Learning to Walk, Again
It could happen to any of us, at any time. But in early 2020, it happened to 38-year-old Amy Casarella. She was visiting a friend when out of nowhere a blinding pain struck inside her head. Amy slumped to the ground.
When she regained consciousness, she had been airlifted to a hospital. “They told me I had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke,” Amy said. “I thought they were crazy.” Making up just 13% of strokes, a hemorrhagic stroke is when a weakened vessel bursts and bleeds into the surrounding brain. Accumulated blood compresses the brain tissue.
Surgeons removed a portion of her skull to relieve the pressure. “What I didn’t realize at first was that I was unable to walk, unable to stand,” she said.
But walk she did, after several weeks into a two month stay at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital. “It was an awesome feeling,” Amy said. Despite the victory, her recovery wasn’t complete.
For 20 years, Amy supported her three children working as a waitress. “I felt angry, scared and was very down on myself, thinking that I would never work again,” she said.
That is, until she learned about Project SEARCH, an educational and work transition program for adults with disabilities to help them achieve sustainable employment and greater independence.
Project SEARCH combines classroom instruction and on-the-job training for its interns, the term it uses for participants. The cornerstone of the program is immersion in the community and partnerships with businesses and corporations to provide on-the-job experience as well as job coaching and mentoring. The training gives interns the skills and experience needed to compete for jobs on an equal footing with other candidates.
The positive effect of people achieving gainful employment is obvious, but the community benefits of Project SEARCH are not only for the interns. Businesses gain proficient employees who work hard, like learning and take pride in their jobs.
Businesses who hire Project SEARCH graduates also enjoy excellent employee retention in jobs that typically suffer from high turnover, offering job training savings that boost the company’s bottom line.
Among the employers working with the project are Baker Industries, Sunrise Senior Living, the YMCA and Main Line Health. Several of the graduates work inside hospitals, supporting dietary departments, transportation and registration, said Carol Agger, Program Manager for Project SEARCH.
After completing classroom training, interns move to job development, where they receive support in applying and interviewing for jobs. Once an intern secures employment, a member of the Project SEARCH team provides job coaching support as interns transition into employment.
Amy found her opportunity once again in food service at Paoli Hospital, where she works part time as a cashier in the cafeteria. “I love it; it’s a great team here. And I found a purpose,” she said. “The whole thing taught me how much we take for granted, and I’m just very grateful to be here.”