STRENGTHENING SCARBOROUGH FOR YOUTH AND THEIR …youthlink.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Strategic-Plan-2016-19-Mar… · donors, and thus our ability to communicate with them for

STRENGTHENING SCARBOROUGH FOR YOUTH

AND THEIR FAMILIES TO THRIVE

STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-19

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This Strategic Plan has been developed to guide the agency’s direction from 2016 to 2019. Its effective implementation will result in greater stability and resilience for youth and their families. We will see their positive life choices and a stronger community for the mental health and well-being of all.

Over the next three years YouthLink will1. Maintain visible, quality, youth and family-centred services in Scarborough2. Collaborate and partner for collective impact3. Develop YouthLink as an organization so we can serve the community better4. Engage the community5. Help youth transition to meaningful employment, education and stable housing6. Excel in governance

BACKGROUND

The results of implementing our 2012 – 2015 Strategic Plan demonstrate YouthLink’s ability to deliver on our plans. The earlier plan focused on client services that improve their quality of life, funding stabilization, branding and marketing, information technology, inter-site communications, collaboration, and organizational development.

The guideposts then were• Youth and family centredness• On-the-spot advice to those on waiting lists• Higher standards• Improving client outcomes• Theory and evidence• More and better data• Organizational development• Minding the dollars • Taking risks when some funds were cut • Making our work outcomes visible to our colleagues

YOUTHLINK STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2019

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• Updated health and safety, client services, fi nance and governance policies• Performance management system• Organizational re-structuring• Human resource functions• Salary survey • Complete refresh of YouthLink’s Information Technology infrastructure• New staff computers • Upgraded software including the ACCPAC fi nance, CYSIS and BCFPI to a web

based platform• Room and meeting booking system implemented• Standardized IT tools

YOUTHLINK’S FUTURE ENVIRONMENT

Delivering on strategy will take a unifi ed commitment, by the Board and all staff, to deliver on our priorities within the environment we face. Aligning our individual will, intentions, and actions into a coordinated force for change will enable us to make progress and sustain our impact, improve client and community outcomes and strengthen our organization over time. Here is what we can expect to face in the years ahead.

STRENGTHENING SCARBOROUGH FOR YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES TO THRIVE

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By the end of 2015…

YouthLink improved client outcomes through innovative programs that build on youth and family strengths, and improve educational and employment outcomes. YouthLink continued to make an impact on the diverse communities we serve through intensive work with families that has helped people cope more effectively, feel better, improve relationships and strengthen their family life.

All facilities were upgraded. Pathways moved into a new location, doubling its space. All co-op houses and the residence were upgraded. We created a youth space and built new offi ces at our main location at 747 Warden Avenue.

A real estate review began that will act on the Board’s 2005 decision to centralize services in Scarborough.

The organizational framework was strengthened through the following initiatives that are now embedded in our work routines:

EXTERNAL

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services’ initiative ‘Moving on Mental Health’ is in the initial implementation phases. A lead agency, East Metro Youth Services, has been appointed and work has begun on reforming the mental health system. We expect to see substantial changes in the intake process, communications, fi lling of service gaps, collection of data, and the funding model. The Ministry will be supporting evidence-informed practices and programs that demonstrate results. In addition, the newly appointed lead agency creates a means for organizations to infl uence Children’s Mental Health services.

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services will soon release the results of its Review of Ontario’s Child and Youth Residential Service System. The Ministry of Community and Social Services has launched a review of the province’s system to support persons with disabilities. Results are expected in a few years. All elements of both systems are open to recommendations for change.

The United Way of Toronto and York Region is restructuring its funding model to be more inclusive of all agencies, not just those that have been members for many years. All agencies who would like United Way funding must now submit an application. . It is too early to know whether YouthLink will continue to receive the same level of funding as it has for many years.

Pathways Canada has also experienced funding challenges that has required it to reduce the amount of scholarship funding to youth.

All funders and major donors are interested in organizational impacts. Articulating outcomes can be an enabler for further fundraising. Over the next three years, as YouthLink delivers on its strategic goals, consideration must be given to articulating the impact and infl uence YouthLink has on the Scarborough community.

Within the shifting provincial and local funding models, and a greater emphasis on outcomes measurement, we must partner more effectively with others to share expertise and leverage limited resources.


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There will be initiatives aimed at strengthening the capacity and engagement of Boards of Directors, agency staff, youth and their families. Youth engagement, youth-led and strengths-based approaches, and innovative use of technology such as social media are fi nding fertile ground in the sector.

