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The Career Horizons Center

Career Horizons Center

About

The Career Horizons Project (CHP), a five-year grant funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, will strive to serve a total of 700 Mississippi residents between the ages of 16 and 70 who have disabilities accompanied by or resulting from Long Covid Syndrome by providing placement and retention services for competitive integrated employment (CIE). 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. CHP is implemented in partnership with Mississippi State University (MSU), the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS), the University of Wisconsin, and the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) at West Virginia University. This five-year grant project will run from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2029.   

Project Objectives

People working together
Project team collaborating
  • 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 inclusive employment opportunities. 
  • 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: Use advanced tools to provide workplace accommodations and career navigation services tailored to participants' needs. 
  • 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. 
  • Online Resources: Develop a project website and an Employment Portal for Long COVID, hosted by WVU's Job Accommodation Network (JAN). 

Expected Outcomes

A family with one member who has a disability
Participant with her family after receiving CHP services
  • 5,000 individuals receiving employment-related services. 
  • 700 participants engaged in direct interventions with 75% CIE placement or retention.  
  • 1,300 professionals trained in effective intervention for individuals with disabilities 
  • 800 workplace accommodations implemented for Long COVID and other disabilities.  

Learn More

To learn more about the Career Horizons Center, contact the Principal Investigator, Dr. Zaccheus J. Ahonle, or click the link below to read an article published about the project.

MSU garners $9.9 million grant to advance workforce reintegration for Mississippians with disabilities

Contact Us

Dr. Zaccheus J. Ahonle
Principal Investigator
Phone: (662) 325-3426

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