Workforce Specialist

The Workforce Specialist (WS) supports eligible individuals living with mental health challenges as they pursue their next vocational steps, offering compassionate listening and coaching to program clients through individual and group meetings, and providing safe spaces for receiving and sharing information. With program leadership, they will develop educational opportunities for the peer community and are responsible for sharing relevant information with senior CRC staff to support program communications and reporting.

About the Cole Resource Center

Cole Resource Center (CRC) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering free custom non-clinical support to individuals living with mental health conditions and their families, friends, and allies.

Since its founding in 1993, CRC has provided knowledgeable and compassionate guidance for those facing mental health challenges. CRC staff offer clients the uniquely effective voices of those with both expertise and lived experience. They know that recovery from mental illness is achievable and that education, community, and open conversation are powerful in promoting resilience.

CRC’s Workforce Program offers tailored job-hunting and career support to individuals living with mental health conditions, addressing challenges such as re-entry to the workforce, career changes, or managing mental health at work. Services are delivered by peers who bring both professional coaching skills and lived experience.

Position Responsibilities

• Engage in the Cole Resource Center Workforce Program training and onboarding to ensure standardized delivery of services to clients.
• Meet with clients to frame goals, offer feedback and guidance, and be an ongoing resource during their job search, career, or education coaching.
• Provide Peer Consult services as needed to address acute/one-time challenges faced by participants in their job search or workplace.
• Perform regular follow-up with participants to support and promote engagement.
• Document program participant interactions, maintain client records and collaborate with Workforce Team colleagues utilizing CRC’s secure database.
• Develop, coordinate and lead sessions of CRC’s signature Monday Workshops, plus other informational and upskilling opportunities for clients.
• Create resources for program development, innovation and communications for the CRC Workforce community use.
• Gain deep familiarity with, and contribute to, our internal resource database to make appropriate and timely referrals.
• Use survey tools and work with CRC leadership to track program metrics.
• Handle participant communication with compassion and total confidentiality; provide informed, empathetic and supportive guidance with confidence and discretion.
• Serve as a model of the highest level of professional behavior in both written and verbal interactions with clients.

Required Qualifications:

• Agreement with CRC’s mission and values; sharing of its commitment to support and advocate for those living with mental health conditions.
• Self-identification as a member of the mental health recovery community.
• Minimum two years professional experience in advising, counseling or coaching.
• Computer literacy with proficiency in Google Workspace, database use, and conferencing softwares (Zoom, GoToWebinar, etc).
• Excellent & compassionate interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Well-organized and flexible, with strong time-management skills, ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a team, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Confident public speaking, facilitation, presentation or teaching experience required.
• Familiarity with available resources including training programs for peers living with mental health conditions.
• Capacity to maintain strict confidentiality and manage difficult conversations, including but not limited to redirecting or releasing participants from programs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Peer Specialist or other vocational services credential.
• Professional experience or training in a field adjacent to and supportive of the work of CRC such as human resources, recruiting, healthcare, counseling, education, training, or disability services or professional experience in the administration/coordination of a non-profit organization.
• Familiarity with Massachusetts/Boston-area funding resources.
• A network of connections in aligned nonprofits.
• Commitment to increasing knowledge through partnerships and resource sharing.

Compensation and position details:

This is a part-time independent contractor position, 20 hours/week (on set days to be agreed upon). Starts at $25/hour, increases to $30/hour after a 6-8 week training period.

Work is primarily virtual, with occasional in-person meetings in the Greater Boston area. Cole Resource Center does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in consideration of employment or access to its programs or activities.

How to Apply:

Send an email with a cover letter and resume attached as .pdf or .doc, with the subject line “CRC Workforce Specialist” to View email address on click.appcast.io. The position will remain posted until filled.

View and download the complete job description as a .pdf.

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