Innovative programs, although successful, are being delivered by agencies that often do not have the ability to sustain, replicate, or disseminate these programs. Sustainability of local providers, including the very organizations with whom YouthLink is in partnership or may wish to collaborate with, will continue as an issue.

INTERNAL

YouthLink benefi ts from a history of Board and staff coordination that has made ours a nimble, fl exible organization that applies and follows a truly strategic approach to planned growth. This is shown through the policies, practices, organizational structure, systems, tools and facilities, and strong connections with other agencies that are now in place to better support the delivery of YouthLink’s programs and services and strengthen Scarborough. Maintaining these gains while focusing on a new set of internal realities over the next planning horizon will be key. The following are among these new internal realities:

strengthening our connection to sustained and measurable service that improves the lives of youth, families and the larger community. We must fi nd the ways to measure such program outcomes, despite the diffi culty of doing so because progress can be incremental. We must also articulate that impact in the community repeatedly, to cultivate the moral, program and fi nancial support needed to expand our reach and grow our programs.

Establishing YouthLink’s real estate portfolio in Scarborough over the next three years creates a major focal point for addressing some of these challenges. It will also be disruptive and must be managed well to contain any unforeseen effects on client service and staff morale.

At the Board level, efforts are also needed to increase the representation of persons with not-for-profi t knowledge, skills and experience.


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Our current connections to the Scarborough business community and prospective major donors, and thus our ability to communicate with them for ongoing fi nancial and program support, are weak relative to where they need to be.

Unreliable funding from these local sources and the province undercuts YouthLink’s ability to attract, retain and train staff, including ones related to key positions critical to our success. To offset this weakness, to the degree resources allow, staff must and will be engaged in deepening YouthLink’s commitment to community impact. Vital to their engagement and our organization’s future is further

VISION, MISSION AND VALUES

A new vision and mission is needed to guide YouthLink’s work and manage the expectations of all stakeholders, including funders, donors, agency partners and clients, in the current environment. The lynchpin to our strategy for the coming three years is to improve how well audiences understand the benefi t to the community to be gained from our record of service to individual youth and families.


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Vision: A Stronger Scarborough Where all Youth and Families Thrive

Mission: YouthLink joins with youth, families and partners to highlight and develop strengths, aspirations and positive actions that improve the health and well-being of all who live, work, study and play in our community.


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Leadership, Humanity, Innovation, Respect, Excellence

YouthLink’s core values defi ne what we stand for and how we operate, helping us to work together in the most fulfi lling ways.

We value Leadership, acting in ways that exemplify what we expect of each other and of our clients. We work together, bringing out the best in each other and creating strong working relationships. Our professional ethics are evident in all the work we do and decisions we take.

We value Humanity and show consideration for people, their abilities, skills, diversity and perspectives. We create an inclusive workplace that celebrates individual differences and through our actions demonstrate empathy, goodwill and honesty.

We value Innovation demonstrating fl exibility and changeability in adapting to our work and community dynamics. We show courage in developing service initiatives that will improve the well-being of our clients and their families.

We Respect people for who they are and for their knowledge, skills and experience as individuals and team members. We treat clients with respect and fairness and encourage the same in return.

We value Excellence demonstrating competence and accountability in delivering client services. We display clear judgment, exhibit clear thinking and reasoning in all situations. We continually strive to accomplish all tasks and provide an outstanding service for our clients.

Our Values

PROGRESS MEASURES

YouthLink will apply the following measures to assess and indicate advancement on its mandate and mission while keeping in line with its values.

FINANCIAL

The total dollar value of government contracts and grants• The total value of donations (including gifts in kind) and number of donors to • YouthLinkThe number of unique funding sources• The total number and dollar value of grant proposals submitted• A balanced budget •

CLIENT (principally among persons aged 12 to 24)

Supportive Social Connections

The number of youth who progress and engage with teachers, family and their own • peers, and/or become involved in recreational, civic and community activities

Housing

The number of youth who are diverted from residing in precarious housing to residing • in stable housing

Engagement in Learning

The number of youth who complete their courses and/or credits, graduate and move • on to job readiness, job seeking or further training or education

COMMUNITY

Brand recognition at the community level through the number of public education • and community meetings offered by YouthLinkThe number of participants, including staff, who attend events that raise awareness • about YouthLink’s impact, outcomes and servicesYouthLink’s attendance at events organized by others and social media connections • that broaden YouthLink’s sphere of infl uence


