On Tuesday May 31st, the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (Bucks IU) hosted a banquet to honor the successful completion of the first year of Project SEARCH Bucks (County), an internship program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities providing them employment experiences through a total immersion in the workplace. The County of Bucks Administrative Offices and Justice Center have been the host business location for the program with their many divisions and offices providing the students a wide variety of work experiences from technology services to clerical to building maintenance.
Dr. Mark Hoffman, Executive Director of the Bucks IU, expressed appreciation to the Bucks County Commissioners and District Attorney’s office stating, “The partnership Project SEARCH has forged between the Bucks County Offices and the Bucks IU has created an optimal educational experience for our students for which we are sincerely grateful.”
Additional supports and guidance for Project SEARCH Bucks are provided by the Bucks County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Programs and the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR).
The banquet, held at The Bucks Club in Jamison Pennsylvania, included speakers Kathleen Brown, Director of Developmental Services for OVR, and County of Bucks Commissioners Robert Harvie and Diane Marseglia. Patrick Hagan, a Project SEARCH student intern, provided an insightful reflection on his experience with the program. Student interns ended the evening with their personal thanks to their mentors from the various offices in which they had work experiences.
The 2021–2022 Project SEARCH Student Interns:
- Riley Boyle – Pennridge School District
- Sean Brightcliffe – Council Rock School District
- Malachi Fuentes – Quakertown Community School District
- Krystian Gad – Bristol Township School District
- Patrick Hagan – Quakertown Community School District
- Isaac Livingston – Bristol Township School District
- Bradley Mundt – Quakertown Community School District
- Vaughn Poulterer (not in attendance) – Bristol Township School District
- Joshua Valentin – Bristol Township School District
- Alec Yuraszeck (not in attendance) – Central Bucks School District
County of Bucks mentors and managers who were able to be in attendance:
- Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, LCSW – Bucks County Commissioner
- Elizabeth Gates – Assistant to Margaret McKevitt
- Robert J. Harvie Jr. – Bucks County Commissioner
- Debbie Hubler – District Attorney’s Office Manager
- Margaret McKevitt – Bucks County Acting Chief Operating Officer
- Randy Miller – Director of Training and Outreach for the County Commissioners Office
- Amanda Neary – District Attorney’s Assistant Office Manager
- Laura Riba – Bucks County Senior Deputy Public Defender
- Adam Santiago – Bucks County Helpdesk, Desktop Coordinator
- Stephen Seufert – Assistant to Commissioner Harvie
- Nicole Van Reymersdal – Bucks County Director of ID/A Quality Enhancement
- Matt Weintraub, Esq. – Bucks County District Attorney
Details on Project SEARCH Bucks can be found at https://www.bucksiu.org/child-student-services/transition-services-and-programs.