Project SEARCH is an international program that helps young people with developmental disabilities work in an internship to gain skills and find competitive integrated employment. This means working at a job in the community and making the same wages as employees who do not have disabilities. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center employees founded the first program in 1996. It has since expanded to hundreds of locations around the world. That includes Presbyterian Rust Medical Center where Adelante supports the efforts. Project SEARCH partners with a local school district and multiple government and community agencies. Most Project SEARCH interns are special education students who have met requirements to graduate high school, but need an extra year to transition into adult life and the workforce. Project SEARCH helps each of these interns gain the marketable skills they need to find and maintain employment.
These young people work incredibly hard at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center over the course of nine months, and with assistance from people including job coaches from the Adelante EmployAbility® team. They learn a wide variety of skills to succeed at competitive integrated jobs in the community. If you’re a hiring manager or business owner, you know how important it is to find people with strong and marketable job skills to fill your positions. Project SEACH interns are ready to rise to the occasion.
Project Search Updates from 2025
In June 2025, there was plenty of pomp and circumstance as Adelante’s Project SEARCH interns graduated from the program. Staff from Adelante, Rio Rancho Public Schools, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and Presbyterian Rust Medical Center came to show their support. Family, friends, community members, and previous graduates also cheered this cohort on. Several dignitaries, including Rio Rancho Mayor Greg Hull and Rio Rancho Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Sue Cleveland, attended to offer their congratulations.
This fall, a new cohort began and as of December they are in their second rotation of jobs at Rust Medical Center. At Rust, interns work in Patient Transport, the OB/GYN department, Housekeeping, Dietary/Food Services, Administration, Receiving, and Security. Therefore, they have the chance to learn many different skills and work with all kinds of people. One rotation they may be shadowing a security guard in the emergency room, helping greet and screen people. The next they may work in administration putting together welcome packets, operating office equipment like copiers, and providing excellent customer service to visitors. Or, they may be in receiving, receiving deliveries and organizing them to go to their intended departments across the hospital.
Project SEARCH Training Helps Interns Reach Their Potential
Project SEARCH focuses on high expectations. This is evident in the curriculum and structure of the program. First of all, Project SEARCH interns are completely immersed in their community workplace. They are part of the team at Rust Medical Center in whichever department they are assigned as they rotate through six different jobs. Interns work under the direction of a supervisor alongside non-disabled people and interact with hospital visitors.
Second, the program focuses on getting interns hired in complex systematic jobs. In other words, jobs that Project SEARCH interns would not have been qualified for prior to joining the program. To clarify, each rotation is designed to teach interns specific, marketable job skills. Of course, like all workplaces they make sure to have some fun and teambuilding along the way. For example, staff take them on outings like shopping for work clothes and the group does activities like bowling together.
Interns Learn Marketable Job Skills at Rio Rancho’s Project SEARCH
Adelante works in collaboration with Rio Rancho Public Schools, New Mexico Department of Health, and the New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to ensure interns gain marketable, real-world job skills from the Project SEARCH program. Of course, the team at Presbyterian Rust is a key partner in this effort. Our shared goal is to help interns develop both hard and soft skills. Plus, the job search starts on day one!
Hard skills, in workforce terms, means the job-specific abilities needed for a particular job. At Project SEARCH at Rust Medical Center that can mean how to file paperwork, sanitize properly, or safely transfer someone in a wheelchair. Each rotation in the program has a different set of skills to learn. The program also addresses the soft skills many young adults with disabilities need to be successful at work. For example, the importance of showing up on time and how to properly handle workplace interactions.
To encourage growth, interns are frequently taken out of their comfort zones. For example, an intern who may not like getting dirty may be asked to take out trash in the environmental services department. There, they learn the importance of custodial work at the hospital. Or an intern who is shy and reserved may work a rotation in a busy, customer-facing environment, like OB/GYN.
Kaylee, a recent intern, noted that her communication skills improved while being part of Project SEARCH. In fact, she thought is was the most important benefit so far. Furthermore, the tasks she does at work help her with developing organizational skills that help her while on the job, but also at home. In one rotation she did a lot of restocking, including putting paper in printers, doing inventory, making sure her department got the right amount of supplies. Having this level of responsibility not only prepares employees for future jobs, but promotes independence and confidence, as well.
Classroom Time & the Business Advisory Council
In addition to their work duties, interns participate in classroom time at the beginning and end of each day. During this time, they learn skills like using technology, looking for jobs, and writing resumes. Additionally, they learn communication skills including interview skills, giving and receiving constructive feedback, and stress management. Finally, they learn personal skills to build independence, like proper hygiene, budgeting, and time management.
Interns also receive additional training through a Business Advisory Council (BAC). This consists of other agency employees and community members. The Adelante BAC consists of the Project SEARCH job coach, Adelante job developers, and a member of the Adelante marketing team. Members of the BAC teach interns skills on interviewing, networking, and even skills to promote independence in living. Guest speakers attend and present, as well. First, they discuss their company’s own hiring process and standards. They then give a glimpse on what it may be like working for their business, and take questions from the interns.
If you’re looking for dependable employees, reach out to Adelante!
We truly enjoy working with every cohort at Project SEARCH and watching interns graduate and move on to new jobs. Their hard work, along with top-notch support from Adelante team members and people from several other organizations, prepare them to be strong candidates for any business to hire. If you’re a business owner or decision maker looking to hire good, dependable employees get in touch with Adelante and learn how you can hire a Project SEARCH graduate.