Young Adults With A Developmental Disability Will Be Better Prepared For Life After School

SAULT STE. MARIE – The Ontario government is expanding a mentoring program so that young adults with a developmental disability achieve success in life after school in Sault Ste. Marie, Minister of Community and Social Services Madeleine Meilleur announced today.

“A positive mentoring relationship will help give young people the encouragement and skills they need to reach their potential,” said Meilleur.  “With guidance from someone who is already actively involved in the community, leaving school will be less intimidating and can be a positive growth experience.”

The Passport Mentoring Initiative helps students between the ages of 14 and 21 who have a developmental disability prepare for life after high school by introducing them to a variety of work, education, recreation, training or volunteer opportunities.  Students are paired with experienced, adult mentors who also have a developmental disability. 

Originally introduced in four Ontario communities earlier this year, the Passport Mentoring Initiative has been expanded to include up to 15 students in five Sault-area secondary schools.  By March 2007, the initiative will include 65 students in 25 schools participating in mentoring partnerships in the communities of Peterborough, Alexandria, Tillsonburg, Huntsville and Sault Ste. Marie. 

With input from mentors, school personnel, families, and the mentor coordinators, students will decide what steps they need to follow in order to develop the skills required to achieve their goals.  Mentors and mentor coordinators may also help inform students’ transition plans and enable them to make more informed decisions about community opportunities that can help them grow and develop.

“A mentoring relationship can have an enormous impact on a young person’s life and can help them see the possibilities that exist for them”, said Sault Ste. Marie MPP David Orazietti.  “This program will help students with a developmental disability find positive ways to connect to their community by exposing them to first-hand information from their mentors regarding the services and supports available to them.”

“We are excited to begin working with mentors and school boards to support young adults who are ready to leave school,” said Steffanie Date, coordinator of mentoring for Sault Ste. Marie. 

The Passport Mentoring Initiative is a joint partnership between the Ontario government, the Community Inclusion Project in Ontario It Takes A Village…Where All People Belong funded through the Government of Canada, People First of Ontario and local school boards.  It is a part of the government’s plan to transform developmental services in Ontario and strengthen community supports for people with a developmental disability and their families.

This is one of the many ways the McGuinty government is helping Ontarians with disabilities.  Since 2003, the government has also:

• Passed the Accessibility for Ontarians With Disabilities Act
• Improved employment supports for people who rely on the Ontario Disability Support Program
• Created the first-ever Community Networks of Specialized Care for adults with a developmental disability who also have mental health issues or challenging behaviours.

“We are helping communities work together to build success in the lives of young people,” said Meilleur.  “By investing in these young people today, we are investing in stronger, more inclusive communities for tomorrow.”