Atlantic Health System marked the year 2024 with recognition of its long-standing, ongoing efforts to help young adults with disabilities discover abilities that will make them valuable members of the workforce.
In Senate and General Assembly citations delivered this fall, New Jersey state legislators from Sussex, Morris and Union counties praised the health care organization’s achievements in defending the employment of disabled workers.
Since 2016, Atlantic Health System has partnered with Project SEARCH, an organization run by state and county agencies that provides on-the-job training in businesses and organizations to help trainees with various disabilities ages 18 at 21, to acquire important professional skills and develop their talents. Each day throughout the school year, the program provides on-site classroom instruction, followed by rotating internship experiences in which they work directly with department mentors in a hands-on, hands-on manner.
The program began in Union County at Overlook Medical Center but has since expanded to Sussex County at Newton Medical Center and Hackettstown Medical Center. The program has so far graduated 87 young adults with disabilities, the majority of whom have gone on to be hired by various companies and organizations, including 27 by Atlantic Health System itself.
“By partnering with the Union County Educational Services Commission and the Sussex County Educational Services Commission on Project SEARCH, Atlantic Health System is not only proud to help our trainees discover abilities that will help in the job market, but in return, we have discovered and hired many valuable team members who continue to apply their skills every day supporting the services and experiences of our patients and visitors,” said Armond Kinsey, Vice President, Chief Talent Officer and of the diversity of the Atlantic Health System.
“Atlantic Health System has been an incredible partner and host company for the Project SEARCH program here in New Jersey,” said Josh Bornstein, director of special projects for the Union County ESC Work Readiness Academy. “Not only has the organization committed to us to provide meaningful and rigorous training to our trainees, but they have also demonstrated a true commitment to inclusive recruiting, as evidenced by their willingness to see productive value that our students bring and to offer paid employment to a large number of them. them through the system.
As part of October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), on October 16, team members from Atlantic Health’s Overlook Medical Center, Newton Medical Center and Hackettstown Medical Centers System marked Mentoring for People with Disabilities Day by introducing this year’s Project SEARCH trainees with mentors across hospitals. which gave them an overview of some of the areas of the hospital they would be rotating through.
Interns visited departments such as Radiology, Environmental Services, and Clinical Engineering, where Atlantic Health team members discussed the various responsibilities of these departments and potential tasks the interns would fulfill over the next few years. month.
“These are well-deserved citations awarded to Atlantic Health System. The organization has fully integrated the special needs community throughout Sussex County,” said John O’Hara, Project SEARCH supervisor at Newton Medical Center and Hackettstown Medical Center. “Atlantic Health System offers internships through Project SEARCH with the possibility of gainful employment at various Atlantic Health facilities upon graduation. The interns hired already know their role well and don’t miss anything about their new work.”