Success Story

Lisa was devastated when the new owner of the fast food restaurant she'd worked at for 21 years told her she was "no longer part of the team." But six months later, EBI welcomed her to Project SEARCH, an internship program where individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities participate in intensive job training. After a year of rotating through and learning skills specific to three different departments at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, and participating in onsite classroom instruction, Lisa and her 11 classmates were prepared and highly motivated to seek employment.

Lisa has now been employed at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland for seven years. A reliable worker, she meticulously organizes and stocks medical supplies, flawlessly identifies expired materials, and routinely detects the not easily seen defects in the products she's responsible for. She loves her job!

Wonderful success stories, like Lisa's, are not unique to her. EBI works hard to place Project SEARCH graduates in well-matched jobs and, once an individual is hired, EBI provides on-the-job training and support, at no cost to the employer. Job placement and retention rates for EBI's Project SEARCH graduates are high. At a time when unemployment amongst individuals with developmental disabilities in California hovers between 85 and 92 percent, EBI makes it possible for Lisa and many other individuals with autism, physical, and intellectual disabilities to earn a living wage in workplaces where their skills are needed and valued.