Vocational
We believe everyone who wants to work CAN work. We help our clients find, get and keep jobs. Our job coaches help each client maintain a strong work and mental health balance.
Cornerstone’s Supported Employment & Vocational Services empower individuals living with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders to find, secure, and sustain meaningful work. As Maryland’s largest supported employment provider, we believe that anyone who wants to work can and that belief is both our promise and practice.
Employment is not just about earning a paycheck; it is one of the most powerful determinants of long-term mental and physical health. For individuals with serious mental illness, work provides structure, stability, and social connection key protective factors that improve treatment adherence, reduce hospitalization, and enhance overall well-being. A job can lessen symptoms of depression and anxiety, build resilience, and foster a sense of dignity and self-worth. At Cornerstone, we see every workday as an opportunity for recovery in action.
Our Employment Specialists walk beside each participant at every step of the journey exploring career interests, building resumes, preparing for interviews, and providing ongoing job coaching and advocacy. The result is not just employment, but transformation. Our clients work across industries including retail, healthcare, food service, education, and technology. Many have gone on to start their own businesses, retire from the federal government, and even launch social enterprises that create jobs for others living with mental health challenges.
Our approach is deeply collaborative. We partner directly with employers to cultivate inclusive workplaces that recognize ability before diagnosis. In return, businesses gain resilient, loyal, and motivated employees whose presence enriches teams and strengthens culture.
Each year, Cornerstone’s Supported Employment & Vocational Services help hundreds of individuals rediscover purpose and pride through meaningful work. With more than 60% of clients employed exceeding the national average for individuals with disabilities, our program proves that employment is not only a milestone of recovery, but a foundation for health, independence, and lasting hope.
When someone signs up for services within the Vocational Department, they can expect:
- One-on-one coaching with a Supported Employment Specialist to help determine skills, interests, and long term career goals
- Help with creating a step-by-step plan to achieve employment-related goals
- Help with developing resumes, writing the perfect cover letter, and filling out online applications
- Support with community-based job search activities, such as going into business and speaking to a hiring manager, completing practice interviews with prominent members of the business community, or participating in ‘job try-outs’ to get a feel for a specific job or industry
- Benefits counseling to learn how work will impact publicly funded entitlements such as Social Security Benefits
- On-site job coaching at the new position
- Long-term support for keeping the job
We follow a model of Supported Employment called “Evidenced Based Practice” based on the following principles:
- Everyone can work- no one’s history excludes them from participating.
- Mental health treatment and supported employment services are integrated together.
- Competitive jobs (aka jobs anyone can apply for, not jobs ‘just’ for people with mental illness) are the goal.
- Job search begins right away.
- Our Employment Specialists network within the business community to find job leads for our clients.
- Supports are ongoing and time-unlimited.
- Client preferences are respected during every step in the process.
- Job supports are individualized and continue for as long as the client wants and needs the support.
Requirements:
- Must have Medicaid or qualify for an “Uninsured Span” if seeking employment only services; and be eligible for the Public Behavioral health system.
- Must be 18 years or older
- Must be currently in treatment with a therapist or psychiatrist
- For our “Employment Focus Clusters” employment must be the primary goal, consumers can have other goals, but the must be limited in need
- Must have a target diagnosis
If you (or someone you know) want Work to be the cornerstone of recovery, please join us in making that a reality!
To apply for our Vocational Services please complete the Universal Program Application:
