SMALL STEPS, NEW CONNECTIONS

REBECCA, RESOURCE & INFORMATION CENTRE CLIENT.

April 19^th, 2018.

Rebecca has had a long and varied career, focused on helping others. She has training and experience in several diverse areas of wellness, including psychotherapy, meditation and mindfulness, student and bereavement counselling, art therapy and outdoor education.

From 2011 to 2014, she lived in Indonesia, working as a therapist. She planned to practice in Canada again upon her return; but, during her absence, psychotherapy became a regulated profession. She felt the conditions for her certification were onerous, so, effectively, she was no longer able to practice.

To continue having meaningful work, Rebecca’s goal was to transition into a related field, where she could use her extensive training and experience. However, although she actively sought work, and even temporarily made a major relocation, she was constantly deemed over- or under-qualified.

Experiencing an extended period of precarious living and housing, Rebecca turned to Belinda's Place, which offers services and supports to women who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. Now a client, she offered her talents as a volunteer, showcasing her considerable skills to staff. Subsequently, she was referred to Seneca Employment Services, through which she secured initial employment in food preparation at a local grocery store. Regular employment made her eligible for transitional housing and resulted in a work reference, two key milestones in her effort to re-establish herself.

Moving toward her goal, Rebecca became a peer support volunteer, acting to ease pressures on professional social workers. It came to her attention that some senior peer support workers are compensated, suggesting a new path to employment. This led to her current part-time employment as a Peer Support Specialist at “310 COPE”, York Region’s Community Crisis Response Service.

As for her experience with Seneca Employment Services, the most valued feature was her relationship with staff in the Resource and Information Centre. They were simpatico and, as she says, "I was really being heard.” And in terms of updating her job search expertise: “What really helped was coming in and doing the interview skills part ...” because she “still believed old things about interviews.”

She further praised the staff at Seneca for their “knowledge of the market, connections to employers, and really listening to what you're looking for.” Overall, it made her feel “relaxed and supported … like I was being interviewed by a community member and a friend. It's very warm here … The people here are connected to their work and are a community. It felt effortless."

With her goal in sight, she is currently pursuing a full-time position as a Facilitator at a drop-in peer support group. As “an empathetic, compassionate and empowering counsellor and peer-support specialist with progressive experience in counselling,” she is ever closer to reaching that goal.

Finally, Rebecca feels that she has achieved her new connections, experience and employment by taking small, consistent steps, and would encourage others to do the same.

The Resource and Information Centres at Seneca’s Workforce Skills Centres are drop-in spaces, making available computer resources, assistance with resumes, job search, and referral to an Employment Consultant. Get started by dropping in today. www.workforceready.ca.