Launching a Human-Centered Reentry Pilot Program

Oftentimes, workforce development and reentry training focus on what we need to do. Here at PA CareerLink® Lehigh Valley, we believe workforce development is more than compliance. Workforce development is about meeting people where they are. This requires intentional investments into meaningful staff development. We are starting this process with the cohort pictured and they are doing the hard work of investing in themselves so they can pour into others! This human-centered reentry pilot begins with understanding who we are. At our previous recent session, participants explored what matters most to them – their values. Yesterday, our team explored what gets in the way of living our values.

Together we examined how stress, pressure, fear, shame, guilt, humiliation, and embarrassment can influence our behavior and impact our ability to show up in alignment with our values, especially when the stakes are high.

This hand-selected leadership development cohort was intentionally designed to complement the critical work of compliance, case management, and job placement. While these functions remain essential to successful reentry, we believe sustainable outcomes require something more.

The quality of support provided to justice-impacted individuals is directly influenced by the self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and leadership capacity of those providing it. And we are building that, right here in the PA CareerLink® Lehigh Valley!

Participants are engaging in the deeper work of understanding human behavior, beginning with their own. Through the exploration of values, trauma, emotional intelligence, and relationship-building, the team below are developing the capacity to support transformation, not simply transactions. By strengthening the people who provide the support, we strengthen the quality of support available to those navigating reentry.

This is not simply workforce development training – it is leadership development for those entrusted with helping others rebuild their lives.

Thank you to Nabors Coaching Group for leading our team through this process!