Education & GED
Union Settlement - Adult Education
Manhattan
Free HSE exam prep, ESOL, digital literacy and career training (age minimums vary: most programs 21+, GED and digital literacy 18+); referrals to other services.
Employment & Job Training in Manhattan
Reentry job programs offer paid transitional work, job readiness classes, industry certifications and placement with employers who hire people with records. Most are free. Under NYC's Fair Chance Act, most employers in the city can't ask about your conviction history until after they make you a conditional job offer.
Tip: bring a photo ID and your Social Security card to intake. Many programs need both before they can put you on payroll, so if you're missing one, start with the ID & Vital Documents listings.
Many citywide organizations also have their main offices in Manhattan, so a short subway ride can widen your options.
65 services based in Manhattan, plus 55 citywide
Based in Manhattan
Employment & Job Training
Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW)
Manhattan
Job training, placement and lifelong career support in construction, utilities, transportation and green jobs for women and nonbinary people.
Employment & Job Training
Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)
Manhattan
Immediate paid transitional work, job-readiness training, job coaching, placement and retention support for people recently home from prison.
Employment & Job Training
Community Service Society (CSS) - Next Door Project
Manhattan
Hotline helping people with conviction histories request their own records, repair inaccurate rap sheets, and apply for Certificates of Good Conduct or Certificates of Relief from Disabilities, which can ease licensing and employment barriers.
Education & GED
Chinese-American Planning Council - Adult Literacy Program
Manhattan
Free ESOL classes plus job development workshops and support for students, part of CPC's broader services for immigrants and low-income New Yorkers.
Mental Health & Counseling
Community Access
Manhattan
Provides services to people living with mental health concerns, including supportive and stable housing, education, job retention support and assisted competitive employment, peer training, health and wellness programs, and advocacy. Affiliated programs include Blueprint Supported Education and the Howie the Harp Advocacy Center, which trains people with mental health recovery experience to become peer support workers.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Community Service Society (CSS)
Manhattan
Free advice and legal representation for reentry barriers in employment, licensing, housing and civic engagement, plus health insurance, financial and income support help.
Employment & Job Training
Hot Bread Kitchen
Manhattan
Free culinary workforce training, small business incubation and food entrepreneurship support for women, immigrants and people of color.
Employment & Job Training
The Doe Fund - Ready, Willing & Able
Manhattan
Paid transitional work, transitional housing, case management, legal services, vocational training and job/housing placement for homeless and formerly incarcerated men.
Housing & Shelter
Bowery Residents' Committee (BRC)
Manhattan
Reentry services for people released from NYS facilities: on-site Medicaid/SNAP enrollment, clothing, HSE classes, resumes, substance use treatment, counseling; pays for lost birth certificates and NYS ID.
Education & GED
Columbia Law School - Paralegal Pathways Initiative
Manhattan
A 12-week evening training program providing skills-based legal training and professional mentorship to formerly incarcerated people preparing for legal careers, covering legal research and writing, ethics, client interviewing, and civil litigation basics.
Substance Use Recovery
Exponents
Manhattan
Provides treatment and recovery services, education, and professional development for people affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use disorder, incarceration, and behavioral health challenges, through programs including drug treatment services, reentry services, and the Judith Loeb Chiara Recovery and Wellness Center. Letters of reasonable assurance are provided, and a crisis line runs 24 hours daily except Thursday.
Mental Health & Counseling
Fountain House
Manhattan · Bronx
Clubhouse community for people living with mental illness with clinical, employment and housing support, senior programs and subsidized lunch.
Employment & Job Training
Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO)
Manhattan
A reentry program for young men ages 16-24 focused on education, employment, and emotional well-being; offers supportive counseling, educational support, vocational training, workforce development, technology like phones, and referrals to mental health, substance use, anger management, and emergency housing services.
Substance Use Recovery
Greenwich House - Center for Healing
Manhattan
Outpatient treatment program offering methadone maintenance, buprenorphine treatment, naloxone training and distribution, medical care, addiction and mental health counseling, psychiatric services, HIV and hepatitis C testing and treatment, and job training and placement assistance.
Employment & Job Training
NYPL Career Services
Manhattan
Career advice, application help, resume and cover letters, mock interviews and job-search workshops, virtual or in person.
