Supportive Service Specialist

Supportive Service Specialist
Louisville, KY
Full-Time In Person

Anticipated deadline to submit application: June 20, 2025  before 12:00pm EST. Position may close early if application limit is met. Apply promptly for full consideration.

The Opportunity

The Supportive Service Specialist will assist program participants in navigating barriers around benefits access, mental health, education, housing, and legal issues. The Supportive Service Specialist will work closely with the program participants to support resolving barriers in their reentry journey, including mental and emotional well-being, health, transportation, nutrition, legal and other needs. They will support participants that may be struggling to succeed in the CEO program through proactive engagement and community involvement. The ideal candidate if you have lived experience and/or are deeply committed to connecting individuals with the support and resources needed to become self-sufficient and successful. 

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 have 2+ years of experience of related experience in case management or crisis intervention


• You have a Peer Support Certification (Preferred)


• You come with experience in recovery support and interventions


• You know the ins-and-outs of different programs, government agencies, and organizations that can help ease a person’s transition back from incarceration


• You must have experience in living with and managing a mental illness and/or substance use issue, and in sustained recovery. 


• You are committed to and passionate about working with justice-involved individuals and have experience identifying and assessing client needs, determining potential resources or supports, and connecting clients to these


• You have knowledge of de-escalation best practices and techniques


• You are comfortable with independently traveling to local community and other service providers


• You are eager to experiment with new approaches or ideas, you are a curious and creative person who is open to trying new things (and bouncing back if they don’t go as planned!)


• You see the importance of building supportive peer relationships among justice-involved people; experience with community engagement, facilitating groups and trainings as well as other programming to help build and support those relationships and networks people-person and love to motivate and inspire others to achieve their goals, helping individuals identify, capitalize upon, and apply their strengths


• You have the ability to communicate effectively and develop trusting relationships with individuals of varying backgrounds and experiences


• You are passionate about working in a national organization, collaborating across city and state lines, and open to working with individuals outside of your “home base” city


• You are committed to CEO’s mission and are interested in working in a fast paced, growing, results oriented nonprofit environment

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Key responsibilities of the Supportive Service Specialist include but are not limited to: 

Supportive Services: 

• Provide supportive services for participants who are dealing with a variety of barriers such as food insecurity, housing insecurity, mental well-being, transportation, healthcare, financial, and legal issues


• Working with participants who identify as being in recovery from an opioid usage disorder (OUD)


• Meet with participants regularly to support their progress; meetings may take place in the office or in the community at their places of employment, homes, or elsewhere;


• Accompany program participants to necessary appointments with service providers


• Engage with participants’ support networks to facilitate success in our program and in achieving their personal goals


• Communicate consistently and professionally with referral partners to track progress, overcome obstacles, and ensure participant satisfaction with the services they receive


• Attend local events and meetings in the reentry community within the area, building relationships with organizations offering participant supports


• Coordinate with the local site’s mental health provider to have a positive impact on behavioral and mental health of participants


• Connect program participants to health and social service providers in your community


• Organization and facilitate group sessions on a variety of topics and recruit individuals to attend those groups (both in person and virtually over Zoom or other web-based platforms)


• Provide personalized coaching sessions and tailored strategies for participants to promote positive changes in decision-making


• Stay updated on best practices in coaching and community engagement through continued education and training


• Assist participants in developing community living skills and utilizing community resources by discussing common transition experiences and walking them through new activities to assist them in their recovery process


• Attend local events and meetings in the reentry community within the area, building relationships with organizations offering participant supports 

Team Support:

• Support other staff on community violence reduction skills such as conflict mediation, engagement, detecting violence and cognitive behavioral techniques


• Build relationships with other sites to deliver remote supportive services when available


• Share best practices with other sites to deepen CEO’s impact and remain open to learning from other cities as well


• Track participant progress in multiple database systems


• Perform other administrative duties as assigned 

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 provide a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental coverage, 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, religion, national origin, sex, age, gender, gender identity, 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.

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