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The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) recently began collaborating with The Precisionists (TPI), a Wilmington, Del.-based organization focused on employment for adults with disabilities. The pilot program, which launched several months ago, uses the talents of adults with autism from TPI’s workforce to tackle critical business needs within DHSS’ Audit and Recovery Management Services (ARMS) Unit. “When properly assessed and trained, people with autism are extremely high-performing employees working in critical and challenging jobs such as administrative business functions, including scanning documents and data entry, software testing, website QA, and data analytics,” said Ernie Dianastasis, CEO of The Precisionists. “When you consider that more than 80 percent of people with autism in the country are either unemployed or underemployed, we are making a true difference in engaging a significant, untapped labor force. We are thrilled to partner on this project with the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, whose overall mission is so well aligned with this partnership. DHSS is walking the talk,” Dianastasis added. Individuals taking part in The Precisionists pilot program were identified, assessed, trained and employed. TPI is providing Records Retention Specialists to perform complex digital scanning of case files and supporting documents. These documents require accurate naming and indexing to allow for efficient retrieval and provide a critical resource for the state’s ARMS Unit in its pursuit of program integrity. The ARMS Unit is comprised of a fraud investigations unit, an accounting unit, and a collections unit. ARMS investigates allegations of benefit recipient fraud, as well as inadvertent errors in the appropriate issuance of all public assistance benefits. “We are excited to partner with The Precisionists in employing adults with autism to meet a critical document need in our Audit and Recovery Management Services Unit,” said DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker. “Working together, we are meeting that immediate need within DHSS and, at the same time, providing individuals with the opportunity to get valuable work experience in the community.” “The Precisionists have created an innovative model that focuses on the talents and strengths of people with diverse abilities,” said Gwen Griffith, Director of DHSS’ Audit and Recovery Management Services Unit. “We here at DHSS are thrilled to be part of this effort, as it aligns so well with our values. The TPI employees have taken on projects that are essential to our day-to-day business.” Those entering the program go through TPI’s comprehensive three- to four-week training program. As part of the program, the State of Delaware hopes to identify additional opportunities to expand this employment model to other parts of the state, further supporting The Precisionists’ goal of employing 10,000 people with diverse abilities in the United States by 2025.