Life Skills Educator/Outreach Specialist 

The Opportunity

CEO is looking to hire an Outreach Specialist / Life Skills Instructor for Orientations and Outreach who will serve as the face of the organization and key representative to our justice partners throughout Buffalo New York (including corrections and community supervising departments and other criminal justice and community partners). This position will develop and deepen relationships with jails and prisons, parole officers, probation officers, community partners and sister organizations, providing them with information about our work and building their commitment to referring a strong pipeline of participants for our programs as well as support, motivate, and coach our participants by sharing their learnings and practices that improve engagement and retention with CEO.

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 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 have excellent time management skills and warm communication strategies that foster collaboration and transformation
• 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’re self-motivated and diligent as you hold yourself accountable to deadlines, even in the face of adversity
• You’re highly organized with top notch time management skills and the ability to juggle multiple priorities seamlessly or ask for support with prioritization when needed

The Nitty-Gritty

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

Outreach Duties 

• Developing and deepening relationships with probation officers and community based organizations, providing them with information about our work and building their commitment to referring a strong pipeline of participants for our programs
• Meeting with probation officers, facilitating program referrals for prospective clients, leading presentations about our service offerings, and sharing feedback with about client progress at CEO
• Making referrals for participants when needed
• Detailing reports of daily activity interactions with POs and participants, maintaining accurate and up-to-date contact information, and completion of participant profiles in Salesforce
• Serves as a liaison for employment verification between CEO and our justice partners
• Utilizing Motivational Interviewing to guide participants to programmatic engagement

Life Skills Instructor Duties

• Facilitation of initial needs assessments and assessing factors and risks for recidivism
• Developing individualized service and support plans for each participant
• Facilitating workshops and curricula designed to build social skills, strengthen problem solving approaches, and encourage participants to examine past and present decisions 

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $44,100. 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

The Center for Employment Opportunities believes that everyone deserves the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our commitment to being an anti-racist organization that is inclusive across all identities and experiences drives us forward every day. We exist to create greater opportunities for people who face multiple barriers to personal and professional success, and we’re passionate about being agents of change who promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to opportunities for all.

People who are justice involved, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ , and people with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels. CEO’s commitment to DEI aligns with the CROWN Act, creating an open space where our employees can present as their true authentic selves. We are an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

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.

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