Diana Morgan, a Youth Worker in our Group Living program, knew she wanted to start her career at Boyle Street Community Services well before Boyle hired her. Diana's desire to be a part of the team ignited nearly four years ago when she began her assigned social work student practicum at Boyle Street.
“I was very lucky to get the experience that I did so early,” Diana noted. “It was extremely valuable to get such a good, supportive workplace. You learn about the traumas in class, but seeing it first hand and how it truly impacts folks was so important. I learned quickly that those we serve at Boyle Street are great people who have run into difficult times. It really humanized the issues - especially early on in my career - I was privileged to hear their stories.”
Diana worked in four departments across the organization after the completion of her practicum. But she said ID services, a bridge program that connects those the organization serves to other supports, gave her a sense of the true extent of the work that Boyle Street does.
“One of my favorite things about Boyle Street is that all the departments work together to support people. They make it as easy as possible to support folks and get their challenges addressed,” Diana said.
Diana was quick to add that she loves the work because of the freedom and support she feels in the workplace.
“Managers have an open door policy. They give you the chance to make a mistake without feeling like you are being punished. Having a supportive manager allows you to enjoy the work, even though it is hard work. It also helps that the people that you work with share your values, care about you, and have good humour!”
Today, Diana supports children through her work in the Group Living program. Programs like this provide a safe and loving home for children who are in care. The well-being of the children we serve drives every decision we make in these programs, a value that is critical to Diana.
“Every single worker cares about the children that we serve. We are a very diverse staff group but where we are united is our care for the kids in our program.”
“We regularly come together as a staff group and share our perspectives on what we think is best for those we serve. While our managers have final say, they truly listen to the input from the frontline staff which is important to me,” added Diana.
Another value important to Diana is Boyle Street’s commitment to incorporating Indigenous culture and ceremony into its service provision. She named it as an example of the inclusivity she has consistently experienced while working in the organization. “We incorporate Indigenous meals, medicine and opportunities to connect with a kokum into all of our programs. It may seem small but it can make a major difference for the children.”
She continued, “I’m proud to work for Boyle Street because it is a non-discriminatory, non-judgmental place of work – our managers consistently model behaviour of inclusivity.”
Diana closed our conversation by sharing a story which she felt described what it was like to be a Boyle Street employee.
“At one point my current contract was ending and I wasn’t sure if another opportunity was going to come available. Manager at the time made sure that I was included in an important training opportunity even though it wasn’t a guaranteed that I would have had a job. It told me that I was valued and that my contributions were valued.”