Employment Specialist

Why work for CMHA York Region?

We deliver quality mental health and addictions services that promote recovery and health, and end stigma.

Our Values:

• Responsive to the needs of our clients, their families, and our communities
• Respectful in how we meet the needs of our clients and staff in each interaction
• Committed to delivering the highest quality of care, every time
• Innovative in our approach to meeting our clients’ and communities’ needs
• Inclusive in how we work and serve our clients

Team Values:

• We create belonging
• We build better
• We deliver

We offer an inclusive, innovative, and high-performance work culture that helps us deliver transformational impact. The organization cares about the growth, safety and well-being of employees and offers:

• Competitive Total Compensation (including salary, benefits, pension)
• HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan)

Learn more about us by visiting: https://cmha-yr.on.ca/careers/

We are looking for Employment Specialists to join our team!

Position: 1 Contract, full-time; 35 hours per week. Contract ending March 31, 2027 - extension likely depending on receipt of additional funding. Evening and weekend availability may be required.

Closing Date: November 24, 2026.

Location: The Employment Specialist will be working primarily in our Aurora Office located at 15150 Yonge Street, Aurora, ON L4G 1M2 and out within the community and will be required to travel within York Region & South Simcoe.

Salary: $52,015-$63,018 per annum, *Candidate experience will be considered when determining the starting salary.

Reason for Posting: An existing vacancy.

Job Profile:

The purpose of the Employment Support program is to support people with mental illness to meet their employment goals, which may include paid employment, volunteering, or education. Team members use bio-psychosocial, recovery, and empowerment approaches, including natural support wherever possible to enable clients to meet their goals.

The Employment Specialist works collaboratively with the client and their care team to assess, plan, develop, coordinate, and provide support. The care team may include employees of CMHA York Region, other community mental health agencies, natural supports, and other health and social service providers. The Employment Specialist is responsible for conducting employment assessments to determine the client’s strengths, needs, and interests in a range of education and work-related areas, providing individual and group support to facilitate the achievement of client goals, and developing partnerships with employers for vocational opportunities.

The Employment Specialist adheres to all organizational policies and procedures, relevant provincial laws, the regulatory requirements of her/his profession, and Empowerment/Recovery principles. This necessarily involves the demonstration of above-average interpersonal skills, problem-solving, anti-racist and anti-oppression practice, confidence in decision-making, relationship building, conflict resolution, and emotional regulation in their work with clients, co-workers, supervisors, and members of the broader community.

Qualifications:

• University Degree or College Diploma in the social service sector
• Post-secondary education in Social Services/Mental Health sector, and/or Career Development
• Registered Vocational Professional is preferred.
• Current registration with any regulatory body under the Regulated Health Professions Act is an asset.
• Diploma or Degree plus experience in a community-based organization working with adults with mental illness in the community.
• Experience working with employers, transitional employment services, and employment readiness.
• Experience working in an adult mental health setting related to employment rehabilitation.
• Familiarity with legislation related to employment, i.e., Employment Standards, Occupational Health & Safety Act, Human Rights Code, WSIB.
• Familiarity with Ontario Disability Support Program and Ontario Works employment supports.
• Familiarity with the Ontario Mental Health Act and mental health reform principles, the Substitute Decisions Act, and the Health Care Consent Act and PHIPA requirements.
• Ability to apply Recovery principles and empowerment-oriented philosophies and practices in work with clients.
• Functions in accordance with relevant Codes of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
• Flexible schedule, including some evening and weekend and on-call rotation.
• Must possess a valid Canadian driver’s license and have a minimum $1,000,000.00 (1 million) third-party liability insurance and proof of insurance coverage of personal vehicle and ability to transport clients.
• A satisfactory and current Vulnerable Sector Screening.
• A second language reflecting the local community is preferred.

Duties:

• Supports clients understand impact of their mental health challenges on their abilities to successfully obtain and sustain employment.
• Collaborate with clients to develop a treatment plan to support them in overcoming the identified barriers to employment.
• Familiar with the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients and is able to respond appropriately in making referrals and providing short-term assistance to clients to help them to manage these symptoms.
• Completes crisis support plans with all clients in the program to support client safety.
• Collaboratively assesses clients’ readiness to pursue vocational goals.

• Develops partnerships with employers for placements, apprenticeships, and volunteer opportunities, providing information and support to employers regarding the skills of those involved in the program, and general information on mental illness.

• Develops partnerships with other employment programs as appropriate.

• Work with clients across the spectrum of readiness for employment, including supporting clients that are interested in employment but in early stages of readiness.
• Arranges translation where required to overcome language barriers.

• Develop resources to be available to the client and provider communities e.g. information regarding scholarship availability, grant programs, training resources, benefit rules, etc.

• Facilitates groups and workshops on employment, mental health in the contact of employment, and life skills

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an individual assigned to the job. This information is not constructed to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel in the job.

This position reports to Manager, People & Teams,

Working Conditions: Office work, community settings, meetings in clients’ home and travel with clients. Periodic / scheduled evening to accommodate client's needs.

Disclaimer: In keeping with mental health reform, best practices, funding and direction this position may later require knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions not noted here.

To request this posting in an alternate format or to request accommodation in the application process, email [email protected]

Application Procedure: If you are interested in this opportunity, please visit https://cmha-yr.on.ca/careers/ and search for Employment Specialist Job Posting, Click on the “Apply Now” button and proceed to upload your cover letter and resume.

Complete the application form and submit the following:

• Cover letter with 300 words or less and tell us why you would want this role and why you should be considered for the position (PDF or Word)
• Resume (PDF or Word) (applications without resumes will not be considered)

CMHA-YRSS is dedicated to promoting employment equity and dismantling obstacles to employment for marginalized communities. CMHA-YRSS supports the journey to mental wellness, and we welcome applicants with lived experience of mental illness. In acknowledgment of the systemic underrepresentation faced by Black, Indigenous, racialized peoples, and those living with disabilities, this opportunity has been developed based on the special program provisions of the Ontario Human Rights Code. We therefore extend invitations for applications from the following groups:

• Racialized Persons
• Indigenous Persons
• Persons living with Disabilities

While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.