New Westhab Works Program Will Help Put Westchester Residents on the Road to Financial Independence

Westhab has been contracted by the Westchester County Department of Social Services to provide Westchester’s largest employment programming for public assistance recipients.

Westhab staff will provide job readiness, job development, placement, and retention services to individuals on public assistance throughout Westchester County. After a competitive bidding process, Westhab was selected to run the program for one year, with three potential opportunities for renewal. With a team of 27 staff members, Westhab Works will be the largest employment services program at Westhab.

When Westchester residents apply for public assistance and are determined employable, they will be referred directly to the new “Westhab Works” program. Employees will be located in the social services buildings throughout Yonkers, White Plains, and Mount Vernon and also will be available at Westhab’s Mount Vernon employment center, which is open to the public. The “Westhab Works” program takes a comprehensive approach to employment and financial well-being by providing job readiness workshops, a financial literacy component, as well as valuable connections to employment, volunteering opportunities, and work experience. After clients are connected to employment, program staff will follow up for at least 6 months ensuring job retention and providing any additional employment services necessary for clients to thrive. The ultimate goal of “Westhab Works” is to help clients close their public assistance cases and gain self-sufficiency.

Based on the client’s abilities and interests, Westhab will connect candidates to employment opportunities in a variety of fields and organizations identified by our job developers. Westhab also plans to leverage its own highly successful slate of training programs developed for high-demand industries such as construction, security, and custodial maintenance. Career Pathways and Back to Work are just a couple of examples of ongoing job training available at Westhab, many of which take place at the brand-new Dayspring Community Center in Yonkers.

Westhab has seen a rapid expansion of its employment services over the past few years. Under the leadership of Tracy Rhett, Assistant Vice President of Youth and Employment Services, Westhab’s employment services programming has grown tremendously from 20 staff in 2020 to over 60 staff through Westchester and NYC (once Westhab Works is fully staffed). In 2022 alone, Westhab placed 1,529 people into employment at an average wage of $20.34. Since its founding, Westhab has placed a total of 9,628 clients into employment. In addition to being a resource for the broader community, employment services have been incorporated on-site at every one of Westhab’s 17 rapid re-housing centers in NYC and Westchester, helping homeless clients gain employment and living wages. As Westhab continues to expand its portfolio, it ensures client success by employing a high-quality model that understands the vital connection between employment and the ability to maintain permanent housing and achieve true independence.