TORONTO — After battling addictions and losing custody of his young son, Andy took part in an innovative JVS Toronto project and got his life back together.
Funded by the City of Toronto’s Homelessness Partnership Initiative, the project – it began in 2007 and was recently renewed for another year – provides pre-employment and vocational support for recently housed individuals who are preparing to enter the workforce.
Reena Kronitz, JVS chief psychologist, said clients are referred to them by workers who think the clients could benefit from such a program to help them move forward with their lives.
The JVS assessment is comprehensive, she said, and includes a cognitive evaluation and a look at learning aptitude, mental health issues and vocational aptitude.
“At the end, we come up with recommendations about how each individual – mostly men ages 21 to 60s from a variety of ethnic groups – can move on.”
She said they address such issues as physical and mental health, education, training, pre-employment skills and an exploration of career opportunities.
“They all come in at different places in their lives, so some are able to move on to employment while others may find success receiving disability support.”
JVS psychologist Hadley Koltun said they work with each client individually for about three months to work through their action plan.
“We’re talking about people who have had trouble making it to one appointment, and they come back and back to work on their action plan. It’s a huge achievement for them.
“We have to entice clients to come, so in order to get them in the door, we feed them and give them a transportation voucher. The staff also puts them at ease.”
He said most people they have seen have moved forward in terms of what they need to do to function in a healthy way.
Speaking at last month’s JVS annual general meeting, two years to the day since he was off drugs and alcohol, Andy said that when a counsellor recommended the program in March 2007, he had been sober for six months but was living in a shelter for men while his son was in the care of the Children’s Aid Society.
“They didn’t know what to do with me, I was in such rough shape. I jumped at the chance to find out who I was, and why I had become that person.”
When he met Koltun and JVS staffer Ivanka Burazin, he said, “I didn’t know they were gong to be a big part of a dream I had, [which was to totally] rebuild myself.
“They came up with 13 recommendations, and I’ve accomplished 12 of them. [JVS] has been part of my life for the past 18 or 19 months.”
Through Burazin, he said, he was hired by Goodwill on a part-time basis, and then volunteered at the Furniture Bank, where he was eventually hired.
“Without a job, I felt like nothing, but then I started gaining control of my life. I started respecting myself and other people, and my self-esteem grew.”
Now, he said, he is living his dream. “I have my own place, and my son lives with me. Working didn’t just help me, it helped my son.”
