with 12 interns. In 2011, the CC expanded the program to several additional institutes and centers.
Denise Ford, NIH Project SEARCH team lead and chief of the CC Office of Hospitality Services, explained that although the program is still in its early years for the NIH, it has proven successful in several ways, including expanding the CC's perspective of diversity by accepting persons with intellectual disabilities as part of the CC team.
"This program has not only drawn in a previously untapped pool of resources, but has made our culture better by creating an openness to seeing the person behind the disability," said Ford.
The primary goal of the program is to secure competitive employment for each student graduate. Eight of the CC's 2011 graduates received permanent positions at the CC, including Ricky Day, who works for Hospitality Services.
Day said, "If they see my smile, they would be like: 'this guy is pretty normal. He smiles. He talks. He can do stuff just like anybody else. So what could be the difference? I don't see a difference.'"