DENVER, Colo. — October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and a partnership between Saint Joseph Hospital and Denver Public Schools is filling a very important need in the community.

This year, six interns from Denver Public Schools are undertaking a year-long internship at Saint Joseph’s Hospital as part of Project SEARCH, a program aimed at providing real-world training and internships to students with disabilities.

Ensuring that an unlimited supply of latex gloves, masks and other medical supplies is readily available – this is a crucial task in any hospital.

Arturo Villalobos, one of the interns, is responsible for making sure these essential items are ready to go. As he goes, he runs his fingers along the edges of the shelves.

“Here’s the cabinet. I open the shelf and as you can see, it’s labeled in Braille,” Arturo Villalobos said as he restocked a supply cabinet on the hospital floor.

“I am blind and visually impaired. That’s how I was born,” Villalobos explains.

The six interns are part of Denver Public Schools’ Transition to Independence program, which provides services to support students with disabilities, ages 18 to 21, who need additional support to move to the next stage of the life.

“The environment that Saint Joseph has created has really been very nurturing and nurturing: students are able to grow with confidence and, you know, develop their soft skills in addition to the professional skills that they develop,” said the SEARCH project. instructor Mike Kenneally.

Trainees discover many roles in a hospital environment, notably by spending a few days immersed in the simulation laboratory.

However, on a daily basis, they handle everything from patient transportation to nutrition services.

Not only does the year-long internship equip these students with valuable professional skills, but it also boosts their self-confidence.

Jonathan Dumas is one of the leading specialist instructors in DPS’s Transitions program, but before that he was a teacher – and Arturo happened to be one of his former students.

He told Denver7 the change in his personality has been incredible.

“Arturo now travels independently thanks to Access-a-Ride, and he asks questions. He feels at home here. So really, just his growth, feeling comfortable and safe and being able to take the next steps to grow,” Dumas described.

The folks at Project SEARCH tell Denver7 that this results in a 72 percent employment rate for students who participate in the program.

Many stay in their position once the internship is over.

Chuck Ault, community health program manager at Saint Joseph Hospital, told Denver7 that their impact on the hospital already transcends the typical job description.

“You’re like, ‘Okay, here are six interns who are really going to benefit from this,’ and what you’re not prepared for is how much these six people have transformed the culture of this place.

The internship may only last a year, but it doesn’t stop there. Once completed, the six interns will be matched with a counselor from the Colorado Department of Vocational Rehabilitation who will be there to ensure their transition into the working world goes smoothly.