Family & Reunification
Sanctuary for Families
Manhattan
Serves survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and gender-based violence with culturally sensitive counseling, case management, crisis intervention, legal representation, and confidentially located shelter for women, men, and families. Also runs a career readiness and technology training program, and, through the EMPOWER Center with NYC Health + Hospitals-Gouverneur, provides resources for survivors of sex trafficking and people in the sex trade.
Employment & Job Training
Strive International
Manhattan
A work-readiness and job-placement program for people 18+, offering a job readiness workshop followed by hard-skills training in construction/maintenance or health/office operations, industry-recognized certifications, employer internships, and lifetime alumni support.
Housing & Shelter
The Bowery Mission
Manhattan
Faith-based services for homeless and hungry New Yorkers: meals, clothing, showers, haircuts, shelter, medical care, legal referrals, residential recovery, transitional housing, vocational training and employment services.
Employment & Job Training
The Horticultural Society of New York - HortNYC
Manhattan
Transitional employment program with paid work and workforce development in horticulture and open streets; partners with The Hope Program, Strive, GOSO, CEO, Youth Justice Network and Fortune Society.
Housing & Shelter
Women's Prison Association (WPA)
Manhattan
Provides case management and personalized support for women impacted by the criminal legal system and their families, including help finding safe and affordable housing, developing workplace skills, reunifying families, accessing healthcare and mental health services, and reentry planning for those still incarcerated.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Youth Represent
Manhattan
Free legal services for system-impacted youth: job and license denials due to convictions, public housing denials, school suspensions, summonses and low-level misdemeanors, family court, and RAP sheet corrections.
Employment & Job Training
America Works
Manhattan
A for-profit organization that places candidates for entry-level positions, specializing in helping people who receive public assistance obtain employment through free job training, work readiness, skills building, job placement, and other support; also offers veterans services.
Housing & Shelter
Breaking Ground
Manhattan
Provides supportive housing for the chronically homeless, low-income working adults, youth aging out of foster care, veterans, seniors, people with HIV/AIDS, and people living with mental illness, along with benefits assistance, medical and mental health care, substance use referrals, skills-building, and connections to employment.
Education & GED
College & Community Fellowship (CCF)
Manhattan
Supports women with criminal legal system involvement in pursuing higher education or certification programs, offering a sisterhood community, resources, advocacy opportunities, financial assistance, and career guidance.
Employment & Job Training
Exodus Transitional Community
Manhattan
Mentoring, civic engagement, leadership workshops, substance treatment, trauma counseling, employment training and job coaching for adults and youth affected by the criminal legal system.
Employment & Job Training
Forging Ahead for Community Empowerment and Support (FACES) - STARS
Manhattan
Offers free vocational services, academic counseling and tutoring, and mentorship for anyone who has had involvement with the criminal legal system. Also provides anger management, substance use treatment and counseling, Narcan training, child support payment reduction assistance, HIV/HCV/STI testing, a food pantry, a clothes bank, and enrollment help for health insurance and SNAP.
Employment & Job Training
Justice Through Code at Columbia University
Manhattan
Free coding and career skills program for formerly incarcerated people with two AI career paths (Builder and Implementer).
Housing & Shelter
Project Renewal
Manhattan
Shelter, transitional and supportive housing, mental health and primary care, and job training; Parole Support and Treatment Program for people with a mental health diagnosis.
Employment & Job Training
Streetwise Partners
Manhattan
Connects underemployed and unemployed New Yorkers with professional mentors, helping with resume writing, office and computer skills, interview prep, AI literacy, and personalized career roadmaps over a 13-week commitment.
Employment & Job Training
Dress for Success New York
Manhattan
Professional attire plus workforce development: job readiness, digital fluency, resume prep, security guard, site safety, OSHA and HVAC trainings, and small business help.
Substance Use Recovery
Odyssey House
Manhattan
Provides residential and outpatient treatment for New Yorkers with substance use disorders. The drug-free residential program serves adults 18+, while outpatient services are available for both adolescents and adults, combining counseling and medication with housing, education, and job training support.
Family & Reunification
Circles of Support
Manhattan
Leadership and storytelling workshops for people returning from incarceration and for their loved ones; speaking opportunities, alumni programs and youth programs.
