The Career Horizons Project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), improves Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) services for Mississippi residents between the ages of 16 and 70 who have a disability accompanied by or resulting from Long COVID syndrome.
Mississippi State University was one of 27 grantees across the nation chosen out of more than 200 applicants to receive the award from the Disability Innovation Fund program. This five-year grant project will run from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2029.
Project Goals
- Targeted Outreach: Identify and enroll Mississippians aged 16–70 with disabilities resulting from Long COVID since 2020.
- Statewide Collaborations: Build partnerships with agencies, employers, and advisory councils to support employment opportunities for all workers.
- Career Transition Support: Assist 280 individuals in re-entering the workforce, aiming for 168 successful employment or educational outcomes.
- Job Retention Assistance: Help 420 individuals maintain employment, targeting 357 successful retention outcomes.
- Technology Integration: to (a) ensure access to state-of-the-art workplace accommodations for project participants and (b) deliver transition and career navigation services in the modalities of participants' choice.
- Family and Community Support: Offer resources like vocational rehabilitation, healthcare, transportation, and independent living support to enhance employment outcomes.
- Workforce Training: Provide training and technical assistance to professionals and stakeholders to promote participation in all aspects of the workforce.
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Online Resources: Develop a project website and an Employment Portal for Long COVID, hosted by WVU's Job Accommodation Network (JAN).
