Director, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)

About this position

Strides Toronto is a multi-service agency providing a wide range of exceptional programs and services that improve the mental, social and physical health of infants, children and youth from the pre-natal stage to age 29, and their families. With a range of community, residential and treatment services, Strides builds strength and resilience through equitable, accessible, client-driven services, system leadership and advocacy. Strides provides individual, group and family interventions that include mental health counselling, autism services, education, outreach and referral, early intervention, day treatment and community support. In its Lead Agency role, Strides Toronto collaborates with 24 publicly funded infant, child and youth mental health (ICYMH) core service providers to design and implement system-level improvements that promote access, responsive service delivery and experience, and positive mental health outcomes for young people and families across Toronto's diverse communities.

Strides Toronto is an equal opportunity employer. We benefit from diversity of lived experiences in the workplace and encourage applications from qualified candidates who reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. Strides Toronto is a participant in the Government of Canada’s 50-30 Challenge, a program which challenges organizations to improve access for women and/or non-binary people and other equity-deserving groups, including those identifying as: racialized, Black, and/or people of colour, people with disabilities (including invisible and episodic disabilities), 2SLGBTQ+ and/or gender and sexually diverse individuals, and Aboriginal and/or Indigenous Peoples to increase the representation and inclusion of diverse groups within their workplace.

Strides is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving an environment that celebrates and values diversity, promotes equity, and ensures inclusion, accessibility and belonging. This is a fundamental pillar that shapes their strategic planning, decision-making processes, organizational culture, policies, practices, and day-to-day operations, as hearing diverse perspectives and experiences helps enrich their collective knowledge and encourages involvement and participation from individuals from various backgrounds. In addition, focusing on health equity and social determinants of health will improve the organization’s ability to engage the most marginalized individuals while allowing for more targeted services. It is within this context that Strides Toronto, encourages nominations and applications for the role of Director, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA).

Reporting to the Vice President of Strategy, the Director, IDEA will provide strategic leadership for the planning and implementation of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) initiatives utilizing an anti-racism and anti-oppression (ARAO) framework, lead the advancement of Strides Toronto’s strategy related to health equity and the social determinants of health and implement best practices in IDEA, ARAO and anti-Black racism (ABR) across the organization. Additionally, as part of the Lead Agency role for child and youth mental health (CYMH) in Toronto, lead and provide ongoing support for sector wide IDEA-related initiatives and activities.

The Director, IDEA will serve as an organizational champion for this critically important work and foster a positive learning environment dedicated to IDEA, ensuring IDEA best practices are reflected in the organization’s strategy and system leadership. As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Director will act as a resource to other team members on IDEA principles and related topics. The Director will also work closely with the Vice-President, Corporate Services and Vice President, Service Excellence to ensure EDI best practices are reflected in the organization’s Corporate Services, and that programs and services are accessible and responsive to the needs of the diverse communities that Strides supports.

Among the qualifications being sought in candidates, the incoming leader must have a deep and abiding commitment to advancing reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in all its forms and must believe, intrinsically, in the importance of leading with curiosity and welcoming ideas that can later be synthesized and turned into possibility. While all candidates are encouraged to apply and, in so doing, share how they see themselves adding value to the Strides environment, the following credentials and/or experiences are seen as possible markers of the candidates most likely to realize success in the role: A) the ideal candidate will be a skilled communicator and mediator with senior leadership experience and will have direct experience working closely with historically marginalized communities; B) an understanding of IDEA best practices in the context of not-for-profit environments with experience managing a broad IDEA portfolio and developing budgets, as well as the ability to develop, facilitate, and evaluate training initiatives; C) they will bring a rich understanding of anti-racism and anti-oppression (ARAO) frameworks as well as sound judgment, diplomacy, analytical skills, and research skills, and; D) they will hold a bachelor’s degree, preferably in the area(s) of human rights, equity, diversity, social justice, or social work.

How to Apply
Strides Toronto is partnering with BIPOC Executive Search to ensure an applicant list that is as diverse as possible. All interested applicants can send their resume, in confidence, to Urmilla Mahabirsingh by e-mailing umahabirsingh@bipocsearch.com.

In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), individuals requiring accommodation at any stage of the hiring process can notify Urmilla Mahabirsingh at the e-mail address above.
We thank everyone for their expression of interest—and are truly appreciative of the time individuals put into applying—but with the limitations of time only those selected for an interview will be contacted.