Issue 24 – April 2011
2011 Ontario Budget
The 2011 Ontario Budget was released March 29, 2011. Many of you may be wondering how the Budget will affect the developmental services sector.
On April 7, 2011, the Minister of Community and Social Services wrote to the government’s developmental services partners. Her letter outlines the good news that the Budget holds for people with a developmental disability.
The Minister’s letter to developmental services partners
April 7, 2011
I am writing to bring you up to date on the recently announced 2011 Ontario Budget.
As you may know, Ontario is turning the corner to a better tomorrow. The economy is improving and jobs are coming back.
The 2011 Ontario Budget continues our government’s support of Ontario’s economic recovery.
This Budget renews our focus on eliminating the deficit while protecting vital public services such as education and health care, investments that impact all Ontarians, including people with a developmental disability.
Although we are operating on a tight Budget again this year, we are still finding ways to help people who need our help most. This year we are again able to provide a modest increase for people who rely on the Ontario Disability Support Program as well as make critical investments in mental health.
As we continue to transform the developmental services sector, we know there are immediate needs for additional services and supports across the province.
That’s why I was pleased to announce yesterday evening at the annual conference for the Ontario Association on Developmental Disabilities that this year’s Budget includes an additional $40 million for developmental services:
- $15 million to support people who are living at home through Passport and Special Services at Home, and
- $25 million for agencies to provide critical support and stabilize funding to hundreds of people who are in need of urgent care. We are also committing a further $12.5 million for urgent need and crisis situations next year, bringing the total to $37.5 million.
This builds on the investments we made in the 2010 provincial Budget which provided $36.3 million for people with a developmental disability who have urgent support needs and $20 million to support developmental services transformation.
With these new investments, our government has increased funding to the sector by $108.8 million since the 2010 Budget. It’s an investment in the people who benefit from those services and in the families and communities that are enriched by people who have a developmental disability.
You will be hearing more allocation details about this funding in the near future.
Thank you for all the work you do every day on behalf of people with a developmental disability.
Sincerely,
Madeleine Meilleur
Minister of Community and Social Services
You asked us … Developmental Services Ontario
In our last few issues, we told you about the new contact points (referred to as “application entities” in our legislation) for developmental services. We are pleased to let you know that the contact points will officially be known as Developmental Services Ontario.
There’s been a great deal of interest in Developmental Services Ontario from across the sector. You’ve had many questions. Here’s what you need to know:
What can we expect from Developmental Services Ontario?
Starting in July 2011, adults with a developmental disability will be able to use Developmental Services Ontario in their part of the province to apply for services and supports.
Developmental Services Ontario will:
- provide information about and link people to available services and supports
- confirm eligibility for those applying for services and supports for the first time, and
- complete assessments using the new application package to help determine an individual’s service and support needs.
How will Developmental Services Ontario improve the application process?
Right now, the way people apply for developmental services and supports varies widely across the province. Many people go from agency to agency to apply for services. Often people with similar needs get different levels of support depending on how they are assessed, what agency they use and where they are located.
Developmental Services Ontario will:
- give people a single window to apply for services and supports in their communities
- provide information about services and supports
- confirm eligibility using consistent criteria that apply across the province, and
- identify service and support needs by using a provincial application package.
Why is this a better way of applying for service?
Individuals with a developmental disability and their families often have to apply at multiple places for services, filling out different application forms with inconsistent criteria and eligibility rules. Moving to a one-window approach will mean better information and less duplication. Everyone will use the same application which makes our new approach to applying for service more fair.
When will Developmental Services Ontario be up and running?
Developmental Services Ontario will be ready for July 1, 2011. The first business day after the statutory holiday is July 4, 2011.
Where do people with a developmental disability and their families go before Developmental Services Ontario opens?
People will continue to use the current application process in their community.
Which organizations will run Developmental Services Ontario in my region?
| Region | Organization |
|---|---|
| Central East Region | York Support Services Network |
| Central West Region | Sunbeam Residential Development Centre |
| Eastern Region | Service Coordination des services |
| Hamilton-Niagara Region | Contact Hamilton for Children’s and Developmental Services |
| North East Region | HANDS TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca |
| Northern Region | Lutheran Community Care Centre of Thunder Bay |
| South East Region | Extend-A-Family |
| South West Region | Community Services Coordination Network |
| Toronto Region | Surrey Place Centre |
Are you going to expand options for direct funding when you open Developmental Services Ontario?
We know that families want more choice and flexibility to match services and supports that best meet individuals’ needs and abilities. We are looking at new options for direct funding as we transform services for people with a developmental disability, but we won’t be introducing them in July 2011.
Will Developmental Services Ontario decide who gets service and how much?
Developmental Services Ontario will be the single window for adults who are applying for services and supports, and will confirm people’s eligibility for services and supports. Developmental Services Ontario will not be responsible for determining funding amounts or prioritizing who gets service first.
In the future, decisions about service priority and funding levels will be the responsibility of a separate funding body as part of a new process for determining who gets priority for available services and supports. Further details will be available as this work progresses.
Until these funding bodies come into effect, communities will continue to use established mechanisms to decide who gets priority for available services and supports and how much they will receive. However, the ministry will work with communities to improve the consistency in the way these decisions are made across the province.
What will change when Developmental Services Ontario opens in July 2011
| Applying and eligibility for services and supports |
|
| Priority for services and supports |
|
| Identifying service and support needs |
|
What will not change when Developmental Services Ontario opens in July 2011
| Access to services and supports |
|
| Eligibility for services and supports |
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| Funding for services and supports |
|
| Direct funding options for services and supports |
|
Update on the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy
The Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy, a partnership between the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Provincial Network on Developmental Services, continues to make progress in positioning the developmental services sector as a “career of choice” in Ontario. Here’s an update on what’s happening with the various committees and their work:
The Steering Committee is organizing a forum for May 10, 2011. The committee will highlight progress made to date on the strategy as well as unveil next steps for the project, which will include the official launch of core competencies for the sector. Participation from all agencies at the forum is encouraged.
