The Choice Group

  Rita Dee, a counselor on our Hampton Roads team, has seen first-hand how our Project SEARCH program sets our clients up for success. Sean Thomas-Rowe completed the program five years ago and, since Rita came on board as his counselor, she has seen how well Sean has done in his professional role.  In 2017, Sean accepted a position working with a non-profit that helps families build and improve potential places they can call home. He is in charge of updating the website and handling graphic design requests from his management team. Rita credits Sean’s positive impact at work to his interest in computers, his ability to master programs like Photoshop, and his background in website coding. Seans’ evaluations are always outstanding. His graphic designs have been used on multiple flyers, T-Shirts, and on the website. He has an extreme level of dedication, often double-checking work orders as a part of his routine and honing his graphic design skills in his spare time.   ...

Rachel Brand began working with Austin Cicero one year ago, although, Austin has been with his current employer since April of 2013. Austin completed three internships through Project SEARCH Williamsburg that allowed him to explore his interests and ultimately lead him to his current position. Austin is organized, friendly and an all-around team player which are perfect skills for his position as an equipment assistant for William and Mary Athletics. Austin works hard to remember all of the staff and players by name and always brings a cheerful smile with him to work.  When Austin became full-time he had to learn many additional duties which Rachel was able to assist him in learning. Austin quickly learned all of his new duties and excelled in them. Being such a positive influence he was invited to be a guest speaker at the Project SEARCH graduation in 2017. This was a huge achievement and honor for him! Austin is a testament to the program’s success as he has been happily empl...

Rachel McGregor began working with Samantha Hasty in the summer of 2017 where she found work at a local navy base. Samantha started working with her current employer in the summer of last year. Samantha’s job tasks include w iping down tables, working in the dish room, interacting with guests, putting away clean dishes away, and maintain the dining area on the naval base. Samantha has made some major achievements working in her position including receiving a customer service award from her employer as well as gaining  independence and confidence.  Samantha has such a outgoing and friendly personality. Working in an atmosphere like the naval base allows her to communicate with many different people in a day. She is able to socialize and enjoy herself while working hard.  Samantha began participating in Project SEARCH where she completed 3 internships in 3 different areas and discovered that she had a passion f...

Vocational Counselor Rachel McGregor began working with Chanell Teasley in the Summer of 2017. Beginning in September of 2018, Rachel helped her find work at a local elementary school. " Chanell has always had an interest in food services as well as in childcare. We decided to look at a position within the schools where she could blend both interests” McGregor said.  Chanell is very friendly and loves people. She uses her fun personality to interact with the students and also has great attention to detail and is able to learn tasks quickly. Chanell has grown with her independence and confidence as she has been working at the school. Her tasks include but are not limited to prepping the food, serving the students, cleaning the kitchen and washing the dishes as needed. Before finding the job at the local elementary school, Chanell worked on improving her stamina while participating in Project SEARCH. She was able to build up to be able to work for several hours on...

Saturday, September 23rd! Join The Byrd Theatre and the Autism Society for the Sensory-Friendly Screening of Cars 3!

It's graduation season! We are so proud of this year's  Project SEARCH  graduates all across  Virginia ! Graduation Schedule: Project SEARCH Chesapeake : June 2nd, 11:30am to 1pm, Lifestyle Center at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center Project SEARCH Hampton : June 6th 12pm to 2pm, Sentara Careplex Conference Rooms B and C Project SEARCH Norfolk : June 6th 6:3pm to 7:30pm, Sentara Norfolk General Brickhouse Auditorium Project SEARCH Williamsburg : June 15th 2pm to 4pm, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, Robert L. Graves Conference Room

Crystal and Steven MacArthur are the typical brother and sister: they enjoy watching football with their mom, attending their church, and spending time with their family, dog, and friends.  Despite some sibling eye-rolling, they look out for each other.  They also enjoy working.  When looking for part-time positions, they wanted an employer where they could stay long-term.  Crystal became a dishwasher for a staffing company at a Virginia university.  She initially worked in the Annex, a smaller cafeteria off campus.  She hand-washed dishes and eventually learned to use the automatic machine.  Because Crystal has a visual impairment, Crystal’s co-workers always looked out for her, letting her know when the floor was wet or if there were crates that might get in her way.  She became part of the team, discussing sports games and weekend plans while keeping up with the breakfast and lunch rush....

