CentralReach Initiative Focuses on Hiring Adults with Autism

ReachOut program aims to expand workplace diversity; boost employee confidence  

 

Fort Lauderdale, FL – February 16, 2022 – James Sobrinho was shy and not very outspoken when he started working at CentralReach, a healthcare technology company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, recalls his supervisor, Katy Han.

 

“James barely spoke when he first started working here almost five years ago. He just didn’t feel confident doing so,” said Han, the director of data transformation at CentralReach. “Now he’s very confident.”

 

Sobrinho was hired through CentralReach’s ReachOut program, an initiative that hires neurodiverse adults with autism spectrum disorder and other intellectual disabilities. Han manages the program.

 

“CentralReach has been really good in helping me fit in here and become more confident in my job,” said Sobrinho, a data entry specialist at CentralReach.

 

“It’s a great company and I love working here,” added Sobrinho, 24, who lives in Deerfield Beach, Florida. “And the thing I love most about working here is interacting with my co-workers.”

 

Sobrinho’s excitement is echoed by other CentralReach employees hired through the ReachOut program.

 

“The confidence that James and our other neurodiverse employees have gained in the workplace came about, in part, by giving them the same opportunity as other employees and ensuring they’re woven into the overall fabric of our organization,” said CentralReach CEO Chris Sullens. “Neurodiverse individuals represent a sizable population of untapped talent that may be a great fit for an organization. That’s one of the reasons why we created our ReachOut program.”

 

Sullens notes how the ReachOut program can be a blueprint to assist other employers with their recruitment efforts in the neurodiverse community, which has an unemployment rate of nearly 85 percent.

 

He also points out how leveraging technology and tools designed specifically to support this population, like assistive technology, can enable an employer to provide the necessary guidance, input, reinforcement and specificity in a scalable way to help neurodiverse individuals do their jobs successfully.

 

“Employers should approach diversity hiring like they would any other type of hiring: as an organizational investment,'' said Sullens. “There’s a wealth of talent that’s just waiting to be discovered. And tapping into that talent can be tremendously beneficial for employers as inclusive businesses grow profits up to three times faster than their competitors.”

 

But Sobrinho’s take on CentralReach’s diversity hiring initiative is a bit more succinct.

 

“I just appreciate the great opportunity I got through the ReachOut program.”

 

For more information about CentralReach, visit https://centralreach.com/.