We offer employment placement, resume writing workshops, one-on-one vocational coaching, employment classes, and job coaching. We sincerely believe that every single person who desires an opportunity for competitive wage employment should be given a chance to achieve their goals.

Transitioning from high school to the real world is hard for anyone but can seem especially daunting for students with disabilities and their families. Working within the schools and with the state, we provide instruction in self-advocacy, workplace skills, applying to jobs and colleges, and much more! Ask your teacher about Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) at your school.

Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH at the University of Tennessee Medical Center is a licensed replication of a nationally recognized program developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to provide adults with developmental disabilities with education and experiences to learn skills needed for successful employment.

Adults accepted into Project SEARCH participate in nine month internships, five days per week, at UTMC. Each day participants receive at least one hour of classroom instruction on vocational, social, and independent living skills and approximately four hours of training as an intern at a worksite within the hospital.

Now Accepting Applications for 2027

Deadline: TBA

Project SEARCH Adult Program Information Night:

Tuesday September 15th (09/15/2026) starting at 5:30pm-7:00pm (EST)

Hosted at Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville 1700 Liberty St. (Lower Entrance) 

Loading Viewer...

Print the application out at the link below!

Project SEARCH Adult Application 2027

For more information, please contact Beth Edwards at eaedwards2@utmck.edu.

Employment and Community First (ECF CHOICES)

Employment and Community First is a program that helps individuals who live at home or with others to get out in the community to build relationships, establish friendships, explore volunteering and work experiences and participate in activities of their choice.  ECF CHOICES is funded through the State of TN and as long as you have a disability, you can apply.  Through this program, a person supported can learn about getting a job in the community and job skills will be taught and assisted with follow through. This program also teaches in home life skills such as cooking, hygiene, personal safety and many more! 

Provider agencies such as Breakthrough are reimbursed for delivering support services through ECF (Employment and Community First). ECF is a state-funded program that partners with Managed Care Organizations—including BlueCare, WellPoint, and UnitedHealthcare—to serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Because wait times for approved services can be lengthy, it’s advisable to begin the referral process as early as possible to ensure access to available supports. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you get started.
Medicaid
Step 1: do you have Medicaid? If not, please contact the Department of Disability and Aging with questions or for assistance completing the self-referral form for both Employment and Community First CHOICES and applying for Medicaid. East Tennessee Regional Office: (888) 531-9876
 
Self-referral
Step 2: Complete the self-referral form at tn.gov/disability-and-aging/disability-aging-programs/ecf-choices.html          
 
Waitlist
Step 3: Funding is limited each year, so not all applicants can be enrolled or receive services immediately. After submitting your application, you will be contacted with an update on your status. Once approved, you may begin receiving services through Breakthrough or another provider.
Learn More/Apply