Employment & Job Training
EPRA - Job Placement Services
Manhattan
Vocational rehabilitation for people in recovery: training, career counseling, job placement, readiness training and follow-up support.
Employment & Job Training
Bottomless Closet
Manhattan
Free interview clothing and career coaching for women.
Employment & Job Training
Career Gear
Manhattan
Free interview suits and job-readiness coaching for men.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Center for Justice Innovation - Midtown Community Court
Manhattan
Community court offering social services, job readiness and alternatives to jail for people with low-level cases in Midtown Manhattan.
Education & GED
Exalt Youth
Brooklyn · Manhattan
Education and paid internships for court-involved youth.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Exodus Transitional Community - Women & Girls Project
Manhattan
A trauma-informed reentry program for women and girls ages 15–24 who have experienced incarceration, court involvement, or systemic trauma. Provide case management and workshops that focus on emotional wellness, leadership development, civic engagement, and career readiness.
Employment & Job Training
Fedcap Rehabilitation Services
Manhattan
Offers comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services for people with disabilities who are ages 18 and over and referred by ACCES-VR, the Commission for the Blind, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Provides business solutions and educational services.
Education & GED
Friends of Island Academy
Manhattan
Youth development, mentoring, education and job readiness for young people released from Rikers and other facilities.
Employment & Job Training
Grace Institute
Manhattan
Tuition-free administrative and professional job training for women.
Employment & Job Training
Henry Street Settlement
Manhattan
Lower East Side settlement house: workforce center, mental health clinic, shelters and senior services.
Employment & Job Training
Henry Street Settlement - Workforce Development Center
Manhattan
Career counseling, job training and placement on the Lower East Side.
Housing & Shelter
Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI)
Manhattan
Provides free year-round programs and services for LGBTQIA+ youth ages 13–24 and their families.
Education & GED
Institute for Justice and Opportunity (John Jay College)
Manhattan
Runs college-in-prison, Prison-to-College Pipeline, and reentry education and employment programs.
Employment & Job Training
Job PATH
Manhattan
Assists in finding employment for developmentally disabled people. Must have Medicaid and Office for People with Developmental Disabilities eligibility.
Education & GED
John Jay College - Institute for Justice and Opportunity
Manhattan
College Initiative (college enrollment counseling and peer mentors), Career Pathways into human services, Tech 101 and Navigator Certificate.
Employment & Job Training
JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA)
Manhattan
Leadership training and advocacy organization run by people directly impacted by incarceration.
Employment & Job Training
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center (the Center)
Manhattan
Serves as a meeting place for over 400 organizations supporting the social, health, political, cultural, and business concerns of the LGBTQI+ community. Offers many free and low-cost cultural and social activities.
Employment & Job Training
Lighthouse Guild Vision Plus Health
Manhattan
Provides a range of services for people who are blind or visually impaired, including those with multiple disabilities or chronic medical conditions.
Employment & Job Training
NADAP
Manhattan
Offers employment services for individuals throughout NYC, with a focus on people who face barriers to employment primarily due histories of substance use and/or mental health disorders, chronic medical issues, and/or long histories of unemployment. The Comprehensive Employment Services (CES) has three program options.
Employment & Job Training
New Pride Agenda (NPA)
Manhattan
An advocacy organization for LGBTQIA+ people.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)
Manhattan
Provides assistance to consumers, workers, and business owners in NYC. Information on workers’ rights, job searching, free oneon-one financial counseling, tax prep, and a guide to business licenses is available.
Housing & Shelter
NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)
Manhattan
Offers a wide range of programs for NYC youth including afterschool, community development, family support, literary services, youth services, youth workshop development, internships, and job placement. Services include vocational training, HSE preparation, and assistance with finding jobs and shelter.
Housing & Shelter
NYC Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
Manhattan
Offers information and referrals in the areas of housing, transportation, discrimination, education, employment, health, Social Security, and services to the homebound. Multiple languages spoken.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ)
Manhattan
Supports a wide range of programs for New Yorkers impacted by the criminal legal system including alternatives to incarceration, housing, employment, and legal services, health care, neighborhood engagement, and more.
