Collaboration with the Commonwealth Technical Institute at the Hiram G. Andrews Center

Commonwealth Technical Institute at the Hiram G. Andrews Center

The mission of the Commonwealth Technical Institute at the Hiram G. Andrews Center is to offer quality individualized post-secondary education, pre-employment transition and support services to customers as they determine and pursue individualized goals of employment and independence.

Learn more about HGAC here: www.dli.pa.gov/CTI-HGAC

In 2005, our Counseling program through Pitt’s Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology entered into an Interagency Agreement (IAA) with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and the CTI at HGAC. Through this collaboration, we develop and implement programs of cognitive rehabilitation, assistive technology, and rehabilitation psychology. Clinical services, consultation, technical assistance, and training are provided through the Center for Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology (CART), the Cognitive Skills Enhancement Program (CSEP), Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) programs, and rehabilitation psychology services.

Cognitive Skills Enhancement Program (CSEP)

The overarching goal of the Cognitive Skills Enhancement Program (CSEP) is to improve employment outcomes for transition-aged individuals with cognitive disabilities by increasing awareness of strengths, limitations, and impact of disability and through development of social-emotional and executive functioning skills. CSEP serves the state’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) customers with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disorders, and other cognitive disabilities from across the Commonwealth across three tiers of service:

Tier I provides intensive individual and group interventions (8 hours per day) over a 15-week period.
Tier II services provide intensive follow-up services to former Tier I participants who are in training programs at HGAC.
Tier III services include individual assessment and intervention, supports, and advocacy regarding accommodations and program modifications, and are provided to the HGAC population.

Click here for more information about CSEP.

Click here for more information about the Mentorship Program.

Click here for the slides from a recent 2022 Pennsylvania Transition Conference CSEP presentation.

Click here for a 2023 publication in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation: A vocational rehabilitation partnership to provide transition services to young adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities: The Cognitive Skills Enhancement Program.

SHRS Snapshots: Hands-on Counseling video: Pitt SHRS Counseling students get unique hands-on experiences to help them become confident clinicians when they graduate. Here's how.

CSEP is affiliated with the Regulation of Emotion in Autistic Adults, Children, and Teens (REAACT) program. The REAACT program aims to conduct research that will ultimately improve mental health and wellbeing for autistic people across the lifespan. Click here to learn more.

Center for Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology (CART)

The Center for Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology (CART) supports the assistive technology needs of both HGAC and more largely, Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) customers across the state.

Click here for more information about CART.

Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)

The Pre-ETS programs are designed to provide pre-employment transition services to younger individuals (14-21 years) with disabilities. Pre-ETS programs include the Career Readiness, Employment, and Transitional Evaluation (CREATE) program and summer academies.

The Career Readiness, Employment, and Transitional Evaluation (CREATE) program is a monthly session designed to provide basic career exploration activities to youths in transition.

The summer academies include:

Access Planning and Strategies (APS) Academy: Provides students with a foundation of knowledge and experience related to the crucial skills and strategies needed as they transition from high school to post-secondary education or work through hands-on learning of technologies to assist with post-graduation life.
Working on Readiness and Careers (WORC) Academy: Designed to provide students with opportunities to grow in the domains of leadership and work readiness through individual and vocational exploration.