May 27, 2020 Leave a Comment

JVS Toronto Receives Imagine Canada Reaccreditation

JVS Toronto is proud to announce our reaccreditation under Imagine Canada’s prestigious Standards Program

Since our initial accreditation in 2016, JVS Toronto has maintained operational excellence in the program’s five key areas: board governance, financial accountability and transparency, fundraising, staff management, and volunteer involvement.

“It’s no small feat for an organization to earn Standards Program accreditation. It’s a rigorous, peer-reviewed process that is meant to build Canadians’ trust and confidence in the charitable sector,” says Bruce MacDonald, president and CEO of Imagine Canada.

Earning the Standards Program Trustmark symbolizes our dedication to transparency and solidifies the community’s confidence in the work we do.

See below for a message from Jonathan Kopman, Board Chair and Kim Coulter, President & CEO at JVS Toronto.

May 12, 2020 Leave a Comment

Mentee Success Story and Mentor Spotlight

Meet Kanwardyal, A Canada InfoNet Success Story

Kanwardyal Singh is a Product Owner/Manager who immigrated from India in 2017. In his preparation to come to Canada he became a program participant and mentee with Canada InfoNet where he was matched with Rick McCallion. After successfully establishing himself in the country, he wanted to pay it forward and decided to become a mentor with the program to support others like him. Here he shares his inspiring story with us.

I would like to start by saying that I am very lucky and happy to be associated with JVS Toronto. Organizations like JVS do so much to help newcomers in taking one of the most difficult steps of their lives. I was one of these newcomers a few years back and now I am fortunate enough to be a volunteer with JVS. Here’s the story of my wonderful journey.

I immigrated to Canada on December 9^th, 2017 but my preparations had started about 6 months before this when I received my COPR. I was working as a Product Manager in Delhi, India at that time. When I got free from work, I spent my time on the internet, researching whatever I could find about immigrating to Canada, the life in Canada, career opportunities in my field, the weather here, interesting places to visit, etc. That is when I came across JVS Toronto and I decided to register with them. Registration was simple and in a couple days, I started working with an Employment Specialist and very soon I was assigned a mentor. My mentor was none other than Mr. Rick McCallion. I had tons of doubts and question but was confused around where to start with the mentorship program. Rick sensed my confusion and took control of the conversation. He started off with some introductions to break the ice and in no time, we were exchanging tons of information with each other. Rick read all my questions properly and gave me precise answers with sources that I could go to if I needed more details. He also made sure, that I was feeling comfortable about the move and all my doubts (around job, expenses, housing, transportation, etc.) were resolved to the best of his abilities. My interaction with him over the Canada InfoNet portal instilled a lot more confidence and predictability around my move to Canada. I was in a much better state of mind when the mentorship ended as compared to when I started. My Employment Specialist also helped and supported me by reviewing my resume and updating it according to the Canadian standards.

When I came to Canada, I followed all of the advice that I received through the program and my mentor gave me and it really made a difference. Specific to job searching, since I knew December to January is generally a slow time in the job market due to the holidays, I kept my cool and kept preparing for interviews, networking with people and enhancing my knowledge. I started rigorously applying in mid-January on job portals like Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, etc. I landed a couple interviews and was lucky enough to land a job in my field of Product Management in mid-February. I feel that keeping a cool head during my job search, enhancing my knowledge and networking, were key to my success.

As soon as I completed 2 years working here in Canada, I approached JVS Toronto to see if I could be a volunteer mentor with them. JVS agreed and I am now acting as a mentor for a newcomer. I am still very new to this but since I was on the mentee side fairly recently, I understand their state of mind and their queries quite well. I hope I can provide some clarity and confidence to the mentees I get associated with and help ease their transition to this great new country and a great new life.

If Kanwardyal’s story inspires you to want to become a mentor with our Canada InfoNet program, please click here and register with us.

May 12, 2020 Leave a Comment

Volunteering and Connections

Meet Rick, A Canada InfoNet Mentor

Canada InfoNet’s veteran mentor Rick McCallion, leader in IT change, who has been supporting our program for over a decade contributed to this newsletter by sharing his experience and highlighting the importance of volunteering.

During these pandemic times, the one thing that stands out to me is something that I have sometimes taken for granted – the importance of connections. In the last few weeks of self-isolation and social distancing, I look around at my friends, family and neighbours and I can see how we are all yearning for those social connections. What was so easy just a couple of months ago, now takes planning, rigour and diligence, and even then, it is never just quite the same. Fortunately, now that we have the odd beautiful day, I see how my neighbours, properly social distanced, flock to the courtyard of our condominium complex just to be able to connect with each other. Now, more than ever, the importance of these social connections is painfully evident.

As we come out of National Volunteer Week, I’ve been reflecting on my 11 years a mentor in the JVS Toronto Canada InfoNet program and it’s role and impact on connections – global connections.

The primary reason why I volunteer has always been to somehow make a difference in the little slice of the world that I occupy – to leave some type of a footprint behind.

But why did I choose this particular volunteering opportunity where there are countless tens of thousand volunteer opportunities across Canada? Primarily, it was because Canada InfoNet mentoring program is facilitated online and it’s on a schedule convenient to me. This was a significant benefit. I’ve done the traditional volunteering in the past, but there was something about the convenience of this specific opportunity that spoke to me.

I used to refer to this volunteer program as “virtual” but as I have mentored over the years, somehow I don’t think that virtual is quite the right word. Although the communication method of the mentoring program is virtual, it is really much more than that. It’s real and it’s personal. I’ve been so lucky to have maintained connections with my mentees over the years and this connection has made this program far more than “virtual”. It’s tangible and it makes a difference. Not only in the lives of my mentees (hopefully!) but in mine as well.