Katrina Blow has been working as a Hostess at Applebee’s in Franklin, Virginia for almost two years now.  When first starting the job, she learned that hostessing required a fair amount of organizational skills like learning the layout of the tables and keeping track of the seating chart rotations.  That’s where Nancy came in, the Lead Vocational Counselor from The Choice Group in Hampton Roads. Together, they made small index card maps for each of the table rotations, especially important during the shift change of the servers.  After only a short time using the new system, Katrina had memorized the information and no longer need to use the cards. After a year and a half of employment, Katrina’s General Manager asked her to train a new employee. She was excited about the opportunity. It motivated her to work diligently and pay specific attention to detail.  Katrina now trains the majority of new hosts and hostesses hired at Applebee’s. Her managers say she is ...

Tranisha Mitchell started working as an Operating Room Attendant at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in August 2016.  She works in the Surgical Prep and recovery unit, in a unique position that was created exclusively for her due to her outstanding work as an intern through Project SEARCH. When she initially began Project SEARCH she had moved several times.  With every move came the difficulty of figuring out how to navigate a new local bus route.  Tranisha, an independent go-getter, wasn’t going to let navigating a bus schedule get in her way.  She adapted quickly to her new surroundings and figured out how to effectively take public transportation to the hospital. Tranisha is a top notch employee at the Hospital because she is compassionate and great with people.  She grew up helping her family members with their medical needs, so a transition to serving her community working at the Hospital felt natural.  Tranisha is not only compassionate and gr...

Next Round of the National Beneficiary Survey Begins in February 2017 ( http://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/nbs.html ) The Social Security Administration will launch the next round of the National Beneficiary Survey (NBS) in February 2017. The NBS is an important survey sponsored by the Social Security Administration to collect information about beneficiaries and recipients with disabilities. We need your help! If a beneficiary asks you about the NBS, please encourage them to participate in this very important survey. The NBS collects information on the programs and services used by beneficiaries and recipients with disabilities, their health, and any employment goals they may have. SSA will use this information to gain a better understanding of the characteristics of beneficiaries that are not available from our administrative records. We use the information to assess how well our programs are meeting the needs of disability beneficiaries and developing policy. The ...

Congratulations to the City of Roanoke, on their ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of their brand new Department of the Blind and Vision Impaired offices.  Our Roanoke team looks forward to working closely with you in the future!

There is no doubt about it, the team we have at The Choice Group works hard all year round!  With over 100 counselors and supporting staff throughout Virginia, you couldn't find a more dedicated crew to finding and retaining employment for people with disabilities.  That being said, we like to recognize those who continually give their best throughout the year! Richmond Region DaVonne Garner wins Rookie of the Year! Angela Volkening (left) wins Employee of the Year for Richmond Region and Amy Wells (right) wins the Stretch Award! Hampton Roads Region In order from left to right: Amorita Clark wins the Advocate Award, Katherine Edwards is recognized with the Helping Hands Award, Ericka Neville (Manager), Rachel McGregor wins Employee of the Year for Hampton Roads, Robin Metcalf (President). Central West/Charlottesville Region In no particular order: Buddy Blatz, Carolyn Nicholson, Cherelle Grady, Heather Gilman, Kate Gaiepy, Michelle Gagnon, Romanaya...

The Choice Group is now hiring for two positions! Join our hardworking and dedicated team in a rewarding job that assists people with disabilities in finding meaningful work throughout Virginia. Workplace Assistants  Would you be interested in helping someone be successful at their job? Do you know someone who is good with people and would like to provide some extra support to someone with a disability who is working? There is a new Medicaid Waiver service called “Workplace Assistance” that does just that. Workplace Assistance is for individuals with a disability who are working, who need more than typical job coaching services to maintain their job.  Services would include providing supports related to non-work skills needed for the individual to maintain their employment, supports to make and strengthen community connections, and/or safety supports to ensure the individual is healthy and safe at work.  The Workplace Assistant will be working directly with the Voca...

While not quite in time to enjoy all the Hollywood Holiday film releases, this new rule will take effect January 17th of next year, still a terrific time to catch those Oscar buzz movies! Movie Theaters Target of New ADA Mandate By: Shaun Heasley  Dec 5, 2016 The Obama administration is implementing a new regulation that will require the nation’s movie theaters to do more to accommodate people with disabilities. Under a final rule published in the Federal Register this month, theaters will be required to provide closed captioning and audio description for any digital movie that is distributed with such accessibility features. Though the Americans with Disabilities Act has long mandated auxiliary aids and similar accommodations at public facilities, the U.S. Department of Justice said it moved to clarify the obligations of movie theaters in response to widespread complaints from the disability community about the lack of captioning and audio description at cinemas ac...

