The Choice Group

The Choice Group works collaboratively with DARS, local school districts, and area hospitals to provide students ages 18-22 with a unique post-secondary job-training experience. The end-goal of the program is quite simple… competitive employment in the community. Although the program was virtual at the start of COVID, Ericka Neville, manager of Hampton Roads, was able to re-open this past Spring while observing all COVID-19 guidelines.  Over the course of a typical school year, each participant is afforded the opportunity to complete three ten-week internships in a variety of settings across the hospital. By gaining these real-world work experiences and transferable skills, the interns are equipped with the tools necessary to be successful and valuable employees in a competitive job market. The goal for each high school student participant is competitive employment. To reach that goal, the program provides real-life work experience combined with training in employability and indepe...

We have dedicated over 20 years to helping our clients find meaningful employment as part of a full and enriching lifestyle. It has been a pleasure to serve thousands of clients in our time as counselors and it is an honor to share in their achievements. As we start to experience a new phase of the Coronavirus pandemic, the counselors of The Choice Group in Northern Virginia continue to show up for their community.  Enthusiastic about The Choice Group's mission of making a commitment to excellence in meeting our client's needs--Shadi Zadeh has been known to go above and beyond for her clients. Pre-COVID it was common for her to meet multiple times in-person to help prepare for job interviews. Zadeh has since made the pivot to mostly virtual and has found strategic ways to help her clients find jobs, walk them through submitting applications and doing mock interviews to prepare for the big day. In her role as a counselor she makes sure to train her clients on using technology as...

During the Coronavirus Crisis, The Choice Group continues to offer support to diverse clients in Northern Virginia. After receiving a referral for a woman in her 70’s with no work experience and limited English- speaking skills, a Choice Group manager conducted a virtual meeting in Farsi. Not only was the initial meeting conducted in Farsi, the manager also translated the paperwork into Farsi in order to better serve the client. After explaining the assessment and job development process to the client and her family, the client’s daughter wrote, ““Thank you so much for your kind attention and follow-ups. We are so blessed to have such caring with a golden heart as our counselor. My mother is so happy to find someone who speaks her language and gives her the hope she needs to continue her life. I could see the light of hope in her eyes.” 

Keith and his Vocational Counselor began working together in early 2015. Keith has been employed with his current employer, a KFC/Taco Bell, going on four years now.  In the beginning, his Vocational Counselor contacted employers in the area to see who was hiring. Keith was interested in both customer service and food service. Both he and his Vocational Counselor completed several applications which resulted in a job offer for a Lobby Attendant/Dishwasher position at Golden Skillet, but things didn't work out. After about a month and a half, the restaurant had to close due to poor business. At that time, Keith went back into job development, where together he and his Vocational Counselor were able to secure a new position as a Lobby Attendant at a local KFC/Taco Bell. Keith was later offered an additional responsibility of unloading the trucks. From there, Keith eventually tried fry cooking, where he continues to work full-time today. Initially, Keith was hesitant to accep...

Veronda Rooks-Price is a Supervisor at a call center in Hampton, where she has been employed for a little over 2 years. Nancy, her Vocational Counselor, began working with Veronda in 2014, when they initially found a position that did not work out, before finding her current job.     DARS helped her get back into job development again, after losing her initial job. With the help of DARS, and Nancy, Veronda landed her current position where she has been successfully employed for over 2 years.  In the beginning, Veronda was interested in Human Resources and Management positions at a call center. Veronda completed her own applications and went on interviews independently, and Nancy assisted her with finding job leads and following up on them to secure interviews. Veronda currently makes a good supervisor because she is friendly and caring. She is a team builder and transformational leader and brings great energy to her team. Before finding her current success, Veronda wa...

Robert and Tyzeek, friends and coworkers!  Rachel McGregor  began working with Tyzeek Gadson beginning in the summer of 2015 and Robert Sanchez the summer of 2011. Tyzeek has currently been employed loading navy ships with supplies going on 2 years and Robert for 5 years. Both clients began their employment search with an interest in materials management and completed internships in materials management while in Project SEARCH. Both Tyzeek and Robert excel in different aspects of their jobs because their strengths differ. Tyzeek is very strong physically and is able to lift a lot of heavy material, whereas Robert has good attention to detail and his visual and auditory skills help him to understand the process of loading the ships efficiently. Although, both young men work together to get the job done and support each other every step of the way.  Both Tyzeek and Robert overcame obstacles during their time at Project SEARCH that helped them find the...

What a great concept! While we don't have any mock stores in Virginia, The Choice Group offers on-site training to get our clients comfortable with any of their job requirements!  Just check out our amazing success story with Nick Barker !  He though he could never work the register, and now he trains others how to do it! For Transition-Age Students, Mock Store Offers Job Training By: Sandra Stokley on DisabilityScoop.com RIVERSIDE, Calif. – For 20-year-old Jasmin Vega, folding shirts and stacking them on a shelf appeals to her innate sense of order. “I get them and they are all in a jumble,” Vega said. “I enjoy making them neat.” Vega is one of the special education students learning real-world retail skills in a mock CVS store at the Riverside Unified School District’s Adult School campus. The store – the only mock CVS on the West Coast – is a replica of a neighborhood CVS, complete with a front counter and cash register; magazine rack; shopping carts; shelves ...

We strive on a daily basis to find jobs that are a perfect fit for our clients.  We search for jobs requiring skills that play to their strengths.  Many of our client’s talents and abilities are overlooked in the midst of their disability.  Often times people with disabilities don’t get hired because they don’t interview well despite their qualifications for the job which can range from organization and repetitive tasks to calculation to working with animals.   This article by Josh Teigen is about one particular job niche, a tech start-up, that plays to the strengths of individuals on the autism spectrum.  It reinforces The Choice Group’s beliefs that finding the right job can help individuals reach their full potential and help them lead more fulfilled lives through employment.   Why Every Tech Startup Could Use Someone With Autism The startup tech world is booming. A steady stream of technological developments that make our...