Family Engagement
Strides Toronto’s mission is to build strength and resilience with children, youth and families through equitable, accessible client-driven services, system leadership and advocacy. We are accredited by the Centre for Accreditation, and our programs and services have received numerous awards and recognition.
About Strides Toronto
What is Strides Toronto
Strides Toronto is a multi-service charitable organization that provides services to young people (from birth to age 29) and their families. Strides Toronto is also the Lead Agency for child and youth mental health in Toronto.
As the Lead Agency, we work with 23 mental health agencies to design and implement improvements to transform the overall mental health system. This includes work to improve access to services, how young people experience mental health care in Toronto, and the outcomes for the city’s diverse communities.
What does Strides Toronto do?
Strides Toronto offers a broad range of programs and services to improve the mental, social and physical health of infants, children, youth, young adults and families.
We provide mental health counselling, autism services, education, outreach and referral, early intervention, day treatment and community support, among our many individual, group and family interventions, such as Family Counselling, Newcomer Youth Engagement, and our Growing Healthy Together Prenatal Program. You can find more information on all the programs and services we provide here.
About Family Engagement
What is Family Engagement?
An ongoing process that involves families as decision makers and partners at the organizational and system levels. We want to work with families to identify areas or topics of importance and interest to them and their communities and to identify opportunities for collaboration aligning with these interests.
How can I be involved?
We regularly seek input and feedback from current and past clients and their families to help inform us about a variety of aspects of our organization, programs and services.
Strides Toronto Surveys and/or Focus Groups: One way we do this is through surveys and focus groups. If you would like to join our contact list to receive an electronic survey or attend a virtual or in-person focus group, please fill out the web form on this page.
Strides Toronto Family Advisory Committee: Our Family Advisory Committee (FAC) is made up of a small group of past or present clients of Strides Toronto who care about Toronto and want to support Strides in achieving its vision of thriving children, youth, families and communities.
Our members come from diverse backgrounds and have a range of experiences, which makes our conversations thoughtful, interesting and insightful.
FAC members discuss and provide input, advice and perspectives on the organization, advocate for system improvements, and ensure that Strides Toronto’s programs and services and its role as Lead Agency are conducted with accountability to funders, clients, the community and in a way that ensures its long-term viability.
About Family Advisory Committee
What is Strides Toronto looking for in its Family Advisory Committee member candidates?
We are inviting current or past clients of Strides Toronto programs and services to join us
The ideal candidates will be dedicated, curious, able to work collaboratively and want to make Toronto a better place to live, especially for our most vulnerable community members.
We know that we make better decisions when we have diverse experiences, skills and perspectives participating in decision-making. As a result, we encourage applications from individuals who identify as:
- 2SLGBTQ+
- BIPOC
- Neurodivergent
- Having a disability
What kind of experience do I need?
What we are looking for:
Members with experience in accessing child/youth mental health, community, and/or autism/developmental programs and services as a parent or caregiver.
It’s a bonus if you also have experience providing feedback and insights on issues in a group setting (such as other committee membership or professional experience) but not required.
What are the roles and responsibilities of the Family Advisory Committee members?
We ask members to:
- Attend scheduled meetings.
- Share your personal expertise and represent the community by interpreting and voicing community needs and values.
- Occasionally, preview materials outside of meetings.
- Support the recommendations of the committees where possible and voice any questions or concerns.
- Encourage, enable and respect the participation and contributions of fellow committee members.
What does this opportunity mean for you?
This is a volunteer Advisory Committee. We offer you the opportunity to work with and get to know a terrific and diverse team of individuals in an environment where everyone’s perspective is valued, and Family Advisory Committee members feel comfortable being their whole selves and sharing ideas freely.
Participation on Strides Toronto’s Family Advisory Committee also offers you opportunities to learn and develop skills while helping to strengthen communities in Toronto. The work we do is important, and its impact on children, youth, families and communities is transformative. As a Family Advisory Committee member, you will help make positive changes possible.
What kinds of things has the Family Advisory Committee done?
- Consulted on space design for our new office/service locations
- Participated in our Accreditation process
- Reviewed and consulted on related policy development
- Provided input to Client End of Service survey
- Provided input on our Waiting Room philosophy and reception spaces
- Co-developed workplans for engagement activities (such as Strides Webinars, orientation to engagement staff training modules, and engagement recruitment materials)
Are members compensated for their time?
Members are provided with an honorarium for their time.
When and where are meetings held?
The Family Advisory Committee meets six to eight times a year virtually or in-person at one of our service locations in Scarborough.
Meetings are 1-1.5 hours, held in the evening, on a weekday, either virtually or hybrid (in-person with a virtual option) as decided by the committee members.
When in-person, meetings are located at one of our Strides Toronto service locations. In addition, child minding, interpretation and transportation support are provided.
How can I join the Strides Toronto Family Advisory Committee?
Please fill out the web form on this page and tell us how you are connected to Strides and why you want to be involved!