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INTERNAL Quality

Client satisfaction with YouthLink services as measured through surveys, or other • means of assessing service satisfaction Assessment of the results against established social determinants of health to • determine shortfalls, issues and areas for improvement

Organizational Integration

Better coordination of our service delivery with community partners, resulting in a • seamless continuum of service that is easily navigated by clients, and achieves economies of scale, effi ciencies and outcomes for YouthLink that are greater than would otherwise be the case.Where possible and practical, the Collective Impact model will be followed to • deepen our relationships with community partners. This model calls for the setting of a common agenda, agreement on performance measures, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous partner communications and cooperation with a coordinating body. A current example is the Youth Suicide Prevention Planning Group.

LEARNING AND GROWTH

Recruitment and retention of a suffi cient number of qualifi ed Board members• Representation on the Board from the communities we serve• Youth representation on the Board and on the Youth Advisory Committee• The number of employee trainings and professional development sessions attended • by staff each year


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STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 2016-20181. Maintain Visible, Quality, Youth and Family-Centered Services

in Scarborough

o Implement Client Voice, a client feedback and satisfaction tool o Utilize the Youth Advisory Committee to gain feedback on programs, services,

and strategieso Prepare and analyze client feedback and quality assurance reportso Improve the navigability of our systems and resources for our clientso Through innovative programming, address the underlying causes of poverty in

our community

2. Collaborate and Partner for Collective Impact

o Work with the Lead Agency to develop a Toronto-wide system for enhanced delivery of children’s mental health services with a service path that considers enhancements to intake, identifi es service gaps, common data collection, and communications

o Seek out partnerships that can reduce costs, lead to growth and strengthen and support our delivery of programs

o Grow, develop or maintain partnerships with key stakeholders such as TDSB, hospitals, universities, police, public health, Scarborough Renewal project (SCRO), and other agencies

o Implement the Youth Suicide Prevention Plan for Toronto using the collective impact framework

o Play an active leadership role in community events and projectso Leverage other services that will benefi t our clients

3. Develop the Organization for Enhanced Service Capacity

o Implement the real estate plan for YouthLink that builds on the Board’s 2005 decision to move all services to Scarborough

o Integrate all YouthLink staff and activities; enhance our abilities to operate the agency as a client-centered, evidence-informed, quality-focused, seamless circle or continuum of service

o Measure the current and future organizational culture of YouthLink. Identify its strengths and act on areas that need improvement

o Develop a business continuity and contingency plan for services and systemso Create an annual staff development plan for the agency that builds staff leadership

skills and opportunities for learningo Acquire or upgrade fund development software to track donors, and to research

potential donors and their giving patternso Upgrade Human Resource software


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o Upgrade or replace the current phone systemo Ensure budget planning and monitoring, making adjustments as needed in order

to be fi nancially stable

4. Engage the Community

o Defi ne the YouthLink brando Develop a marketing strategy defi ning markets and methods of reaching our

target markets. Align with fundraising strategyo Identify key messages that will form the core of YouthLink’s marketing strategyo Identify champions who can assist YouthLink in raising funds or increasing the

profi le of YouthLinko Examine and implement, where feasible, emerging technologies such as social

media that will connect YouthLink to its funders and to its clientso Establish a President’s Circle to advise on the best approaches to connecting

YouthLink to the Scarborough business community and to potential donorso Investigate social enterprise opportunities by identifying ideas and building a

business case that supports potential initiativeso Track results of marketing efforts and whether these efforts results in increased

community impact, better community relations, increased fundraising, and awareness among potential clients

5. Help Youth Transition to Meaningful Employment, Education and Stable Housing

o Increase program emphasis on transitioning youtho Work with transitioning youth to prepare them for employment, education and

stable housingo Identify marginalized groups and those at risk to offer safe, supportive services o Evolve and innovate our services to increase our effectiveness in serving currently

underserved and marginalized communities o Offer programs that build skills among individuals with developmental

disabilities o Offer programming to build youth leadership skills and civic engagement

6. Excel in Governance

o Ensure best governance practices are applied o Recruit and engage qualifi ed Board members who refl ect the communities

YouthLink serveso Ensure quality assurance reports are prepared as required, align with the CCA

accreditation standards, and are reviewed by the Board.o Ensure appropriate governing policies are in place and up-to-date


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747 Warden Ave.Scarborough, Ontario M1L 4A8

www.youthlink.ca

Documents

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