Ontario Government Improving Support for Ontarians with Developmental Disabilities

Media Studio, Queen's Park

Check against delivery

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be able to share with the House today news about some very exciting next steps in our plan to transform and strengthen community-based services for adults with a developmental disability.

Many of you will remember that last September, our government announced a $110 million plan to strengthen community supports for Ontarians with developmental disabilities.

At the same time, we launched a major review of the province's developmental services system to make sure it is fair, accessible and sustainable – and we announced the phasing out of the three remaining residential institutions for adults with a developmental disability by March 31, 2009.

Since then, we have been extremely busy talking to the people that make up our developmental services sector in this province to get their input and ideas so that our plan truly reflects the priorities of people with developmental disabilities and their families.

And while we've been getting their ideas on a whole host of subjects, there are a couple of messages that we got loud and clear:

• we need to move now to strengthen specialized services for people who have the highest needs, and
• we need to move now to create more homes for people to live in the community – not just the people who will be leaving our institutions, but those who live in the community right now and are waiting for a home where they can get the supports they need – a home they can call their own.

So I am very pleased to announce today that the McGuinty government is investing $41 million in a comprehensive plan to strengthen specialized care for people with a developmental disability who have the highest needs and to create 390 new homes in the community through our Home of Your Own initiative.

Our three-part specialized services plan focuses specifically on adults who have a developmental disability as well as mental health issues and challenging behaviours.

These are individuals who often need extra support to cope with serious behavioural disorders, psychiatric illness or behaviour that leads them to hurt themselves or others.

We know there is tremendous demand for such services right now in communities across the province, and in the coming years we are going to have hundreds more people returning to our communities from our facilities.

We intend to be ready for them.

That's why I'm happy to announce that we are taking a bold, new approach to strengthen services for adults with a developmental disability and very high care needs.

Part one of our plan is creating Ontario's first ever community networks of specialized care specifically for these individuals.

• We have lots of experience in Ontario when it comes to specialized services, but even the experts say they can – and must – work together better. That's what these networks will do.

• There will be four regional networks across the province, each staffed by a team of professionals from a range of disciplines, including behaviour therapy, social work, psychology and nursing.
  
• These professionals will pool their clinical expertise to provide the best care available for some of our most challenging clients.

• They will work closely with community agencies, hospitals, police and mental health units to provide a full range of community-based services across the province…services such as clinical assessments, consultations and behaviour therapy.
  
• And they will, for the first time ever in this province, give us a base of leadership for cutting-edge research and clinical care in the field of developmental services.
  
• Ontario is on the leading edge of developmental services research and services but we need to make sure we stay there.
  
• These networks will modernize the way we provide services, to reach more people and take advantage of the newest and best research in the field.

Secondly, our plan makes a three-year, $300,000 investment in recruiting and retaining the young talent who will help us build a better developmental services system in the future.

• This initiative will begin this year with a $100,000 commitment that will support up to 20 students in a variety of health fields during the placement component of their degree or diploma.
  
• They will get on-the-job experience in disciplines such as behaviour therapy, social work, speech language pathology and occupational therapy through placements in designated specialized developmental services agencies across the province.
  
• This investment will enhance opportunities for students to develop the clinical and research skills they need to provide the best in professional care for the next generation of adults with a developmental disability.

As the final part of our specialized services plan, we are creating 90 new homes in the community specifically for individuals who have the highest care needs.

• Some of these homes will provide permanent, 24-hour care to individuals who are at risk of hurting themselves or others .
  
• Others will be transitional spaces for adults who require a safe, temporary placement because they are at risk of hurting themselves or because their current caregiver needs additional training or support.

These new homes are in addition to 300 that we are committing to create for people currently living in the community who have been waiting for a home with the right services and supports to help them live and participate in their communities… a home that they can truly call their own.

And just to be clear, these are on top of the hundreds of places we are going to build for residents of our facilities as they move to community life over the coming years.

Mr. Speaker, we know that providing a strong network of community services is key to making Ontario more inclusive.

That's why we are taking a bold, new approach to strengthen services that will keep Ontario at the cutting-edge of leadership and expertise in developmental services.

Leading-edge networks to provide the best in clinical services.

An investment in the young people who will make our sector the best it can be.

And 390 new homes across Ontario that give adults with a developmental disability a home of their own.

For people with a developmental disability, for their families and for the professionals who support them, this is an exciting time in Ontario.

…A time on which we will be able to look back and say, "Today we took a big step forward in building stronger, more inclusive communities for all Ontarians."