Project SEARCH
Lynda Schuchert has extensive experience in rehabilitation counseling and vocational support, currently serving as an Instructor at Project SEARCH since August 2019. Previously, Lynda worked for the Florida Department of Education from August 2008 to August 2019 as a Senior Rehabilitation Vocational Counselor, facilitating individuals with disabilities' transitions from high school to employment, managing a caseload of 170 clients, and coordinating community resources. Lynda's experience includes roles such as Vocational Counselor for the State of Florida, Assistant Supervisor at West Virginia Medical Institute, and Lead Residential Counselor at Community Based Services. Additionally, Lynda actively contributed to the American Cancer Society as a volunteer Team Event Chair, and holds a Master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor's degree in Human Services from Virginia Wesleyan College.
This person is not in any offices
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.