Wellness & Life Skills Coach

Saint Francis House Inc•Boston, MA

1d•$25 - $27

About The Position

The Wellness and Life Skills Coach helps participants in the Workforce Development Department, many of whom have extreme life stressors, are in recovery and/or have histories of trauma; to develop healthy life skills and support personal growth. Using a person-centered approach, they pay special attention to helping participants navigate points of stress in transition, including those that they experience while participating in job readiness training, as well as in their job search and placement process. They coach participants to recognize, articulate, and build on their strengths and to help them understand how their own self-image and perspective impacts their behavior, choices, and the achievement of personal goals. The Coach provides these important and timely supplemental tools, techniques, insights and guidance to all WFD participants with the goal of strengthening participants’ overall resilience and creating a foundation for successful reintegration into work and community settings.

Requirements

Proven ability to engage and support vulnerable individuals as well as motivate and guide them toward planning for and fulfilling short and long-term personal goals.
Clearly demonstrated ability to adapt a life-coaching framework (typically applied to work with economically advantaged people) to a vulnerable and marginalized population.
Desire to work within a non-traditional homeless services setting—acting as both a generalist and a specialist on a team with colleagues who have a range of varying skills and experience to support people in exiting homelessness.
Knowledge of principles and practices in Transformational Life Coaching.
Practiced knowledge of a range of wellness and self-care techniques.
Proven understanding of the needs and challenges of people who have experienced trauma and/or those who are in recovery from addiction.
Skills in group facilitation, and ability to clearly present information to individuals and groups.
Commitment to taking a person-centered, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed approach.
Proficiency in English.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
Excellent organizational skills with attention to detail.
Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
Ability to function well in a fast-paced and stressful environment.
Basic understanding of and commitment to taking a person-centered, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed approach.
Working knowledge of public benefits’ eligibility criteria, application processes and documentation requirements.
Bachelor’s Degree in counseling, psychology/social work or a closely related field with a minimum of two (2) years of professional experience that explicitly incorporates elements of wellness and life skills coaching.
Minimum of 1-year experience working directly with people experiencing homelessness/ and or recovery.
Experience with Microsoft office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel) required.

Nice To Haves

Life coaching or other wellness related certification a plus but not required.
Experience using client database systems such as HMIS database (Cl) a plus.
Lived experience of homelessness and/or recovery a plus.

Responsibilities

Provides personal development, wellness and life skills coaching to participants engaged in workforce development services through one-on-one engagements and within group settings (classrooms, workshops, support groups, 1 on 1 interventions).
Incorporates a range of tools and techniques related to life skills and overall personal development--such as personal growth pathways, healthy living and self-care, self-presentation/ self-concept, independent living skills, and social and interpersonal skills-to help individuals determine what works best for them.
Oversees the operations of Studio Shine, which provides professional clothing to participants, coupled with personalized guidance designed to help participants to dress in ways that both reflect their personalities and shape how others perceive them by putting their “best selves” forward.
Actively engages with both businesses and individuals to secure new/unworn job specific clothing for guests. This includes but is not limited to work wear for culinary, medical, construction, etc. Also works to secure new business and business casual wear.
Teaches, exposes, and helps participants develop personalized wellness plans and practice wellness techniques and activities such as mindfulness, exercise, meditation, sleep hygiene, nutrition, and breathing exercises.
Prioritizes individual work with participants who are at a point of transition, such as entering a program, starting a job search and/or job, moving into housing, and/or engaging in the community.
Ensures that all work is firmly grounded in the person-centered approach, in that it builds on each participant’s unique circumstances, personality, strengths and life experiences, as well as expressly includes their cultural, ethnic, and/or racial experiences.
Maintains a collection/menu of up-to-date wellness and life skills resources and tools that can be drawn on and personalized as needed, including online resources.
Identifies and engages the services of external and internal providers and volunteers to further enhance the work, including but not limited to grooming services (salon/barbershops), yoga/fitness instructors, nutritionists, personal stylists, and mentors.
Works actively and collaboratively with other staff who are supporting participants to ensure good communication and avoid duplicating efforts.
Keeps accurate records of all work with participants in all required client databases including assessments, registrations, enrollments, referrals made, services provided, progress toward goals, and any contract-specific details.
Collaborates proactively with colleagues within the department as well as across SFH departments.
Adheres to the agency’s code of conduct.
Performs other duties as assigned.