As one of Connecticut’s leading organizations serving people living with mental illness and returning from homeless populations, Chrysalis Center understands the need to develop and offer employment training services, which provide individuals the opportunity to become employed and self-sufficient. Individuals living in poverty often face other compounding barriers to getting and keeping a job.

Employment Services are offered in all case management and supportive housing programs at Chrysalis Center. Individuals work with their case manager on a plan to identify career choices and obtain employment. Case managers support individuals in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to:  education and job training, resume writing, job searches, mock interviews and online applications.

Chrysalis Center’s La Cocina Culinary Arts Training Program helps people overcome those barriers by teaching them work and life skills needed for success in the foodservice industry. Through La Cocina and La Cocina Catering, which provides all meals to onsite and offsite meetings and events, students in our program get practical work experience. Upon graduation students are prepared for employment in the culinary arts and hospitality industry, with skills to become employed fulltime at or above minimum wage with greater career opportunities and the potential for increased income over time. Equipped with training and experience, culinary graduates can escape the cycle of poverty and become economically secure.

In addition to these programs, Chrysalis Center offers numerous employment trainings, including: Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (Hazwhoper), CDL Training & Truck Driving, OSHA 10 training, Forklift Operator License training, CT Security Guard Card Training, Serve-safe, Serve-safe Manager, and Culinary Arts and Hospitality onsite in La Cocina.  Chrysalis also makes referrals to and has relationships with other community service providers such as the American Job Centers that provide supplemental skills enhancement training, employability training, and job training.