L to R: Regional Director Elena Stroble, CRS Britney Vasquez, CRS Madison Castor, CRS Cindy Constantino, Boston Director Karen Partanen, CRS Brooke Harris, and crouched in front is CRS Meghan Edgerly.
Work Opportunities Unlimited (WOU) first featured Brooke Harris’s success in May 2024, as she was wrapping up an internship in the Seacoast NH market and graduating with her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire. Now Brooke is a Career Resource Specialist (CRS) on the Boston Team, working on her Master’s degree in Social Work, and thriving!
Brooke transitioned directly into the next phase of her career and education. “I joined the Boston Team in the beginning of June,” she shares, “and I started my master’s program a week before I started in Boston.” She works part-time as a CRS, dedicating three days each week to breaking down the barriers to employment for people with disabilities. Comparing her new role to her internship, Brooke explains, “I have a bigger case load. My days are a little more fast-paced, and I get to create my schedule with my clients.” As an intern Brooke provided onsite job support to clients referred by the Department of Developmental Services, whereas in Boston, she also supports students referred to WOU for job development as well as MassAbility clients. “I’m doing more job development and referrals, rather than just onsite supports, so I’m starting from the very beginning with my clients, creating resumes, doing mock interviews, creating retention plans, and then providing onsite supports. I also do check-ins outside of work, to make sure everything is all set with their retention plans, ask if they have any questions about work, if they want to try new things at work, things like that. Then eventually I kind of pull back on the supports so that the individuals are independent. My days are varied, and I really like how my schedule switches up every week.”
Brooke also loves participating in her team’s monthly meetings. “Those are great because it’s the one time that we can all be together.” During a recent gathering, she and the other new CRSs on the Boston Team were invited to share their thoughts. “We all gave one constructive comment about something that we would want to see happen with the Boston Team. I thought that was nice, just to hear everyone’s opinion and be together.” Brooke has appreciated the expertise of fellow CRS Cindy Constantino. “Cindy has been a great help,” she says. “I’ll call her if I have any job development questions. And we actually both have clients working at the same employer. It’s really nice getting to see another coworker while working.”
The experience gained through her internship and schoolwork is empowering Brooke to change the world of work for her Boston area clients and offer helpful insights for fellow new employees. She is applying in real time what she is learning from her master’s program; for example, Brooke says, “We learn about the strengths-based approach, and I feel like I use that 100% with every client. I look at the client’s strengths and try to see what would work best for them so that they can thrive in their work environment.” During her time in the field, Brooke has honed her strong attention to detail and social skills. She advises any new CRS, “It’s important to stay organized to keep track of your case load. Also, being social is key. Be prepared to talk to all different types of people, not only your clients, because when you go into their places of employment, you’re talking with their managers, with customers, with natural supports. You’re interacting with everyone.”
Karen Partanen, Director of the Boston Team, says, “Brooke transitioned to the Boston Team from the Seacoast NH Team in early June. The NH market and the MA markets function a bit differently in their day-to-day operations for the CRSs. Brooke made the transition without missing a step. Her willingness to jump right in, learn about her clients and connect with the Boston Team is quite commendable. She always has a smile and her calm and friendly approach was very comforting to her new clients. The Boston market is proud to call her a team member.”
