Nisonger Center (OH UCEDD/LEND) Collaborates with other Organizations to Launch the "Go To Work" Program for Youths with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

November 24, 2009

The Nisonger Center, together with faculty, trainees and students from The Ohio State University School of Allied Medical Professions, College of Engineering, College of Education and Human Ecology, and the College of Social Work, are collaborating to establish a postsecondary education (PSE) program for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) at The Ohio State University Medical Center (OSUMC). The $10,000 grant will help to implement a model designed to place youth with IDD into competitive employment positions at OSUMC. Specifically, this model a) places individuals with disabilities in internships leading to competitive employment at OSUMC; b) creates a partnership among the employers, consumers, and their families; c) uses OSU student trainees to provide employment supports for youth with IDD; and d) pilots the employment component of the OSU Postsecondary Program for Youth with IDD. The five-year vision is to place 30-60 young adults with IDD into competitive employment positions at the OSU Medical Center. The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities is funding the pilot project model under a Medicaid Infrastructure Grant, CFDA 93.768, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

For more information, contact Margo V. Izzo.