Getting Back to Work
A gentle guide for when you're ready to find your way into work — at your own pace, with your whole self.
Learn moreYou've come a long way. Now let's move forward.
Warm, practical guidance for young people who experienced hard things early in life — and for the employers who want to welcome them.
Where to start
Rootwork brings together trusted, publicly available guidance for people returning to work after difficult early years — and for employers who want to build workplaces where everyone can thrive. Every page is written with care, cited to reputable sources, and designed to meet you where you are.
Understanding the Connection
How early experiences with authority figures can shape workplace trust, communication, and stress responses.
Learn moreFor Job Seekers
Interviews, managers, workplace dynamics — practical strategies written for people who need extra care and planning.
Learn moreFor Employers
How to create welcoming hiring practices and daily workplace cultures where people from all backgrounds can contribute.
Learn moreCommon Questions
Honest answers about sharing your past, handling feedback, choosing safe workplaces, and knowing where to begin.
Learn moreSupport When You Need It
Crisis lines, helplines, and organizations for the days when work is the last thing on your mind.
Learn moreA note before you read on
What happened to you when you were young was not your fault. The ways your mind and body learned to protect you made sense then — and they still make sense now, even when they make work harder.
This site will never use clinical language to describe you. You are not a case study. You are a person who survived something real, and you deserve work that respects you — and information that speaks to you with honesty and love.
If today is a hard day and you need someone to talk to right now, call or text 988 in the United States. Help is free, confidential, and available any hour.
Information drawn from trusted organizations