We've all experienced holiday stress or depression at some point.  Here is a practical guide on how to manage it.  Simply making time for yourself can make a huge difference.  Happy Holidays, truly! Stress, depression and the holidays:  Tips for coping Stress and depression can ruin your holidays and hurt your health. Being realistic, planning ahead and seeking support can help ward off stress and depression. By Mayo Clinic Staff The holiday season often brings unwelcome guests — stress and depression. And it's no wonder. The holidays present a dizzying array of demands — parties, shopping, baking, cleaning and entertaining, to name just a few. But with some practical tips, you can minimize the stress that accompanies the holidays. You may even end up enjoying the holidays more than you thought you would. Tips to prevent holiday stress and depression When stress is at its peak, it's hard to stop and regroup. Try to prevent stress and de...

The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) assesses the disability-related limitations of Virginia residents with disabilities who apply for services and assigns them to one of several categories according to the severity of their limitations.  To maintain a balance between the number of applicants for services and the number of open cases they can serve effectively, DARS closes categories and establishes waiting lists as needed.  This process is called Order of Selection.  Currently, applicants in all categories are being placed on waiting lists.  This has happened before.  As they are able, DARS Counselors offer services to applicants to reduce and eliminate the waiting lists.  Individuals currently seeking services are encouraged to apply and will be served as soon as possible.  It is important to note that DARS continues to serve thousands of open cases across the Commonwealth. The Ticket to Work program may offer an...

Rachel McGregor from The Choice Group and Rita Dee with Norfolk Project SEARCH attended the Tidewater Autism Summit in Virginia Beach last Saturday!  Their goal was to provide information on The Choice Group's supported employment  and vocational counseling services to families, individuals and other professionals in the field!

When meeting with Heather about telling his story, Nathan insisted his manager, Tracey, be in the photo with him! Nathan is a very personable and hardworking individual.  He has been working at Arby’s in Fredericksburg since March of this year, and his Choice Group Counselor, Heather, along with all of his coworkers agree that his smile and laugh are infectious.   As a Utilities Maintenance Worker, Nathan’s tasks include keeping the dining room and kitchen areas tidy.  When he first started training, Heather was there to show him how tasks were to be completed— his previous experience with cleaning and maintenance certainly helped!  This method of training, as opposed to verbal direction, helped Nathan to learn and be successful in his position.  Together, they created a checklist for him to follow when cleaning the dining area.  This always helps him to thoroughly and efficiently complete the task, something that is very important to Nathan. ...

Willow Lawn will host its Third Annual Craft Beer event on November 4th from 6-9pm: Craft Beer Harvest benefitting The Special Olympics. The event will take place in the Square at Willow Lawn and the parking lot adjacent to the stage. This event will feature 14 craft beers, food samples, live music from Richmond’s own The Jangling Reinharts, contests, kids’ games & crafts, fun giveaways, prizes and more.  Beer will be available for $6/each. Craft Beer Harvest Beer Glasses will be available for purchase for $15 and includes one drink ticket. Proceeds will benefit Special Olympics Virginia. Additional event features include a Stein Holding Contest at 8pm, a $1000 shopping spree prize drawing as well as a Kids Zone with games and crafts.  Beer List: 1. Palm King Southern Tier - Pumpking  2. Legend - Winter White  3. Ardent - Honey Ginger  4. Starr Hill - Last Leaf  5. Strangeways - Albino Monkey  6. O'Connor - El Guapo Agav...

When the nation was celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2010, Obama made a pledge to increase the amount of people with disabilities employed by the Federal Government.  They've exceeded their goal and employees with disabilities currently make up 14.41 percent of the Federal workforce! Advocacy and implementation of inclusive hiring are among The Choice Group's highest goals, and we love to share good news when we hear it!  We've come a long way since the signing of the American's with Disabilities Act and we've come a long way since 2010!  There is still more work to do, however, but we are happy that the issue of inclusion is now on the forefront of the major issues that face the nation today, and we will continue to advocate for this cause! Feds Exceed Disability Hiring Goal Published October 28, 2016 By Michelle Diament Six years ago, President Barack Obama set an ambitious goal to ramp up hiring of people with...