Benefits counseling internship program launches a new career

For Brooke Coelho, the path to becoming a work incentives benefits counselor is both professional and deeply personal. After years working in office management, she found herself reevaluating her career in the wake of COVID-19. That shift led her to work that aligns closely with her own lived experience. 

“I felt like I needed something that was less stressful and gave me flexibility given my conditions,” she said.

Coelho began losing her sight at age 10 and became legally blind in her 20s. She also lives with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and other chronic conditions. Her decision to pursue benefits counseling was driven by a desire to help others navigate systems that can be complicated and overwhelming to some. 

“I love helping people. It truly brings me joy,” she said. “Helping people understand their options and guide them through the process of learning financial literacy is so rewarding because it is a situation I have found myself in before as a beneficiary. I love spreading awareness. I am the friend at the party who has the fun facts.”

Originally from southeastern Massachusetts, she moved to Pawtucket in 2016, where she built a life for herself and her family. Now, she is part of a growing effort to expand access to benefits counseling in Rhode Island. 

Since 2015, the Sherlock Center has provided Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) services to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)  beneficiaries through a cooperative agreement with the Social Security Administration, with staff completing rigorous national training to earn the Certified Work Incentive Coordinator credential.

As the need for qualified counselors increased, the Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) partnered with the Sherlock Center to develop an immersive Work Incentive Benefits Counseling internship program, which launched in 2024. The program combines career exploration, hands-on experience and targeted support to help participants earn certification and become ORS-approved vendors.

Coelho is the second to take part in this internship program and work toward certification, building knowledge across a range of work incentive programs. She is particularly passionate about dispelling myths that keep people with disabilities from pursuing employment. 

“I think the biggest myth is that you are extremely limited if you are receiving benefits and want to return to work. I think many people feel they are only allowed to work a tiny bit before their benefits are cut off, and I think there is a fear that they worked so hard to be approved for benefits that they do not want to chance losing them,” she said.

“However, Social Security really does make it possible for you to work and keep your benefits if that is what you choose to do. They offer options and flexibility.”

Now, Coelho is working to ensure others know their options. “I wish people knew that you do not simply get dropped from your benefits as soon as you begin working,” she said. “Social Security has transitions and safety nets to help disabled workers ease into employment. And if the job doesn’t work out, you’re not stuck. You can always contact them and get back on your benefits under most circumstances.”

She recalls a moment when she felt trapped in a job that was not sustainable. “I was on the phone with Social Security panicking to this woman that I couldn’t leave this job because I had no other options, and she helped me get expedited reinstatement.” This safety net allows former Social Security disability beneficiaries to restart benefits within five years without a new application if they stop working because of their medical condition.

Coelho has launched her own small business and is working as a vendor with the state of Rhode Island. Her goal is to support individuals with disabilities who are working or looking to return to work in understanding how employment affects their benefits.

“I love learning, and I want to help others understand the possibilities they have,” she said. “I hate when people limit themselves because of their disabilities. I learned from a very young age that you are capable of doing anything in spite of your condition. It is all a matter of perspective, and I love giving others my positive perspective, too. It becomes contagious, I think.”

Outside of her work, Coelho enjoys crocheting and spending time with her four dogs, including her guide dog, Davos, and is the mother of two teenagers, Asher and Charles. “I am extremely proud of them. Being a mom is one of my biggest accomplishments,” she said. “Now being a small business owner is another big feat.”