| CURRENT
NEWS |
STRIDE Receives Funding for Youth Employment Program
STRIDE has received funding from the Mississauga Halton LHIN to develop a new Transitional Aged Youth Employment Service. Our plans include hiring a full-time Program Co-ordinator, two Youth Vocational Support Workers, and two Youth Employment Specialists, thereby expanding our existing programs to assist youth facing barriers to employment. This program will offer a range of outreach activities along with a planned approach to connecting with youth and engaging them in the community. Our staff will work with families, service providers and youth facing mental health and addiction needs, providing them with the information needed to prepare for a career and obtain employment in their community of choice. |
United Way of Milton & Milton Community Fund
STRIDE has been selected for a pilot project “Emerging Workforce Youth Program” for the development of a pilot program that will bridge the gap and allow STRIDE to partner with schools and other community programs to prepare young people who are at risk, and allow youth to re-enter / stay in school, prepare for future employment, and to access paid supportive workplace experiences. |
United Way of Halton Hills
Michael Bennett, a member of the STRIDE Board of Directors, attended the United Way of Halton Hills - 13th Annual President’s Ball at the Club at North Halton on September 17th. Michael accepted a cheque on behalf of STRIDE for the One Time Anniversary funds from United Way of Halton Hills, which will be used to set up Café in our North Halton site. |
2nd Annual Comedy Night a Success
The Annual STRIDE Comedy Night Fundraiser was held on May 6th at Club 54 in Burlington. Congratulations to all staff and board members for exceeding our fundraising target. STRIDE raised over $3,800 which will be used to purchase client training materials and equipment, such projectors, DVD’s, and various additional items for our Employment Resource Centres. The event also helped to increase public awareness of STRIDE and mental health. Media coverage of the event was provided by Oakville Beaver and Burlington Snap. STRIDE would like to thank all those individuals who supported this event and contributed to its great success. |
Mental Health Commission of Canada
STRIDE has been invited to participate in a national research project lead by the Mental Health Commission of Canada entitled “The Aspiring Workforce”. The Aspiring Workforce project is researching supported employment services, social enterprises and disability income systems across Canada and internationally. Their goal is to help share promising practices in programming and policies that will result in more people with mental health challenges working. STRIDE has been included in the “National Inventory of Supported Employment Program” developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada. The goal is to learn more about the successful features and challenges faced by supported employment programs. Members of the research team include the University of Toronto, CAMH, Queen’s University, and the Ontario Council of Alternative Businesses. |
Supported Employment Program changes name to ‘Employment Connections’
Starting on January 1, 2011 our Supported Employment program became officially known as Employment Connections. We decided on a name change to more accurately reflect the diversity of employment services offered to members of the community. The new name captures our long held belief that building successful partnerships begins with a commitment to providing excellent service. By focusing on the strengths and skills of our candidates and the needs and expectations of employers, we create partnerships that work. With close to 30 years of employment support experience, our team is confident that this name change will signify our ongoing commitment to align ourselves with our many partners and assist in distinguishing this program from our worksite training program. Employment Connections will offer individuals a variety of job readiness services that focus on meeting their employment goals. Employment Connections will also offer employers access to a team of highly qualified and creative staff to assist in meeting hiring needs. For more information regarding our Employment Connections program, please visit the Employment Connections section of our website or call any one of our Employment Specialists. STRIDE is a Disability Supports Service Provider. |
CIBC provides funding for Employment Resource Centre
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Oakville has provided funds to assist us in the purchase of two new computers for our South Halton Employment Resource Centre. Many thanks to Debbie Avery, our Business Advisor at CIBC, for her support and acknowledgement in bringing forward our request. The STRIDE Employment Resource Centers provide individuals with a variety of resources and materials which are critical in the job search process. The enhancement of our Employment Resource Centre will certainly lead to improved outcomes for our clients and increased opportunities for staff to meet the ever-changing needs of our clientele.
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South
Halton Café Opens
With the assistance
of Category C funding, STRIDE has opened a small café within our Oakville site. Category C funding is an initiative
whereby the Region of Halton, in partnership with United Ways in Halton,
provides one-time funding to community based agencies. Our new café offers
clients and staff with a small variety of reasonably priced beverages & snacks
during breaks and lunch. The operation of the café provides various
clients the opportunity to develop several of the necessary skills for
future employment in food service and/or the retail industry. The support
provided by STRIDE staff assists clients in operating many aspects of
the business. A brief questionnaire recently distributed to clients
provided very positive feedback regarding the café and offered
suggestions regarding the future of the business. This is a very exciting
initiative for the agency. |
IBM Technology
Donation Program
STRIDE’s application to the IBM Corporation–Technology Donation
Program, administered through the United Way of Oakville, has been approved.
