Help Ahead Intake Worker, CPI

Strides Toronto; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 52,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work flexibility

Health, dental and vision coverage

Pension with employer match

Paid time off

Parental leave top-up

Job summary

Strides Toronto is seeking an Help Ahead Intake Worker to receive and review inquiries for mental health services, conduct initial triage, and route clients to Service Navigators for screening and matching with partner agencies across Toronto.

The role requires a degree or diploma in a human services field, three years’ experience with youth and families, and crisis intervention training. Hybrid work is available with a strong emphasis on privacy and cross-agency collaboration.

Qualifications

• Degree or Diploma in a Human Services field.
• Three years of experience working with children, youth and families in mental-health or allied sectors.
• Strong knowledge of child and youth mental-health disorders, symptom presentation, developmental considerations, and functional impacts.
• Trained in crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, and managing safety or high-risk situations.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and strengths-based service approaches.
• Ability to apply a multi-systemic lens, recognizing how education, child welfare, developmental services, health, and community supports intersect with mental-health needs.
• Strong customer-service orientation with excellent interpersonal skills for engaging children, youth, caregivers, families, and service partners.
• Knowledge of platforms and tools relevant to the role (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Microsoft Office, Cisco IP Phone, Cisco Finesse).

Responsibilities

• Respond to inquiries from children, youth, families and service partners seeking access to mental health services.
• Manage inquiries via multiple channels with timely follow-ups.
• Document inquiries and outcomes in the e-referral system ensuring privacy and accuracy.
• Collaborate with Service Navigators and partner agencies to support referrals and coordination.

Education

Degree or Diploma in Human Services

Tools

Microsoft Teams

Zoom

Microsoft Office

Cisco IP Phone

Cisco Finesse

Job description

Salary Range: $51,699.00 To $60,202.00 Annually

Position Type:Full-time Permanent

Hours of Work per week:35 hours

Salary range: $51,699.00 to $60,202.00 per annum

Benefits: We offer generous group employee benefits which includes:

• Comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, EAP, premium fully paid by organization
• Life and disability insurance
• Defined Contribution Pension plan with employer matching up to 6% based on length of service
• Generous paid time off (Vacation, Sick and Float days)
• Pregnancy/ Parental leave top-up
• Hybrid work flexibility
• Access to employee perks and discounts

Union Position - This position is represented by OPSEU local 567.

ABOUT US

Strides Toronto Support Services ("Strides Toronto") Strides Toronto is a multi-service agency supporting infants, children, youth and young adults from birth to age 29, and their families, primarily across east Toronto. We offer community-based, residential and treatment programs—including mental health counselling, autism services, early intervention, day treatment, education, outreach and community support-using a client-centered, evidence-informed approach. Since 2015, Strides Toronto has served as Toronto’s Lead Agency for Infant, Child and Youth Mental Health, partnering with 21 core service providers to provide system leadership, citywide planning, coordinated service delivery and program alignment. Strides Toronto also leads initiatives with broader reach, including Help Ahead and the HOPE Strategy across Toronto and One Stop Talk / Parlons Maintenant and the Provincial Youth Outreach Worker Program across Ontario.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is an existing vacancy for a full-time permanent Help Ahead Intake Worker position that receives and reviews inquiries and referrals via multiple input channels for mental health services, conducts initial triage to determine eligibility and need, and then routes appropriate clients to Service Navigators for further screening and matching to 22 partner agencies across the City of Toronto.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Respond to inquiries from children, youth, families, core service providers, allied sector partners and other healthcare stakeholders seeking access to child and youth mental health services. Inquiries are received through multiple channels, including phone, email, web-based e-referrals and fax.
• Manage incoming service inquiries through a hybrid approach that includes live telephone response and timely follow-up to voicemail messages.
• Monitor and process inquiries received through multiple channels (e-referral, email, fax, voicemail, chat and web) ensuring responses within 24 hours.
• Engage callers to identify presenting mental-health needs using information shared and professional judgement.
• Document all inquiries, intake activities, and outcomes in real time within the designated e-referral platform and client information system, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and consistency with Help Ahead standards.
• Record demographic details, presenting concerns, eligibility decisions, risk/safety information, consent status, and referral pathways using approved templates, fields, and workflows in the digital system.
• Ensure secure handling of personal health information (PHI) and compliance with agency privacy policies, PHIPA, and sector standards for electronic record keeping.
• Collaborate with Service Navigators, supervisors, and partner agencies by ensuring documentation is shared through the correct digital pathways and contains the information needed for seamless service coordination.

THE “MUST HAVES”

• Completion of a Degree or Diploma in a Human Services–related field (e.g., Social Work, Psychology, Child and Youth Care, Counselling, Social Service Work).
• Three years of experience working with children, youth, and families in mental-health or allied sectors.
• Strong knowledge of child and youth mental-health disorders, symptom presentation, developmental considerations, and functional impacts.
• Trained in crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, and managing safety or high-risk situations.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and strengths-based service approaches.
• Ability to apply a multi-systemic lens, recognizing how education, child welfare, developmental services, health, and community supports intersect with mental-health needs.
• Strong customer-service orientation with excellent interpersonal skills for engaging children, youth, caregivers, families, and service partners.
• Knowledge of platforms and tools relevant to the role (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Microsoft Office, Cisco IP Phone, Cisco Finesse).
• Ability to work independently with sound judgment and initiative, while also collaborating effectively with service providers, cross-sectoral partners, and interdisciplinary teams to support complex cases.
• Understanding of the child and youth mental-health service sector in Toronto, including pathways, service mandates, sector partners, and community supports.

THE ‘NICE TO HAVES’

• Fluency in another language(s), including sign language would be an asset.
• Awareness of the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and within the community being served by the position.
• An understanding of Anti-Black Racism, anti-oppressive/anti-racism perspective in the context of the social determinants of health when working with clients and their families.
• Ability to recognize and identify situations where incidents of and imbalance of power and privilege may occur and can result in possible negative impacts for the client.

BEFORE STARTING WITH US

As our work puts us in direct contact with youth and vulnerable persons in our community, with health and safety as a priority, the successful candidate must complete or obtain the following before commencement of their employment:

• A Vulnerable Sector police check
• A positive police check does not automatically disqualify an applicant for a position with Strides Toronto. The Police Check will be reviewed and evaluated for the purpose of making a decision on suitability for employment in relation to the specific duties and responsibilities of the position being filled