Project SEARCH is a 10-month internship program for people with disAbilities in their last year of high school through early adulthood, approximately age 35 years. This program targets adults whose goal is competitive employment. Funding for the program is through the public school or by using an individual’s DDD budget. Additional funding is provided by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
The program is provided in a large community host business where the interns experience total immersion in the workplace to experience and learn the many employment soft skills needed to be successful. On site, five days a week for all 10 months, they gain marketable work skills that they can transfer into jobs in the community. Interns participate in three 11-week unpaid internships to explore a variety of career paths. FRA is very honored to partner with our host businesses Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch and Community Medical Center in Toms River.
Interns work with a team that includes their family, Project SEARCH instructor, skills trainer and job developer, their school (if involved), the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) counselor and/or the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) representative. This team helps to create an employment goal and support the student during this important transition to the workplace. This team remains actively involved all year through employment planning meetings, committee meetings and parent meetings.
The interns begin their day learning employability skills in a training room setting at the hospital. After this hour-long class, the interns move to their department at the hospital where they spend approximately five hours. At the end of the day, the interns return to the training room to reflect on their day, discuss challenges, and evaluate progress. The goal of participating in Project SEARCH is competitive employment for a minimum of 16 hours per week for each intern upon graduation.
For announcements of our next information session or to gain more details about this unique program please reach out to Phillip Duck, Program Director at 732-747-5310, ext 121 or email info@frainc.org.
INFORMATION MEETINGS for '25-'26 Project SEARCH:
RSVPs necessary, click below to download flyers with detailed info.
Monmouth Medical Center Project SEARCH, Long Branch, NJ
Information Meeting February 26th at 6:00PM at MMC Seabreeze Cafe or March 13th at 10:30 AM at FRA Red Bank Office
Community Medical Center Project SEARCH, Toms River, NJ
Information Meeting February 27th at 6:00 PM or March 14th at 10:00 AM
