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STRIDE: an employment agency with a difference

If mental health issues or addiction is impeding your employment opportunities, contact STRIDE
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Jane, a real-life STRIDE client whose name has been changed for privacy reasons, had little to no work experience and didn’t have a marketable resume or cover letter.  With STRIDE, Jane worked on pre-employment activities, including workshops for job readiness skills. STRIDE provided Jane transitional employment as an office cleaner at STRIDE. Then, working with STRIDE’s Job Development Services, she secured a similar position in the community at a local grocery store. STRIDE negotiated with the employer to provide necessary supports for Jane to be successful, and to ease and remove any employment related barriers. Steadily employed, with regular positive feedback from her employer, Jane is fruitfully engaged, happy and productive: a contributing member of her community.

Her hard work and determination with STRIDE’s support created the kind of success that STRIDE achieves with many of the over 600 people they are working with at any one time. Many are employed at Banks, Pharmaceutical or Technology companies, among others, in a variety of roles including managerial and executive positions.

Since 1983, STRIDE has been an integral factor contributing to the Oakville community. “Honestly, everyone has been incredible. The services provided are excellent but the truly amazing thing is the staff. Every single person employed by STRIDE that I have interacted with has been kind, understanding and helpful. I truly couldn’t ask for more,” enthuses a STRIDE client.

STRIDE is an employment agency with a difference: STRIDE specializes in helping individuals facing mental health and addictions to find jobs.  STRIDE’s job developers network to connect with supportive employers.  They assist with resume preparation and interview coaching.  And they do all this with no time limit on how long they will work with a client.

“Meaningful work is key to the recovery of mental health and addiction survivors. Through it individuals are better able to integrate and feel part of the community. Research has shown that this is central to helping individuals deal with their issues. Work is a key component of recovery” says Anita Lloyd, CEO of STRIDE Employment Services.

STRIDE also facilitates an employment peer mentorship program, as well as other services to help clients find suitable positions, including their pre-employment program, to ensure job readiness and an employment connections program for youth from 16-24. 

United Way understands this. They have been a key partner with funding, networking and knowledge sharing, and by helping with collaboration with other organizations in the United Way network of agencies which address different needs at different stages,” says Anita.

Everything necessary to find employment, from job readiness, resumé preparation and interview training, search and arranging accommodations as necessary to manage around any special requirements for the client—in the same way that accessibility accommodations are arranged for physical disabilities.

Once a position is found, STRIDE stays in touch with the client to handle difficulties that may arise.  At the client’s request, they may also work with the employer. “We work on issues from punctuality, communication, building assertiveness, workplace wellness and time management to ensure the work relationship is productive and successful," says Anita.

For STRIDE, work is a step forward to re-integration for individuals facing mental health and addictions into the community.  STRIDE stays involved with the client as long as the client wants, helping in any way possible.

STRIDE is a critical component of Oakville’s health as a community.  Being a community means looking after each other, the focus of the United Way. “The United Way is fundamental to STRIDE’s effectiveness,” says Anita.

Many of us have charities we support for personal reasons. However, there is a wide variety of needs in our community. The United Way goes to great lengths to identify these needs and find and assist vital agencies with good processes to address them. United Way funds mean these agencies can spend more of their resources helping Oakville residents and less of them looking for money. As donors, we can’t know the best way to spread our donations around, but donations of all sizes from many Oakvilleans can be turned to their best effect through the United Way. And who knows when we, or someone close to us, will need help from one of these services. Our donations to the United Way ensure they will all be there for us if that day comes.