Archive for News

New Employment Success Video

Thanks to the YMCA of Greater Nashua and Rose Haven Nursing Home in Merrimack, LinkAbilities is proud to present our newest employment success video!  Meet Lisa and Kimberly, two women who are working hard and letting nothing stand in their way!  Watch the video now!

Summer Newsletter Available

The LinkAbilities Summer Newsletter is now available! Please click here:  LinkAbilities Summer Newsletter 2011 to read the latest stories.

First STRIDE Class Graduates

The first class of STRIDE students has officially graduated!  Daniel Brien, Tommy Gravel, Fred Purtell, and Joshua Richardson celebrated their achievement on June 29^th with family, friends, and staff from Lowell General Hospital. STRIDE  is a 20-week  on-the-job training program for adults with disabilities, based completely on the needs and workflows of Sodexo managers. This new 20 week program is comprised of 3 internships, allowing participants to learn skills necessary for competitive employment once they graduate from the program.  The graduates will now be looking for employment using the skills they have learned.  STRIDE is a unique collaboration between The PLUS Company, Lowell General Hospital, Sodexo, and LinkAbilities.  The next class will start at Lowell General Hospital in late July.

Catholic Medical Center Project SEARCH Highlighted

The New Hampshire Disabilities Rights Center Summer RAP sheet focuses on employment and includes an article about Project SEARCH in the Queen City.  This is the first year the program has run at Catholic Medical Center, with a graduating class of six students.  The article shows the enthusiasm of the CMC staff and how quickly the hospital has embraced Project SEARCH, as well as the journey of one of this year’s interns.

Read the entire article here:  http://www.drcnh.org/RAPsummer​2011.pdf

St. Joseph Hospital Project SEARCH Graduates its Third Class

On  Monday, June 20^th, nine students were recognized for successful completion and participation in St. Joseph Hospital Project SEARCH, a school-to-work program for high school students with developmental disabilities. Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau served as the guest speaker and representatives from both Senator Shaheen and Congressman Bass’ offices were on hand with remarks.

Project SEARCH is a collaborative effort between St. Joseph Hospital, LinkAbilities*, the Nashua School District (and surrounding school districts), New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation, The PLUS Company, Inc. and Gateways Community Services.

St. Joseph Hospital Project SEARCH provides total workplace immersion for high school students with developmental disabilities who will soon be transitioning to the community.  The program facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration and on-the-job training and support in the healthcare field.

Within the last year, Project SEARCH expanded to Concord, Manchester and Keene within Concord Hospital, Catholic Medical Center and Cheshire Medical Center, respectively.  Expansions are also underway in Dover and Claremont/Lebanon.  Project SEARCH originated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and is quickly launching pilot programs across the country, in England and Australia.

The St. Joseph Hospital Project SEARCH Business Advisory Council includes members of Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic, Home Health & Hospice Care, Sodexo, Greenbriar Terrace and Fairview Nursing Home.

Project SEARCH Graduation to Occur at St. Joseph Hospital

 On Monday, June 20^th, nine students will be recognized for their successful completion and participation in St. Joseph Hospital Project SEARCH, a school-to-work program for high school students with developmental disabilities.  The graduation for Project SEARCH’s third class will be held in the Carl Amelio Room at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua at 6:00 P.M. Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau will be the guest speaker. 

 Project SEARCH is a collaborative effort between St. Joseph Hospital, LinkAbilities*, the Nashua School District (and surrounding school districts), New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation, The PLUS Company, Inc. and Gateways Community Services. 

St. Joseph Hospital Project SEARCH provides total workplace immersion for high school students with developmental disabilities who will soon be transitioning to the community.  The program facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration and on-the-job training and support in the healthcare field.  

Within the last year, Project SEARCH expanded to Concord, Manchester and Keene within Concord Hospital, Catholic Medical Center and Cheshire Medical Center, respectively.  Expansions are also underway in Dover and Claremont/Lebanon.  Project SEARCH originated at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and is quickly launching pilot programs across the country, in England and Australia. 

The St. Joseph Hospital Project SEARCH Business Advisory Council includes members of Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic, Home Health & Hospice Care, Sodexo, Greenbriar Terrace and Fairview Nursing Home.

Welcome to the new Linkabilities website!

LinkAbilities is excited about our new online presence and we hope you will find it both useful and enjoyable. Full of information, events, videos, and pictures, linkabilities.org is one of our most valuable portals for communicating with our audience.

Thanks to our homepage news feed and easy access to our Facebook and Twitter feeds, as well as RSS feed subscription, we’re here to keep you up-to-date about the work we do with our partners to help people with disabilities find their place in the workforce.

If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact us at ContactUs@LinkAbilities.org.

