MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. (AP) — Nikki Heiman was excited to learn that the state was sending a job counselor to work with her son, Trenton, a high school student with Down syndrome.
But that excitement fizzled when Heiman learned the specialist could only meet with Trenton once a month — and only for 15 minutes. That’s all the time the counselor could squeeze into her schedule while handling a large caseload that forces her to shuttle between multiple counties.
“We were very disappointed,” Heiman told the Kansas News Service. “When you cover five counties, you spend so much of your workweek driving and not nearly enough providing services to people who need support.”
State agencies want Kansans with disabilities in the workforce. Even earning a modest wage can bring added purpose and pride to their lives, and stability. But landing and keeping a job, especially for people with cognitive challenges, can prove daunting.
To make that happen, counties across the state turn to the private Project Search program. The national program pairs disabled workers with employers and gives workers some of the special tools they need to keep things humming in an office or on a shop floor.
Genesis Coleman’s long legs made for an awkward fit in a chair made for someone half his size. But he read to the 1-year-old sitting next to him. The day’s book: “Teeth Are Not For Biting.”
After graduating from Derby Public Schools, Coleman signed up for a year-long internship at McConnell Air Force Base’s child care center through Project Search.
Coleman hopes to earn a job working with children, possibly as a teacher’s aide. He has autism and he’s learning at McConnell how to deal with kids. That includes adapting to their heightened emotions, especially sadness.
“I ask them what’s wrong,” Coleman said. “I sometimes just let them just stay with me. And, you know, just tell them it’s alright sometimes.”
Project Search works with 13 Kansas job sites, including hospitals, universities and hotels. Instructors try to keep a light touch on supporting the interns on the job.
“We have high expectations because we don’t want them to fail when they get their full-time, paying job,” said Vicki Rierson, a Project Search instructor for Derby Public Schools.
Besides the work experience, interns spend part of their day in class. The lessons range from financial literacy to self-care — topics meant to help students in their life during and after work.
After eight years in Kansas, Project Search says 74% of its interns land jobs. Only about 46% of working age Kansans with disabilities are employed. For those with cognitive disabilities, it’s 35%.
Project Search helps about 100 interns a year in Kansas. The Kansas Department for Children and Families estimates that more than 16,000 students 16 and older have a disability.
Kansas offers job counseling for students and graduates with disabilities, but the state doesn’t have enough counselors for everyone.