Employment & Job Training
Reserve - Silver Stars Program
Manhattan
Matches continuing professionals ages 50 and over with nonprofit organizations, public institutions, and government agencies that need their expertise. Participants are placed in capacity-building and direct service part-time positions, which draw on the professional skills they acquired during their primary careers.
Employment & Job Training
Street Corner Resources
Manhattan
Harlem-based violence interruption, mentoring and youth job programs.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Team TLC NYC
Manhattan
The Kindness Center provides resources and services for Asylum Seekers who have been in NYC five years or less, including legal assistance, enrollment in English classes, stress management, job readiness, Know Your Rights, reduced fare OMNY cards, health insurance information, school assistance, and free...
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Unlocal
Manhattan
A community-centered non-profit organization that provides direct immigration legal representation and community education to NYC’s undocumented immigrant communities.
Employment & Job Training
Visions
Manhattan
Provides rehabilitation and social services to blind and visually impaired people of all ages to adjust to blindness and vision loss, lead independent lives, and obtain work.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Workers Defense League (WDL)
Manhattan
A nonprofit workers’ rights organization that specializes in helping people who have been denied unemployment insurance. Also conducts trainings for unions and other organizations about unemployment insurance rules, including recent important changes in law, and the hearing process.
Employment & Job Training
Year Up Greater New York
Manhattan
Tuition-free tech and business job training with paid internships for young adults.
Employment & Job Training
Year Up New York
Manhattan
Paid job training and corporate internships in tech and business.
Citywide services
These serve people from every borough, often by phone, online or at more than one office.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Mobilization for Justice
Citywide
Provides free legal assistance to low-income New Yorkers on housing, civil rights, disability rights, aging rights, bankruptcy, tax, consumer, employment, government benefits, and kinship care matters, including advice, counsel, and representation to help people with past criminal records re-enter the workforce.
Employment & Job Training
NYC Workforce1 Career Centers
Citywide
Career counseling, resume help, job placement, and training in food service, healthcare, construction, tech and more; training grants available.
Employment & Job Training
NYCHA Jobs-Plus
Citywide
Workforce development and financial empowerment for NYCHA residents: job readiness, training, placement and retention, financial counseling, mental health services, career planning.
Employment & Job Training
NYS Dept. of Labor - Federal Bonding Program
Citywide
Free fidelity bond for employees with conviction records and others facing hiring barriers; default $5,000, up to $25,000, for six months (renewable). Employer commitment to hire needed first.
Family & Reunification
SCO Family of Services
Citywide
Provides services to children, families, and adults, including therapeutic, educational, vocational, and supportive services for young adults on Rikers Island before and after release, Multi-Systemic Therapy for court-involved youth, foster care, early childhood education, and family/community services such as counseling, employment, and substance use treatment.
Mental Health & Counseling
Venture House
Citywide
Clubhouse-model mental health rehabilitation: job development and coaching, supported education, supportive housing, virtual programs and social events.
Employment & Job Training
Chinese-American Planning Council - Workforce Development Division
Citywide
Offers training programs in construction pre-apprenticeship, hospitality, and customer service for low-income New Yorkers, matching clients with an employment specialist for assessments, resume review, interview skills, job referrals, and post-hire support.
Employment & Job Training
Defy Ventures
Citywide
Free 17-week virtual entrepreneurship bootcamp (twice a year) with personal and professional development coaching.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Liberty Fund NYC - The ROR Program
Citywide
Voluntary case management for people released on their own recognizance or on bail with a pending case: needs assessment, referrals for housing, entitlements, jobs, substance use and mental health, weekly check-ins and court reminders.
Housing & Shelter
Thrive for Life Prison Project
Citywide
A faith-based organization offering housing, continuity-of-care support, and education for formerly incarcerated individuals at Abraham House and Ignacio House. Residents can access scholarships to partnering colleges and job-readiness and career-development support, plus help finding permanent affordable housing; a food pantry operates Saturdays at its Bronx location (340 Willis Avenue).
Employment & Job Training
70 Million Jobs
Citywide
Online job platform for people with criminal records.
Employment & Job Training
Accion Opportunity Fund
Citywide
Small business loans and coaching for entrepreneurs with limited access to credit.