Seven students received certificates at Baptist Medical Center Downtown this week after months of learning different critical jobs such as how to sterilize medical supplies and customer service.
They were the first graduates of a new program designed to help individuals with autism and related developmental disorders to gain job and life skills in the workplace.
The newly minted graduates of the first cohort of Baptist Health System’s Project SEARCH program were recognized for having completed a nine-month internship.
Originally a Cincinnati-based initiative, Project SEARCH brings together 800-plus experts from different industry sectors to help young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to build and nourish valuable skills that can help them to pursue employment opportunities.
The local Project SEARCH collaboration also involved Edgewood Independent School District and Texas A&M University-San Antonio, among other organizations.
At the Baptist Health System program, students who went through the Edgewood’s Burleson School for Innovation and Education were assessed for the new Project SEARCH program. The Burleson School, an open campus, focuses on teaching independent job and life skills to post-high school graduates with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The interns participated in various hands-on activities at Baptist Medical Center, including outpatient surgical care, helping to sterilize medical supplies, radiology, pharmacy, food and nutrition and human resources.
Graduate Kira Hernandez, a 2023 Memorial High School graduate, said she hopes to use her recently acquired job skills to gain employment as a supply stocker or in customer service.
In addition to expressing pride over her graduation, Hernandez said she liked making friends with her fellow interns, program instructors and hospital staff who supported the students and acted as mentors.
“My skills are good customer service, and having a good sense of humor. I like making people laugh,” she added.
Kim Calandres, a registered nurse and clinical manager with Baptist Health System, is a business and clinical liaison for the program.
Program officials pledge to work with the graduates and connect them with a job. Calandres said, aside from job skills, the program helps to boost participants’ confidence and self-esteem. She added that hospital system already plans to hire one intern, Esai de Anda, as a result of his internship.
“Every employee that has interacted with the interns has embraced the program,” she added.
Melina Castro, a 2023 Kennedy High School graduate, said she enjoyed engaging with hospital staff during her internship.
“I liked being around the hospital, and I learned new skills. They helped to give me everything to succeed in the future,” Castro said, adding she hopes to be a pharmacy assistant.
Issac Askew, a 2022 Brandeis High School graduate, said he wants to pursue work in customer service, food service or pastoral care as a follow up to his internship.
“I really liked sterilizing equipment, and packing food. All that is very important,” he added.
Christus Health already operates Project SEARCH programs inside Alamo Heights and San Antonio ISDs, which only works with students within those school districts whereas the Baptist campaign is open to students citywide.
Henrietta Munoz, CEO for the Institute for School and Community Partnerships at TAMUSA, said nine students are already lined up for the health system’s next Project SEARCH cohort beginning this fall.
Munoz said Project SEARCH shows young adults with special needs that, outside of physicians and nurses, a hospital has a range of support jobs that they could do with the right skills and training.
“Baptist Medical Center graciously provided the space and expertise for mentorship of these students. They ensured every student had the opportunity to rotate amongst the different jobs that are included in a hospital system,” she added.
