 Back row, left to right: Nicolas Bodnar, intern; Sarah Deckam, Manager of Project SEARCH; Julie Digilio, Job Coach with Siffrin; Elizabeth, intern; and Charles, intern. Front row, left to right: Sarah Chill, Director of Employment Support Services with Siffrin; Heather, intern; and Tori Durm, presenter and former intern.
As part of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s Cabinet Day in the Mahoning Valley on December 18, 2019, Aultman Hospital in Canton provided a presentation about its Project SEARCH program for young adults with disabilities. In collaboration with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and Siffrin, the program helps young adults secure permanent employment at the hospital and within the community.
Tori Durm (pictured) shares how her Aultman internship prepared her for work.
Tori Durm was a participant in Project SEARCH from June 2014 through January 2015. She said, “My internship taught me how to interact with other people.” Following her internship, AVI Foodsystems hired Tori as a Patient Service Ambassador.
Several current interns talked about the benefits of their experiences at Aultman Hospital. Elizabeth, who works in Human Resources, said, “My internship is helping me to get job skills that prepare me for the job market.”
Charles works in the cafeteria. He said, “I like working in the cafeteria. The cafeteria is busy, and people are happy. I like to be there, and I am learning a new skill.”
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“It is important for our interns to have these opportunities,” said Sarah Chill, Director of Employment Support Services for Siffrin. “They learn new skills and get to be contributing members of the community.”
A tour of the hospital gave an inside look at the departments where the interns were working, including the kitchen and environmental services.
Erika Salewsky, OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, said, “I am so impressed with this program at Aultman. It is nice to see how many young adults have gone through the program and have worked here full time for 8-10 years. It is exciting to see them be part of their community and excited to work.”
Tim Teynor, Vice President of Public Policy, Aultman Health Foundation, said, “I was an early beneficiary of vocational rehabilitation when I was a young person. The Governor has built a great team to help Ohioans with disabilities fully actualize and attain gainful employment. If we provide an opportunity for those with disabilities to be involved, the support is a fraction of the benefit we all get.”
Following the tour, attendees and Aultman employees participated in a training about assistive technology provided by Julie Wood, OOD Worksite Accessibility Specialist. Lisa Johnson, Diversity and Inclusion Director of Aultman Hospital, said, “I believe everyone deserves equal access to opportunities and careers of their choice. This is how assistive technology benefits all of us. At any given time, we can all have a setback or a limit. It is vital we understand what is available through assistive technology to help those with disabilities continue to be employable.”
 Left to right: Shannon Komisarek, OOD Assistant Deputy Director; Kathy Bernstein, Director of Disability Support Services at SSC; Kathleen Spicer, Disability and Military Services Counselor at SSC; Emily Hodge, SSC student; Dr. Para Jones, President of SSC; Susan Pugh, OOD Deputy Director; Shannon Thomas, Ohio College2Careers Counselor at SSC; Angelo Roberto, SSC student; Marc Manheim, OOD East-Central Area Manager; Berna King, OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor; and Rex, a service dog.
Stark State College (SSC) hosted a roundtable discussion about Ohio College2Careers during Governor DeWine’s Cabinet Day in the Mahoning Valley on December 18, 2019. The discussion gave students benefitting from the partnership a chance to talk about the difference it makes.
SSC is one of 15 Ohio colleges and universities partnering with OOD to immerse an Ohio College2Careers counselor within the campus. The dedicated counselors assist students with disabilities with career exploration and counseling, resume and interview preparation, internships and permanent employment, assistive technology, and more.
“We’re really fortunate to have Ohio College2Careers Counselor Shannon Thomas here at Stark State College,” said Dr. Para Jones, President of SSC. “This is a model that creates a seamless experience for students with disabilities.”
Susan Pugh, OOD Deputy Director of the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, echoed Dr. Jones’ excitement about the partnership. “This is going to help students with disabilities prepare for their careers,” she said.
Students at SSC also had the chance to share what the partnership means to them. “Before I started working with Shannon [Thomas], school was chaos,” said Emily Hodge, an SSC student majoring in graphic design. “Now, it’s just not.”
“With the help of Shannon and OOD, I can now see that my future looks very bright,” said Angelo Roberto, a human resources major at SSC. “I would say to any student or person with a disability to reach out to OOD. That’s the first step to bettering yourself and changing your life in the right direction.”
For more information about Ohio College2Careers, visit https://ood.ohio.gov/Students-14/Ohio-College2Careers.
