Project SEARCH
Abby Paiotti is an experienced professional currently serving as an Employment Specialist at BAWAC, Inc. since January 2019. In this role, Abby acts as an agent seeking job opportunities for interns and ensures positive work conditions while managing related reports and paperwork. Additionally, Abby has held the position of Community Rehabilitation Specialist, where responsibilities included managing billing paperwork, implementing plans with stakeholders, overseeing production jobs, and training clients with diverse needs. Since July 2022, Abby has also worked as a Skills Trainer for Project SEARCH, coordinating internship sites and evaluating intern job performance. Abby holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from Northern Kentucky University, earned in May 2018.
Project SEARCH
Project SEARCH was developed at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, a research environment that fosters visionary thinking and innovation. It all began in 1996, when Erin Riehle was Director of Cincinnati Children's Emergency Department. Erin felt that, because the hospital served individuals with developmental disabilities, it made sense that they should commit to hiring people in this group. She wondered if it would be possible to train people with developmental disabilities to fill some of the high-turnover, entry level positions in her department, which involved complex and systematic tasks such as stocking supply cabinets. As a starting point, Erin presented her ideas to Susie Rutkowski, then the special education director at Great Oaks Career Campuses. Erin and Susie formed a partnership that was instantaneous, and together they launched Project SEARCH. Since its inception, Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site at Cincinnati Children's to over 600 sites across the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Portugal, Iceland, New Zealand and Australia. Project SEARCH's primary objective is to secure competitive employment for people with disabilities.