Outreach Specialist/Life Skills Educator

Outreach Specialist/Life Skills Educator

Philadelphia, PA

In-Person Monday - Friday

Anticipated deadline to submit application: March 19th, 2024 before 3:00 pm EST. Position may close early if application limit is met. Apply promptly for full consideration.

The Opportunity 

CEO is looking to hire an Outreach Specialist/Life Skills Educator in our local office who will serve as the face of the organization within local parole and probation offices, developing and deepening relationships with parole officers, providing them with information about our work, and building their commitment to referring a strong pipeline of participants for our programs.  In the day-to-day, the Outreach Specialist/Life Skills Educator meets with parole officers, recruits program participants, and leads presentations about our program and offerings.  

As part of our mission, we strongly encourage individuals who have lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system to apply for this role.

Who We Are

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people recently released from incarceration. Across the United States, 8,000-9,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 30,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996.

Who You Are   

• You’re deeply dedicated to social justice and perhaps are already working in the re-entry field
• You come to CEO with at least 2 years of experience teaching or leading group presentations
• You have lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system
• You know the value of creating a relationship first and how that goes a long way when motivating people to be the best version of themselves
• You are well versed in Salesforce Exponents and work well with different databases such as Excel, Microsoft Word, and G-Suites
• You are able to coordinate robust scheduling through calendar organization and having an eye for detail and completing crew configuration for maximum crew fielding
• You take accountability and accepts ownership for outcomes and consequences of one’s behavior
• You are dedicated to achieving personal, team and organizational goals through time management, data analysis, focused communications and teamwork, and continuous learning
• You have excellent time management skills and warm communication strategies that foster collaboration and transformation
• You are tech savvy and able to troubleshoot issues through what is reflected and analyzed through data 
• You’re comfortable with providing the feedback and support necessary to facilitate the development of participant knowledge and skills
• You take other perspectives into account when analyzing problems and thrive working within a team
• You’re able to work effectively under pressure, managing emotional highs and lows, while maintaining focus on objectives despite setbacks or opposition
• You are able to build rapport and cooperation with persons inside and outside of CEO through interpersonal understanding. Maintains a network of contacts that can provide information and assistance
• You demonstrate respect, fairness, patience and efficiency to participants, employees and others to problem-solve and satisfy their needs with the resources available
• You’re self-motivated and diligent as you hold yourself accountable to deadlines, even in the face of adversity
• You accurately copy and return participant documentation
• You maintain 100% accuracy in entering client information in Salesforce
• You’re very comfortable learning new technologies that an organization adopts/implements

What You'll Be Responsible For

Key responsibilities of the Outreach Specialist/Life Skills Educator include but are not limited to:

Outreach and Recruitment

• Conduct outreach & engagement activities by visiting Probation, Parole and other Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
• Develop and maintaining relationships with Probation/Parole officers (POs), CBOs and key stakeholders; attend Community Partnership Meetings
• Present CEO’s programs and services to interested potential enrollees and community partners; distribute marketing materials; responds to email and phone inquiries
• Assist our vocational team with obtaining proof of self-obtained employment; lead follow-up efforts with POs as well as keep POs in the loop regarding individual participants

Life Skills Education 

• Presenting well-prepared, organized, and clear content that follows CEO’s course syllabus to participants enthusiastically and with deep care
• Guiding and coaching participants in key preparatory activities tied to employment, including writing professional resumes, networking, and mock interviewing 
• Helping participants become job-start ready by promoting their development and effective utilization of communication and self-presentation skills 
• Engaging participants in ongoing discussions about their employment goals
• Offering support, encouragement. and constructive feedback to all participants
• Keeping abreast of current practices and events that could impact participants; making suggestions about new material to incorporate into the curriculum 
• Ensuring that participants’ experiences are strong and adhere to best practices 
• Keeping Parole Officers in the loop regarding individual participant progress
• Collaborating with other internal departments and the local funders to gather information and promote special projects

Administrative 

• Inputting participants into our case management system (Salesforce)
• Monitoring and recording class attendance
• Consistently and accurately documenting all participant contact and progress in our case management system
• Escorting participants to nearby agencies to apply for documents when needed 
• Performing other tasks and responsibilities that will be assigned from time to time

Compensation and Benefits 

The salary range for this position is $46,288. In an effort to be both equitable and transparent, CEO's compensation philosophy considers a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, experience, internal equity, and home office location in making a final determination on our salary offer.

We recognize that salary is a part of the overall compensation package and also provide a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental coverage, as well as professional development opportunities and training, including regular training opportunities in Motivational Interviewing (MI). MI is one evidence-based skill that reentry and human service professionals can utilize when supporting participants to achieve their goals.

We also offer paid parental leave, participation in a retirement plan, sick and vacation leave, paid holidays and more. We are a workplace that promotes continual learning and teamwork, offering lunch and learns, team outings, holiday gatherings and more for our staff.

More About Us 

Center for Employment Opportunities believes that everyone deserves the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their communities. People who are justice involved are highly encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels. CEO is committed to the CROWN Act, and creating an open space where our employees can present as their true authentic selves.

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, caregiver status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact.

Please note that due to the volume of resumes received, we are unable to contact each applicant regarding the status of each position or reply to candidates' inquiries via phone or email.

IND 1

Salary : $46,288