I see the children of mentees being born in Canada, children that may not have had the same opportunities back home. To see these families grow and flourish here gives me tremendous satisfaction. And when I see mentees become Canadian citizens, and especially when I see that they too have been so impacted by the program reach out to apply to become a mentor, that fills me with pride. Not pride in myself, but rather my indescribable pride in the mentees who have taken a leap of faith in Canada, have flourished and are now trying to pay back to others wanting to relocate to Canada.

Connections. I see now how important connections are to me. When restrictions are eventually lifted, when we don’t have to be so cautious about who, where, how, for how long and from what distance, when all of these are an afterthought, I’ll always try to keep in mind how precious these connections are and how important they are. If nothing else, one of the things that I’ve learned from the state of the world right now is to appreciate and value the ability that I have to connect with those that I love.

Connections transcend geographic or political borders. How can we be part of a society without connections? And more importantly, how can we have a society without looking for opportunities to help others?

I’m very grateful to JVS Toronto for their CanadaInfoNet mentoring program. Now more than ever, I cherish the connections that I’ve made through this program.

If Rick’s story inspires you to want to become a mentor with our Canada InfoNet program, please click here and register with us.

January 29, 2020 Leave a Comment

Mental Health in the Workplace

Tired waitress reading notes at the end of working day

Bell Let’s Talk launched in 2010 with a focus on building awareness, acceptance and action in mental health. Since then Canadians have taken the conversation around mental health to remarkable heights, making it clear that mental health matters.

Dr. Hadley Koltun, a Psychologist at JVS Toronto’s Career, Education and Psychology Services, addresses some questions regarding mental health; its symptoms, diagnosis and how those who are struggling can find help and support in the workplace.

Q. What are the signs that may indicate you are struggling with mental health?

Mental health challenges cover a wide variety of different moods and behaviours. Symptoms of mental health issues may include:

Physical:

Increased fatigue
Sleep issues – sleeping less or more than usual
Difficulty concentrating
Frequent colds, flu, or infections
Rapid weight loss or weight gain

Emotional:

Increased feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and/or sadness
Feeling trapped or overwhelmed
Procrastination or excessive busyness
Feeling incompetent
Isolating oneself from friends and family
Increased irritability
Excessive worry
Loss of sense of humour
Loss of enjoyment in activities you once found pleasurable

If you, a friend, colleague or family member are experiencing several of these symptoms, it may be an indication of a problem that requires professional care or support.

Q. How is a mental health disorder diagnosed?

A mental health disorder is diagnosed by a registered health professional such as a physician or psychologist. Social workers and psychotherapists are registered health professionals but are not authorized to make such a diagnosis. To diagnose a disorder, a psychologist will conduct an assessment. Typically, an assessment will involve an interview with the client and the completion of standardized checklists or surveys. It may take more than one visit to determine whether or not a client has a mental health disorder, which disorder it is, and what accommodations or interventions are required.

Q. What are some of the symptoms people with mental heath issues experience that affect their ability to work?

The symptoms listed above may be indicative of a mental health condition that could affect someone’s ability to work. Some of these symptoms can cause decreased performance or absenteeism.

Q. Should I disclose my mental health issue to my employer? If so, what documentation do I need to provide?

Disclosure of a mental health disorder is not necessary. However, if you are asking your employer for accommodations, you may require a letter from a health professional outlining what is required.

Q. What are some typical accommodations that a person with mental health concerns can ask for from their employers?

If work becomes overwhelming, employees can ask for a decrease in the volume of tasks to a manageable level, at least temporarily. Or space tasks out over a longer period of time to be worked out between the employee and their immediate supervisor. An employee may also require a quiet place to work as well as having regular breaks.

However, any accommodation recommended must not bring an undue hardship, i.e. the accommodation must not place an unreasonable burden on the employer or other employees. What constitutes undue hardship will vary in each case depending on the nature of the workplace and the employee’s role within it.

Q. Do I need a note from my doctor or psychologist in order to take time off work for reasons regarding mental health?

According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, approximately 500,000 Canadians, in any given week, are unable to work due to mental health problems. If you have sick days available, it’s better to take them than to try and push through when you are not feeling well. If your mental health care requires more time off, the Canada Labor Congress recommends you talk to your Human Resources department and find out what sick time or short-term disability leave is available to you. You will likely need a doctor’s note if you have to take a longer time off work, but it will depend on your employer’s policies.

Q. Can I claim any medications or therapy treatments on my employee benefits?

That depends on your particular employer and the employee benefits plan they offer. To find out what is covered by your employee benefits, speak with your manager or Human Resources department.

Q. If I am struggling with feelings of anxiety, stress or depression that are affecting my performance in the workplace, what do I do?

Mental health matters. Speak with your doctor, a psychiatrist or a psychologist about your symptoms and treatment options. A physician may prescribe medication and both a physician and a psychologist can recommend counselling, psychotherapy, or accommodations at work. Don’t suffer in silence.

If you have a question about mental health or the psychology services offered at JVS Toronto, contact us.

November 18, 2019 1 Comment

Myth busters: Is Canadian work experience necessary to find meaningful employment?

Two colleagues discussing presentation on computer at office

The lack of Canadian experience is one of the most common obstacles for newcomers as they pursue meaningful work in their new country. Many report that they continue to face this challenge even after two or more years of living in Canada. But, what does “lack of Canadian work experience” actually mean?

In this webinar:

Our panel of industry experts advise participants on job search strategies and discuss keys questions such as:

Do Canadian employers hire job seekers who are the right fit for the role regardless of the fact that they are newcomers?
Can survival jobs count as Canadian work experience?
Where does the law stand when it comes to employers asking about Canadian work experience?
How can internationally trained professionals demonstrate to Canadian employers that they have what it takes to fit in Canadian workplaces?

[Read more…]