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The Career Launch Program

Our Unique Career Mentorship Track

Sylvia Brafman’s Career Launch program aims to channel the great potential for career success that many patients hold deep within, but have yet to realize due to the impact of mental health on the ability to move forward. The program is focused on helping you succeed in your career once you leave treatment. Personally designed and facilitated by Sylvia Brafman’s CEO, Jaime Blaustein, the Career Launch program consists of 5 phases: Contextualization, Reflection, Consideration, Preparation, and Execution.

Navigating a career as someone who is recovering comes with its own set of challenges. We are with you at every step of the process, which is often accompanied by fear of failure among other logistical headwinds.

Career and employment give most of us a sense of purpose. What we do for a living can play a major role in our sense of self-worth. It can positively affect physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Your career says something about what you value and where your strengths lie. It also allows you to leverage those strengths to provide for yourself and your family. SBMHC’s career program takes all of this into account.

A mental health or substance use disorder can easily derail you from the career track, but it doesn’t have to permanently alter your life trajectory. Recovery is one of life’s greatest opportunities for personal growth and learning. One of Sylvia Brafman’s 6 Pillars is “The Comeback” for this very reason.

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““…[Started my recovery journey here. Very grateful to the caring staff here as they gave me the tools to help me start a new life. Career Launch was a very helpful program that also set me up well for re-integration into the workforce after some time out of the job-market. Its worth the investment in yourself!”

Lukas E.

The 5 Phases of Our Career Launch Program

Provides context through a detailed discussion of:

Educational background
Work experience to date
Potential obstacles (legal issues, long gaps out of the workforce)

Phase 1 - Contextualization

Establishes important criteria needed to answer the question: “What do I want to do?”

Discussion of relative importance assigned to various criteria including:

Compensation – total amount, frequency paid, salary vs. commission vs. bonus
Work/ Life balance
Enjoyment of the day-to-day tasks
Work environment – cultural norms, in person vs. virtual
Opportunity for growth vs. stability

Phase 2 - Reflection

Sector (technology, healthcare, foodservice, real estate, etc.) vs. Function (sales, marketing, operations, finance, etc.) – on which do I place greater emphasis?

Which naturally appeal most to me?
Which enable me to leverage my experience?
Which require additional training or education?

Outcome of Phase III: 3-5 targeted career paths to pursue

Phase 3 - Consideration

Action steps to prepare for transitioning or continuing down the path towards the desired career

Research into day-to-day tasks, common stressors, typical salaries, exit opportunities
Networking: establishing contact with natural networks, Linked In, and job boards
Mock interview with Mr. Blaustein and his peers from various leadership positions in finance, consulting, technology and other sectors

Phase 4 - Preparation

Pursing chosen career with proper balance of intense focus and measured level-headedness

This will take place either immediately after treatment for PHP and concurrently in Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) or traditional outpatient treatment
Opportunity for regular check-ins on an ongoing basis

Phase 5 - Execution

Let Your Experience Become Your Strength

We believe that confronting the challenges associated with mental illness and rising above them creates a more fulsome person. Our CEO has found that these trials and tribulations often translate to success in the workplace with the proper guidance. The tools we use to achieve mental wellness and recovery have practical applications in the real world. Our recovery-aware career program helps you leverage those strengths properly.

Jaime Blaustein next to the career launch poster

Purpose is Therapeutic

The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center is dedicated to complete recovery. Our career program recognizes that part of recovery is re-entering the world and engaging with it. A sense of purpose and meaning is important to recovery as is the pride in providing for oneself. Landing your dream job immediately after treatment isn’t always in the cards, but that’s not the critical determinant of success. What matters is getting back in the saddle with confidence and purpose. That’s what the SBMHC Career Launch program aims to provide.

Woman Feeling Free

Beginning the Job Search

If any one of our clients expresses they want help in finding a job, our CEO will work with them to reach out to employers within 30 days of entering our Career Launch program. We understand the practical concerns involved in finding employment. We’ll help with applications, resume fine-tuning, interview preparation, and even connecting clients with specific hiring managers and resources in our community.

Jamie Blaustein even connects those in our Career Launch program with two “mentors,” most of whom have MBAs and experience in consulting and investment banking. You will find that SBMHC goes the extra mile in our career program, just as we do in every other facet of the treatment we provide.

Planning for the Future

We want to see your dreams and ambitions come to fruition. Tell us about the future you envision for yourself. Recovery is about more than just hope. It’s about bringing those things we hope for into being. Creating both a short-term and long-term goal is critical, as often the short-term goal is simply a stepping stone to better position someone to reach their dream career.

So while the Sylvia Brafman Career Launch program team can help you to find new job opportunities in the short term, it’s truly about mapping out the long game. Our career program is here for you as a resource in recovery through outpatient treatment and beyond. We will do whatever we can to support you and help you realize your dreams. Our goal is to see every person we treat become their best self and realize their potential in recovery and their professional life.

Beyond Vocational Rehab: A Strategy for Professional Reintegration

Recovery doesn’t mean starting over at the bottom. While traditional vocational rehabilitation programs often focus on entry-level placement, the Sylvia Brafman Career Launch program utilizes a professional development model inspired by top-tier executive coaching.

We specialize in helping high-functioning professionals, executives, and young adults struggling to start their lives independently, or anyone navigate the complexities of returning to work after mental health treatment. Our goal is not just employment; it is the restoration of your career trajectory.

The “Wall Street” Advantage: Pillars of Our Approach

Strategic Narrative Building (The “Resume Gap”): The number one fear is explaining time away. We tackle this head-on. Our team helps you craft the exact language to explain employment gaps to HR and hiring managers, turning a potential liability into a story of resilience and renewed focus.

License Protection & Advocacy: For clients in highly regulated fields, such as healthcare, law, and aviation, we provide guidance on navigating board requirements and return-to-work stipulations to protect your professional license.

The Mentorship Network: You gain direct access to our network of mentors from the finance, consulting, and technology sectors. This goes beyond job hunting; it is about rebuilding your professional network with people who understand your journey.

Financial Recovery & Planning: Addiction often impacts financial health. Leveraging our leadership’s background in investment banking, we offer practical guidance on budgeting, credit repair, and financial planning to help you rebuild long-term wealth.

Ready to Reclaim Your Career?

Don’t let fear of the workforce keep you from getting help. Contact us to learn how our Career Launch program can protect your future while you heal your present.