LinkAbilities and Opportunity Networks Receive Home Based Business Champion Award

Wednesday, May 25, LinkAbilities and Opportunity Networks will receive the Home Based Business Champion Award from the University of New Hampshire Small Business Development Center. The awards ceremony and luncheon will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nashua at 11:30 a.m.

On hand to accept the award will be Christopher Purington, Project Manager for LinkAbilities and Paula Fortier, Associate Director of Opportunity Networks in Amherst. The duo will accept the award on behalf of the Entrepreneurial Success Project (ESP) designed to improve the chances for success for start-up businesses owned by people with disabilities.

Jennifer LeDuc Cusato, LinkAbilities Director of Marketing and Community Relations, had this to say about the award, “LinkAbilities is proud to collaborate with Opportunity Networks and other partners in order to make small business initiatives a reality for individuals with disabilities. The work that LinkAbilities has been doing on this cross-disability effort will assist individuals with a wide range of abilities as the project moves forward.”

The pilot phase of the ESP project has led to start-up and feasibility studies for several new ventures for individuals with disabilities including a board sports graphic design business; a DJ and multimedia file conversion business; and a self-help education and product business.

Those interested in attending the event can register online at www.events.unh.edu/RegistrationForm.pm?event_id=8668.

LinkAbilities is a Nashua, NH-based nonprofit resource promoting public and private partnerships to address workforce challenges for employers and people with disabilities in the Greater Nashua region. Likewise, Opportunity Networks is a nonprofit providing vocational opportunities to adults with developmental and acquired disabilities throughout the Greater Nashua/Souhegan Valley.

LinkAbilities is a project of Gateways Community Services and is made possible under an agreement with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Developmental Services, with Medicaid Infrastructure Grant funds provided by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under CFDA 93.768.

LinkAbilities and Sodexo Inc. Launch STRIDE Program in Cooperation with Lowell General Hospital and The PLUS Company, Inc.

LinkAbilities, the Nashua, NH-based nonprofit resource promoting public and private partnerships to address workforce challenges for employers and people with disabilities in the Greater Nashua region, has partnered with Sodexo Inc., Lowell General Hospital and The PLUS Company, Inc. to launch STRIDE.

STRIDE, an acronym for Sodexo Training and Recruitment for Individuals with Disabilities for Employment, is an on-the-job training program for adults with disabilities. Based on the needs and workflows of Sodexo, this new 20-week program is comprised of three internships each allowing participants to learn skills necessary for competitive employment once they graduate from the program.

“Sodexo and Lowell General Hospital have been wonderful to work in getting this program off the ground and our first class of students is eager to get to work and gain the necessary skills for meaningful employment. We look forward to watching the success of the program unfold and replicating it in other regions in the future,” says Jennifer LeDuc Cusato, Marketing and Community Relations Manager for LinkAbilities.

STRIDE classes began Monday, February 7 at Lowell General Hospital with five students enrolled in the program led by Martha Fortin. Upon successful completion of the first 20-week program, STRIDE has the potential to grow and be rolled out to other Sodexo accounts across the region.

Sodexo Inc. is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, please visit sodexousa.com.
LinkAbilities is a project of Gateways Community Services and is made possible under an agreement with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Developmental Services, with Medicaid Infrastructure Grant funds provided by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under CFDA 93.768.

McKenna Nominated Vice-Chair of Business Advisory Council for Project SEARCH

The St. Joseph Hospital Project SEARCH Business Advisory Council has nominated Mark McKenna for the position of Vice-Chair of the Business Advisory Council (BAC), announced Dr. Karen Baranowski, President/CEO Home Health & Hospice Care and Chair of the BAC.

“Mark has been an integral member of the Business Advisory Council, bringing years of industry experience germane to the goals of Project Search. I look forward to working closely with Mark to move the exciting Project Search initiative forward in the coming year,” commented Dr. Karen Baranowski.

McKenna, Director of Hospitality Services for Sodexo-St. Joseph Hospital, has three decades of experience within the healthcare industry. Prior to his position with St. Joseph Hospital, he was General Manager Environmental Services for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and HealthAlliance Hospitals in Leominster. He has received numerous awards throughout his career including NSF Gold 100 Safety Audit 100% in 2003, 2006, and 2008.

McKenna holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from the University of New Haven as well as an Associate Degree of Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts.

St. Joseph Hospital Project SEARCH is the first Project SEARCH program in New England. Providing total workplace immersion for high school students with disabilities, Project SEARCH facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration and on-the-job training and support to aid in a successful transition to the adult workforce. The program was first piloted in New Hampshire by LinkAbilities* in cooperation with St. Joseph Hospital, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Nashua, the Nashua School District, NH Vocational Rehabilitation, Home, Health & Hospice Care, Gateways Community Services and The PLUS Company.

LinkAbilities is a project of Gateways Community Services and is made possible under an agreement with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Developmental Services, with Medicaid Infrastructure Grant funds provided by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under CFDA 93.768.