Written
by:
Rae Roebuck and Judy Coultes-MacLeod
First Leadership Limited
PART
1: UNDERSTANDING TRANSITIONS
5.
TRANSITION IN THE COMMUNITY
This
section outlines transition planning in the community system
through a discussion of the following:
-
Adult
system reality – this is not an entitlement system and
you need to be prepared;
-
A
description of accessing adult services in Dufferin and Wellington
Counties and the Regions of Halton Peel and Waterloo
The service system is complex, there are many people accessing
the services available and many waiting for supports. The transition
to adult life may be a confusing time. Your child will likely
have to leave behind some of the supports, if not all, they
have become familiar with as an adolescent. You may need to
develop a whole new set of activities, supports and services
that are consistent with your child’s preferences and
interests as
they begin their life as an adult. There may be some services
that will continue to the age of 18 and even beyond (e.g. Special
Services at Home) and some that will not continue (i.e. Assistance
for Children with Severe Disabilities). There are different
supports and services available to a person over the age of
18 - such as the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).
You
need to become knowledgeable about services for adults and how
your child will fit into the system. This is a time for asking
questions. Be sure you know what is going to happen to services
and supports your family is currently receiving and what new
services you may be eligible for as your child becomes an adult.
Use this information as you begin your transition planning process.
As
you make your plans for the future it is important to remember
your child is entitled to service through the publicly funded
education system. Adult services are not based on a system of
entitlement. Both the increased demand for service and government
policies have required agencies to look at serving those persons
in their community who are “most in need”. Practically
this means that while your son or daughter might be eligible
for service in the adult system, they may be on a waiting list
for some time. Being prepared is key to a successful transition,
but it is not a guarantee of receiving the supports and services
that you might expect from the system.
The
following information explains the access process for each of
the communities in Central West Region.
Access in Dufferin County
There
are currently three access agencies in Dufferin County serving
people with a developmental disability: Community Living Dufferin,
Dufferin Child and Family Services and Kerry’s Place Autism
Services.
Each
of these three agencies will help persons with a developmental
disability and their family in the following way:
-
provide
comprehensive information about services and the system;
-
determine
eligibility for service;
-
document
the initial referral information including the types of service
and supports that are being requested; and
-
provide
support to the individual and/or family.
Each
agency has their own range of services and supports. Dufferin
Child and Family Services provides a variety of services and
supports to infants, children and adults. Their services specifically
for people with a developmental disability include the Early
Childhood Development Program, the Community Resource Program,
Respite Services, the Complex Special Needs Support Program
and the Special Services at Home Program. In
addition they provide a variety of outreach, group work and
educational forums. Community Living Dufferin provides a Community
Outreach and After School Activity Program, Employment Programs,
a Learning &
Leisure Program and a Behaviour Therapy Program. It also provides
and supports community living arrangements and housing for adults
who have a developmental disability. Kerry’s Place Autism
Services provides resource information for parents, respite,
residential and day program supports as well as leisure and
recreational activities.
If
you know the agency and service you want then contact them directly.
If you are unsure about what services and supports you want
then you can call any of these three agencies and they will
take your information and make the link to the appropriate lead
agency.
Again,
the following agencies participate in this access process:
-
Dufferin
Community Living
-
Kerry’s
Place Autism Services
-
Dufferin
Child and Family Services
Access in Halton Region
Halton
Coordinated Services Intake was developed to provide an intake
mechanism for families and/or individuals who are seeking services
in the developmental services sector in Halton. One call to
Halton Support
Services provides you with an entry point to any of the participating
developmental services agencies within Halton. However this
does not mean that services will necessarily be available to
meet the needs of families and/or individuals.
Once
a call has been made to Halton Support Services (call HSS at
905-849-8000 or 1-800-600-2013) the family, individual or caregiver
will be connected with the Coordinated Intake Worker who will:
-
take
the initial referral information including the types of service(s)
that are being requested;
-
begin
to make an initial determination of the urgency of needs and
preferences; and
-
help
the family, individual or caregiver in understanding and matching
them with services which might best meet the individual’s
or family’s needs.
After
this call the family/individual will be sent an Application
Information Form to complete along with a request for medical
documentation regarding the individual’s disability. When
HSS receives this information
eligibility for service will be determined and an Intake Worker
will arrange for an information session for the individual and
family. This session will provide information on the developmental
services sector and other
supports in Halton and help the family/individual identify their
needs.
If
the request for support involves residential, day program or
passages services, the completed application information forms
will be reviewed by the Halton Coordinated Services Intake Committee
(HCSIC) which is responsible for the residential selection process
in Halton and for managing the list of individuals waiting for
service. You need to keep in touch with Halton Support Services
if there are any changes in your circumstances that may have
an impact on the referral for service.
The
service providers participating in this access process are:
Access
in Peel Region
There
are several agencies in Peel Region serving people with a developmental
disability that have organized themselves to make access to
the adult service system (non-residential) easier for families.
A family may call any one of the agencies that participate in
the coordinated access and each agency will be able to do the
following:
-
document
the initial referral information including the types of services
and supports that are being requested;
-
provide
information about services and the system; and
-
provide
direction on residential services.
If
the first agency you contact is not the most appropriate to
respond to your needs, they will assist you to connect with
the more appropriate agency.
If
you are interested in residential services for people with developmental
disabilities, you may call any of the six agencies (noted below
as residential) that provide this service. The agency you contact
will assist you in
completing a consumer request profile and then the profile is
added to the waiting list for residential services. When a vacancy
becomes available, an inter-agency committee of service providers
reviews the waiting list to determine who meets the criteria
for the vacancy and is most in need of the residential placement.
Being on the wait list is the only way to access developmental
residential services.
The
following agencies participate in this access process:
-
Brampton
Caledon Community Living (Residential)
-
Peel
Behaviour Services
-
Christian
Horizons (Residential)
-
Peel
Case Management
-
Community
Living Mississauga (Residential)
-
TRE-ADD
(Treatment, Research and Education for Autism and Developmental
Disorders)
-
Family
Services of Peel (Residential)
-
Service
Resolution Peel
-
Kerry's
Place Autism Services (Residential)
-
Peel
Crisis Capacity Network
-
Mary
Centre (Residential)
-
Peel
Wraparound
Access
in Waterloo Region
The
Developmental Services Access Centre (DSAC) – Waterloo
Region serves as the single point of access for adult developmental
services in Waterloo Region. It offers a range of professional
and support services, and can assist individuals and families
in connecting with residential, community participation/Passport
supports, and respite services. Individuals must have a developmental
disability (an intellectual disability and/or an autism spectrum
disorder) in order to be eligible for developmental services.
To
make a referral to DSAC, please call 519-741-1121. When you
call, some basic information will be collected about your needs,
and then you will be connected with an intake worker. This person
will confirm your eligibility for services and obtain information
that will help to get you some initial service. You will then
be connected with the community services and programs that can
support your goals. After you are in the system, you will receive
regular mailings and updates about new events and programs that
may be of interest to you. This will include workshops and programs
targeted for people making the transition from school to adult
life.
Access in Wellington County
Access
Information and Referral (AIR) is the centralized intake and
referral point for Developmental Services in Wellington. AIR,
in conjunction with it’s service partners, provides access
to support to infants, children and
adults with developmental concerns in Wellington County (including
access to Passport). AIR will help answer your questions and
make any referrals you want to the services and supports within
the Developmental Services system. You can contact AIR at 519-824-4015
or toll free at 1-877-216-1116.
The
following agencies participate in this access process:
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