Cumberland County Project Search program helps people with disabilities transition to jobs

Sept. 05--It would be difficult to overstate how enthusiastic Gage Gsell is for his job.

The mention of every task for each part of his training program is met with an exuberant snap of the fingers and satisfied flip of the head. Does he remember his rotation at the 911 call center?

"Oh yeah!" Gsell exclaims.

Gsell, along with fellow interns Amber English, Molly Hosey and Chance Dorman graduated on Tuesday from Cumberland County's first class of Project Search, a nationwide program designed to help people with disabilities transition into sustainable jobs and lifestyles.

"I'm amazed each day by what you guys have accomplished," Project Search Instructor Kristy Lanser said. "Take pride in how far you've come and have faith in how far you will go."

The Project Search concept was developed at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, but has since been used by local agencies nationwide as a model to teach students with disabilities and young adults how to transition into the workforce.

Locally, Project Search programs are sponsored by Goodwill, which employs the staff needed to oversee the program. Tuesday's graduating class was the first in Cumberland County, and to the county's credit, all four interns were able to find paid, regular jobs after completing the nine-month program.

"Seeing this much enthusiasm and seeing that all four interns are employed is a great example," said John McHenry, CEO of Goodwill Keystone Area.

Much of Project Search's structure, however, comes from workplace volunteers. In Cumberland County, employees of county government agencies served as teachers and guides.

Interns were taught to sort paperwork at the county's social services offices, they helped with laundry and cleaning at Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation, and they learned how to process mail in the county commissioners' mailroom, among other things.

"This is a good program, and I hope that you four are the first of many," Commissioner Vince DiFilippo told the interns on Tuesday.

"Do it. It's a great experience," was the advice of Judith Carlberg to any other organizations in the area that may be interested in sponsoring Project Search interns.

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Carlberg said she and the rest of the staff at Claremont learned just as much from the interns as the interns did from them.

"Never forget what you did for us and what you taught us," Carlberg said.

Gsell, however, will still be around -- he was hired to work in Claremont's dining hall as a paid employee.

English will work at the Jukebox Diner in Hampden Township, Hosey at Gummy Bears Child Care in Harrisburg, and Dorman at Weis in Newport.

More important than just finding people jobs, however, Project Search seeks to bolster interns' confidence and their ability to solve problems in and out of the workplace.

The program "helped me feel good about myself," Dorman said.

"I have noticed a big difference," said Gsell's mother, Kim. "He's doing really well with it. He's been a lot more independent."

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