On May 18, 2005, as part of its commitment to transform the developmental services sector in Ontario, the provincial government announced a $41 million plan to strengthen community-based services for adults with a developmental disability who require specialized care.  

These services are specifically meant to serve individuals who have a developmental disability and also have to deal with mental health issues and challenging behaviours that may seriously affect their quality of life. They often need extra support to cope with eating disorders, psychiatric illness or behaviour that leads them to hurt themselves or others.

Community Networks of Specialized Care

The Community Networks of Specialized Care are a key component of the government's specialized services plan.  The networks will be collaborative systems – community agencies, mental health service providers and developmental services professionals working together to better coordinate access to specialized services, improve the way services are delivered and promote professional development through increased sharing of research and training.

In the coming months, the eight agencies that have been chosen to lead the networks will begin to work with developmental services and mental health professionals in their regions to bring together and strengthen supports for adults with a developmental disability who have high care needs.  In addition, the networks will be developing strategies to strengthen specialized services provincewide.

Areas of Service

• The networks will focus on the following areas of service:
• Specialized consultation and assessment – acting as a resource to evaluate individual needs and help find new supports so clients have continuity of care when their needs change
• Specialized behavioural services – multidisciplinary  teams of psychologists, social workers, nurses, behaviour therapists and other professionals who can assess and design supports to address unique behavioural needs
• Crisis response services – making intervention services available when urgent situations arise unexpectedly
• Specialized case management services – developing personal support plans and then locating, managing, coordinating and monitoring all of the services that an individual receives to meet the needs outlined in the plan
• Specialized day and residential treatments – physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, community outings, sensory stimulation, and assistance with activities of daily living.

Ontario's Specialized Services Plan

The government's $41-million specialized services plan includes:

• Four Community Networks of Specialized Care that will provide a strong foundation of coordinated supports
• The Ontario Developmental Services Career Connections Grant to help recruit and retain professionals with clinical expertise to work in developmental services
• Creating 90 new specialized residential spaces, over the next two years, for individuals who are already living in the community and have a dual diagnosis – developmental disability and a mental health issue/challenging behaviours.  These spaces are in addition to the $70 million investment the government announced on September 9, 2004, to create new homes for individuals who will be leaving the three provincially-operated facilities over the next four years.

The plan for specialized services is based on recommendations the government received from individuals with a developmental disability and their families, agencies serving people with a developmental disability, and health and clinical professionals in the field.