School to Work

Project SEARCH

Hope Network is proud to offer the first Project SEARCH High School Transition program site in Michigan located in Kent County.  We have partnered with Fifth Third Bank and Grand Rapids Public Schools to bring this cutting-edge program to our community. 

Project SEARCH is a unique collaboration between agency, host business (Fifth Third Bank) and school (GRPS) that allows students with special needs, in their final year of high school, to participate in a variety of internships within the host business.

Through participation in these internships and classroom-based experiences, the students gain valuable skills that lead to competitive employment, either at the host business, or in a related position elsewhere. 

This unique, business-driven training model began at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. It was created by the ER charge nurse, Erin Riehle, who felt strongly that a business earning the majority of its revenue from individuals with disabilities should also employ them. Ms. Riehle also believed that individuals with disabilities could perform, and perform well, in a variety of complex but systematic jobs, and Project SEARCH was born.  

Project SEARCH has been nationally recognized for its success in preparing students for competitive, community-based employment.  In the future, we anticipate this program will expand to include Kent County post-secondary individuals in the future, as well.

Hope Network, with support from Michigan Rehabilitation Services, and along with our partners at Grand Rapids Public Schools and Fifth Third Bank, is pleased to offer such a cutting-edge program to Kent County!


Feel free to Ask Jenny any questions you may have about our programs or services.
 

   


Center for Autism Grand Rounds --- 2012 Lunch Lecture Series
5/9/2012

Friday, June 1st
Applied Behavior Analysis for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Elyse Wiseman, BCBA, Hope Network

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Hope Network Education Center

Grand Rounds is a new series of professional lunchtime lectures covering a variety of topics relating to autism spectrum disorders and other neurodevelopmental conditions, including ABA, Speech and Language Pathology, and supporting children and adults with autism. Lectures are free of charge and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring their lunch. Following each lecture, there will be an opportunity for questions and answers.


All lectures are from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at the Hope Network Education Center, 775 36th Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI.
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Michigan Partners for Freedom | Free Self-Determination Seminar
5/1/2012
If you have a disability and want to get more control of your life, your support, and your services, then join the Michigan Partners for Freedom on May 9, 2012 from 9:30 - 2:30 pm at Hope Network Education Center in Grand Rapids. Lunch included!
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Hope Network strives to bridge gap in services to people with mental illness
4/25/2012
WGVU  |  Hope Network is a non-profit Christian organization well known in Michigan for providing a broad continuum of care in the treatment of brain and spinal cord injuries, developmental disabilities, and mental illness. WGVU’s Caroline MacGregor reports on the organization’s efforts to streamline services and address the alarming mortality rate among people with mental health disabilities.