The Agency-based Training Committee and the Awareness and Marketing Committee will submit their final reports to the Steering Committee for review. The Awareness and Marketing Committee is also working hard on developing YouTube videos and a Facebook page – exciting and leading-edge tools that will be used in the future to promote the sector and assist in recruitment.
Core competencies define the skills, abilities and attitudes necessary for all developmental services employees. |
And finally, the Core Competencies Implementation Committee is close to finalizing the guide that will be help agencies adopt the core competencies for developmental services professionals.
Stay tuned for more details about the Developmental Services Human Resource Strategy in the next issue of Spotlight.
Spotlight on inclusion
In this issue, we profile two great examples of inclusion in action. We begin with a story about a project that is helping young women with a developmental disability develop the leadership skills necessary to mentor other women with similar abilities. It is an important story about self-determination. Our second story is about how one agency is using social media to spread the word about inclusion.
We’re always looking for new story ideas, so if you have a story idea about inclusion to share, please send us an e-mail: dstransformation.css@ontario.ca.
Young Women's Leadership Group for Women with Intellectual Disabilities
Barb Hiland, Director of Operations, Community Living Peterborough
With training and education, 10 Ontario young women will become leaders and ambassadors for educating peers, agency staff, communities as well as the provincial and federal governments on the importance of women’s rights, inclusion and self-determination for women living with an intellectual disability.
These young women are part of Community Living Peterborough’s Young Women's Leadership Group. Together, they will develop a model of inclusion which they will present to community stakeholders, including schools and workplaces. The project was awarded $62,596 through the Women’s Community Fund, operated by Status of Women Canada.
From the period of March 2010-March 2012, the project will train these young women to provide mentorship to other women in similar circumstances. The goal is for the women to lead our agency and our communities to support the fruition of fuller lives for women living with an intellectual disability as rightful citizens in the community.
Training was focussed on leadership and presentation skills, developing presentations on women’s rights, inclusion, and building the tools for independent living. The group will design and deliver their own presentations and speak to and promote the recently ratified United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
What program participants are saying:
From Laura Challice:
“I’m proud to be an Ambassador for the Status of Women Canada. I am looking forward to the future endeavors this will bring to me. I have attended several training sessions so far on a variety of subjects including Power Point, women's issues, self defense and public speaking. I thoroughly enjoyed the self defense session. I hope I never have to use it, but I had fun learning it. I am also enjoying meeting new people. I am looking forward to speaking on behalf of women and am very glad to have been picked for this group.”
From Katie Galloro:
“I like learning new skills. I’m enjoying all the guest speakers. I’m looking forward to meeting different people in the community and telling them about myself. It’s going great.”
Promoting inclusion through social media
Keenan Wellar, LiveWorkPlay
Social media is becoming more important in helping create inclusive communities that welcome and accept people with intellectual disabilities. But developmental services agencies are slow to establish an effective social media presence.
With today’s shift to community inclusion, the way agencies communicate — or do not communicate — to build their internal audiences and engage external audiences is critical.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are more than just fun websites — they are vital engagement tools that can help organizations reach beyond traditional audiences. They don’t replace traditional networking, but they can enhance interpersonal experiences and provide opportunities to build networks quickly.
For example, American President Obama’s nomination and election campaigns proved that social media can move millions to action, both people and dollars. Obama reached out through a broad-based social marketing campaign to many formerly disenfranchised and marginalized voters. Many became fervent activists almost overnight.
Executive directors and board members must similarly embrace and use social media as a key tool for persuading people and communities to be inclusive. We need to get ordinary citizens excited about developmental services and extend invitations for them to get involved in ways that include people with intellectual disabilities.
Using social media marketing as a complement to more traditional methods such as meetings, events and mass media marketing has been critical to our success. LiveWorkPlay has more than 2,100 followers on Twitter, more than 2,300 fans on Facebook, and our YouTube channel is now the 32nd most viewed Canadian non-profit channel of all time.
Our volunteer recruitment campaign is a good example of social media at work.
In summer 2009, we wanted to triple our core volunteers from 30 to 90. We thought this would take a year but we reached our goal in less than six months, and we surpassed it. Our initial recruitment was almost all online, and we made it easy for interested individuals to become involved. Volunteers today are coming out in droves and of course, they are connecting our agency, our work and our ideas to their own personal and professional networks.
None of this is rocket science. Many agencies already have staff and volunteer members who are networking experts. We need to extend these practices. If our little grassroots organization can do it, anyone can.
Once you get started, you need to build an online community of existing followers and extend it to their personal and professional networks. It will grow organically, and you will be surprised by unsolicited messages of support, offers of help, and yes, cash donations. There are people out there looking for a cause to believe in. Are you marketing to them, or are you simply communicating?
I’m here to help or connect you with others who can. Find me on Facebook or LinkedIn, or email me at keenan@liveworkplay.ca.
Watch our videos
Farm life suits them fine
In many ways, Domaine Larose is a dream come true. It represents the coming-together of many dreams of creating an alternative opportunity for adults with developmental disabilities.
Domaine Larose is a residence and hobby farm in Eastern Ontario. It is operated by the Prescott-Russell Services to Children and Adults agency. Domaine Larose offers a rural lifestyle and enables residents to experience the satisfaction and pride that comes from productive work.
Watch the Domaine Larose video.
Are you doing something to help people with a developmental disability connect with their community and enjoy a greater sense of belonging? Tell us your story.
Email: tellyourstories@ontario.ca
About the ministry