Manager of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

Land Acknowledgement

Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (Boost CYAC) is situated on the upon the traditional territories of the Wendat, Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, who have been the traditional caretakers of this land for thousands of years. This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee that bound them to share the territory and protect the land. Subsequent Indigenous Nations and Peoples, Europeans and all newcomers have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship and respect. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work, and live in the community with each other.

Organizational Overview

Boost CYAC is a registered charity that provides a range of services to children, youth and families, who have experienced abuse or violence, within the City of Toronto. We provide individual, group, family and community services that include trauma assessment, counselling, and therapy, advocacy and support services during child abuse investigations, court support and accompaniment services, and abuse and violence prevention materials and trainings. Boost CYAC is accredited by the Canadian Centre for Accreditation, an independent non-profit organization that offers accreditation specifically tailored to community-based health and social services across Canada.

Role Overview

Boost CYAC is committed to the values of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). The creation of the Manager or Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging position reflects Boost CYAC’s strong commitment to this important work and to ensure that policies and procedures across the organization are fully aligned with EDI principles, frameworks and best practices.

The Manager of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging will focus on the development, implementation and evaluation of Boost’s CYAC’s EDI strategies and will work closely with the Anti-Black Racism & Anti-Oppression (ARAO) Committee to support the implementation of EDI recommendations across the organization. As a member of the management team, the Manager of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging will provide leadership, strategic direction, guidance and expertise on equity, diversity, inclusion, human rights, anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-racism, anti-oppression, discrimination, belonging, bias and accessibility. This role will be integral to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment for all service users, staff, students, and volunteers at Boost CYAC where individuals feel safe to bring their authentic selves in the various Boost CYAC interactions.

Preference will be given to those with lived experience and personal understanding of EDI issues, concerns and the challenges associated with systemic racism, discrimination, and/or inequity- as well as assets, skills and resources of diverse communities- as an Indigenous or racialized individual, a person with a disability and/or a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ or another under-represented community.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Development

Provide leadership and expertise in the design, development and implementation of an organization wide EDI framework, strategies and action plans and ensure that EDI and belonging principles and practices align across Boost CYAC.
Coordinate and guide all EDI efforts to review, evaluate, define, assess and identify opportunities obstacles and strategies to embed EDI and ARAO principles in all facets of the organization, program/service, employee and client experience.
Serve as advisor, partner and consultant in support of staff and program EDI and Belonging goals and objectives, using change management principles to enhance, foster and strengthen organizational culture.
Through capacity building, engagement, partnership and consultation, lead training and education programs and initiatives to build knowledge, awareness, skills and competencies in EDI, anti-racism and belonging principles and practices across the organization and build an understanding of systemic racism and cultural competency for all staff and Board members.
Strengthen existing and build new relationships with community organizations who identify with specific EDI practices and serve as a liaison between these groups and internal staff and committees.

Expertise, Advice and Collaboration

Support the ARAO Committee in the development and implementation of an anti-Black Racism Action Plan.
Co-develop appropriate evaluation tools including metrics, strategies and dashboards, as well as EDI and Belonging-specific Quality Assurance Indicators and Accreditation standards to ensure accountability, tracking and monitoring efforts and liaise with staff and Board members regularly to discuss EDI practices, issues, and solutions.
Provide subject matter expertise on EDI and Belonging to clinical, advocacy and prevention education program staff and provide expert advice to them as they create tools, processes and programming that enable a diverse, inclusive and culturally safe service model and practice for clients and families.
Provide expert advice and support to Human Resources, to support them to effectively build and promote EDI and Belonging practices across recruitment, selection, onboarding and retention processes and strategies to ensure that biases are minimized, barriers to entry are removed and the organization is hiring those who have traditionally been excluded.
Provide expertise and support to Human Resources on gathering, investigating, collecting and assessing information related to requests for accommodation and dispute resolution process for human rights, harassment, discrimination complaints and other EDI and Belonging related matters.
In collaboration with the ARAO Committee, Human Resources and Quality Management Committee, conduct an annual EDI and Belonging survey and assist in the implementation of key quality improvement initiatives.
Support the Joint Health, Safety and Wellness Committee to develop a comprehensive framework for wellness, physical and psychological procedures and supports to embed in all programming in the workplace.

Qualifications

University Degree or College Diploma in Equity Studies, Diversity Studies, Social Justice, Human Resources, Cultural Studies, Black Studies, Indigenous Studies, Social Work, Social Psychology or related field, or an equivalent level of experience and education.
3-5 years progressive experience designing, implementing and analyzing policies, processes, and frameworks that support DEI initiatives..
Continued educational/training certifications related to employment diversity, equity and inclusion preferred.
Demonstrated knowledge of critical and emerging issues of vulnerability in marginalized communities and Awareness of the variety of different types of trauma and trauma-experiences (e.g. sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, race and gender-based trauma) that may be experienced by children, youth and families.
Lived experience of encountering and addressing complex EDI and human rights issues, strongly preferred.
Sound knowledge of critical and emerging youth-related issues and trends in diverse communities in the greater Toronto area.
Strong understanding of the concepts of equity, accessibility, intersectionality, anti-racism, anti-black racism, decolonization, inclusion, anti-oppression and their application in an organizational context.
Comprehensive knowledge of relevant legislation including the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Antiracism Act, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the Occupational Health & Safety Act, the Employment Equity Act and other relevant human rights legislation.
Excellent interpersonal, relational, mediation and communication skills, demonstrated ability to work with diverse internal and external stakeholders and to tackle complex and sensitive topics with a professional, direct, and respectful learning approach.
Demonstrated experience, educating, coaching, advising and consulting on EDII issues and influencing individuals in a non-reporting relationship.
Demonstrated ability to think strategically, work proactively, and manage competing priorities in a complex environment.
Satisfactory clearance under the Vulnerable Sector Screening process.

Boost CYAC is and equal opportunity employer and is strongly committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the populations we serve. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals including applicants from all cultures, racialized communities, abilities, diverse sexual and gender identities and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Boost CYAC believes that vaccination is a key element in the protection of our clients, families, employees, students, volunteers and contractors against COVID-19. As a condition of employment, proof of full vaccination or exemption under the Ontario Human Rights Code must be submitted to Human Resources seven (7) calendar days prior to start date.

Boost CYAC is committed to providing accommodation in all aspects of the recruitment and hiring process under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The Manager of Human Resources will work with applicants to arrange reasonable and appropriate accommodation at any stage of the recruitment and hiring process.

We thank all applicants for their submission; only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
How to Apply

Please send your cover letter and resume by email to Linda Arwich, Manager of Human Resources and Administration: hiring@boostforkids.org no later than 5pm on June 24, 2022.