IBM seeks to improve information management, and computer access & training
for community programs through its Technology Donation Program for charitable
organizations. Each year, through this grant, IBM provides three agencies
with equipment to support their various efforts. STRIDE is very pleased
to receive the donation of an IBM ThinkCentre Desktop which will assist
us in enhancing our agency services. |
‘Way
To Your Future’ Program
The ‘Way To Your Future’ program
is a new initiative aimed at helping Halton youth at risk of not
graduating high school with an alternative learning experience by
offering job-specific training, certification, and transition to
meaningful employment. It is a joint initiative between Goodwill-The
Amity Group, the Halton District School Board, and the United Way
of Milton. STRIDE will be offering Fork-Lift Training opportunities
to interested students of this program. Training includes both written
and practical components. Upon successful completion of this course,
candidates receive their Fork-Lift Certification, thereby providing
students with excellent training necessary for a variety of employment
positions.
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Employment
Resource Centers
STRIDE would like to remind individuals
that we currently have three Employment Resource Centers located
throughout Halton. These centers are supportive, client-focused
facilities serving individuals facing mental health issues who are
seeking employment. We are here to provide clients with the assistance
and resources they need to work towards their employment goals.
The centers consist of a collection of books, brochures, videos,
newspapers, assessment/training manuals & business
directories. We also provide the necessary assistance for individuals
to prepare resumes, cover letters, and to conduct a complete job search
and career exploration. For more information regarding our Resource
Centers, please refer to the ‘Contact STRIDE’ section of
our website for the location nearest you.
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Category C Funding
Category C Funding is
an initiative whereby the Region of Halton, in partnership with United
Ways in Halton, provide one-time funding to community based agencies,
self-help, or grass roots agencies within the Halton Region. This funding
is to be used for operating expenses, projects or small capital purchases.
STRIDE is very pleased to announce that we will receive $1,250 in Category
C funding to purchase various items required in our Rehabilitation Work
Sites, specifically equipment & supplies for the lunch room areas.
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STRIDE Receives
Support from Local United Ways
The United Way agencies of Halton fund several health and social
service agencies annually, providing a foundation of support for
people in need throughout their communities. Currently there are
125 United Ways across Canada. Each one is an autonomous organization
that builds upon the strength of volunteers and voluntary action
by engaging the whole community. United Way works to create a common
ground where labour, business, community leaders, and government
come to the table to identify and address community needs. STRIDE
is pleased to report that our organization has been approved for
funding by all 4 Halton United Way agencies for the 2008/2009 fiscal
period. As per our recent applications, STRIDE fits within the United
Way’s funding priorities
and we meet the requirements for funding. All United Way funding
is allocated to enhance and ensure the continued growth of our Supported
Employment program.
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Executive Director of CMHA National
Visits STRIDE
Glenn Thompson, Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health
Association (CMHA), National Office recently visited the South Halton
STRIDE Site. Mr. Thompson has recently returned from a 2-year consulting
contract in Nunivik. Prior to this he was Executive Director of the
Ontario Division, CMHA. Mr. Thompson has held several Deputy Minister
Positions in the Ontario Government before getting involved with the
Canadian Mental Health Association.
Mr. Thompson was very impressed with the fact that we offered both
a Supported Employment and a Work Site Program thereby providing a
combination of experiences for individuals seeking assistance in addressing
their vocational goals. He noted that our range of services is quite
different from that offered by most other agencies in the mental health
field. He also commented on the wide variety of contracts available
in the Work Site. Mr. Thompson was pleased to hear that we were part
of the Pan-Canada Multi-University Survey monitoring the effectiveness
of Supported Employment programs.
He remarked that
he would look for opportunities to create greater awareness for STRIDE
and suggested that an article in CMHA’s national magazine,
Network, might be an option in the future. STRIDE would like to express
our thanks to Mr. Thompson for visiting our agency and we look forward
to working together as we continue to promote employment as the key
to promoting recovery for individuals facing mental health issues.
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STRIDE
Acquires New Passenger Van
STRIDE
has purchased a new Passenger Van for our South Halton site. With
funds provided by the Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care,
a 2007 Dodge Caravan is now available for clients traveling from Burlington
who are interested in participating in our program. For a minimal
cost of $2.00/trip, individuals are provided with a safe method
of transportation to our training site, which is located at 2245
Wyecroft Road in Oakville. The van will also be utilized for transporting
small contracts and packaging jobs to assist in meeting the needs
of our customers. For further information regarding accessing our
passenger van, please contact Mark Cox, our South Halton Manager
at 905-842-7248.
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Pan-Canada Research Project on Supported Employment
STRIDE has been chosen to participate in a 3-year research project
along with 14 vocational agencies & involving Universities
of British Columbia, Laval, McGill, Toronto and Simon Fraser.
The purpose of
the project is to evaluate the effectiveness of supported employment
programs for individuals with severe mental illness in three Canadian
provinces (British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec). The first phase
of the research began in the fall with an in-depth interview about
our Supported Employment program.
The next stage will consist of
individual assessments whereby Supported Employment clients
will be given a chance
to be part of the study. Another
aspect of the project is a discussion with each Employment Specialist
to discuss various aspects of their job. The final component is
an organizational analysis, whereby two agencies from each of the
three provinces will
be selected for an in-depth organizational analysis. STRIDE is very
pleased to be involved in this project which will bring a new understanding
of the key factors related to the implementation of Supported Employment
programs offered to people with severe mental illness in three Canadian
provinces and therefore have relevance across Canada. |
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