 OOD staff pictured left to right: Marc Manheim, East-Central Area Manager; Joellen Bissett, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; Stephanie Andrian, Assistant Deputy Director with the Division of Employer and Innovation Services; Brian Eskridge, Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor; Kristen Ballinger, Deputy Director of the Division of Employer and Innovation Services; Ronald Klonowski, Business Relations Specialist; Ashlee Iannucci, Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor; Director Kevin Miller; Michael Hoag, Business Relations Specialist; Daniel Williams, Job Developer; and Davis Raff, Talent Sourcing Coordinator.
Governor DeWine’s Cabinet Day wrapped up for OOD with a hiring event for OOD participants at the Trumbull County OhioMeansJobs. Representatives with Speedway, Giant Eagle, Tomtreyco McDonald’s, and Tractor Supply Company were on hand. “It’s critical we help our employer partners understand we have the largest untapped talent pool in the state,” said Brian Eskridge, OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor. “OOD can be a resource for their hiring needs.”
A total of 18 individuals with disabilities participated in 29 interviews (some candidates interviewed with multiple employers). Ashlee Iannucci, OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor, explained: “We look at the job openings and our participants’ plans for employment to make sure we have the right fit. The employers appreciate having qualified participants. Also, we let the participants know what the jobs entail and help them prepare for the interview based on the employers’ hiring needs. It’s really a mutually beneficial way to work with OOD’s Division of Employer and Innovation Services, employer partners, vocational rehabilitation staff, participants, and our job developers to help capitalize on these relationships.”
OOD’s Youngstown office is active in the Tri-County Employment Collaborative, which includes Columbiana, Mahoning, and Trumbull Counties; community rehabilitation partners; OhioMeansJobs; and Boards of Developmental Disabilities. The Tri-County Employment Collaborative and OOD regularly partner to meet the needs of individuals served through information and resource sharing to help maximize positive outcomes for individuals served, employers, county agencies, community rehabilitation partners, and OOD.
Pictured left to right: OOD Director Kevin Miller; Joellen Bissett, OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; Richard Bicanovsky, OOD job seeker; and Mary Ann Thompson, Vocational Specialist with Turning Gears.
Richard Bicanovsky was one of the participants who interviewed with employers. He has been working with Joellen Bissett, OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, and Mary Ann Thompson, Vocational Specialist with Turning Gears, for several months. Richard said: “I like people and am eager to learn. I just need to get my foot in the door.” Richard is now happily working at Tomtreyco McDonald’s.
Individuals interested in getting started with OOD can visit OODWorks.com or call 800-282-4536.
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 Kristen Ballinger, Deputy Director of OOD’s Division of Employer and Innovation Services, presents to OSAC members at their first meeting of 2020.
Kristen Ballinger, Deputy Director of Employer and Innovation Services at OOD, presented at the first Ohio State Apprenticeship Council (OSAC) meeting of the year on January 2. OSAC provides guidance and makes recommendations regarding state-level policies and regulations for ApprenticeOhio programs. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is Ohio’s authorized state apprenticeship agency which houses ApprenticeOhio. ApprenticeOhio assists employers to develop apprenticeship programs, approves applications for sponsorship, and provides oversight and technical support to existing programs to ensure quality and safety.
Ballinger discussed the resources OOD can provide to employers and job seekers with disabilities. She said: “We can assist someone with a disability with a wide array of services like assistive technology, resume building, interview skills, and more. For employers, we can help with things like employee retention, navigating tax credits, and on-site disability inclusion training.”
ApprenticeOhio has more than 400 Registered Apprenticeship programs in fields like construction, manufacturing, information technology, and healthcare through the more than 400 sponsors.
“We’re grateful to have a partnership with OOD,” said Rebecca DeMatteis, Program Administrator of ApprenticeOhio. “The resources they provide to job seekers with disabilities and employers who want to hire those individuals make a big difference.”
If you have a disability and want to work, visit www.oodworks.com. For more information about Registered Apprenticeships in Ohio, visit https://apprentice.ohio.gov.
 Microsoft's “Seeing AI” is an app, for people with visual disabilities, that narrates the world around users. The camera app describes people, text, currency, color, and objects. Last month, Microsoft expanded Seeing AI support from English to five additional languages: Dutch, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. More information is available at https://news.microsoft.com/features/bonjour-bienvenidos-seeing-ai-expands-to-5-new-languages/.
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