Community Services Coordination Network
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2009-2010
March 31, 2010
P re si de nt’s Me ssage
2009-2010 has been a very busy year for
the CSCN Board of Directors. We have
undertaken our oversight responsibilities
with the greatest respect for the work that
is done by our staff and senior management.
As an organization we continue to strive
for excellence as we work to coordinate
access to various services and supports
with individuals and families across our
catchment area.
We continue to foster very strong relationships with our many service provider colleague agencies. The creativity, flexibility,
and commitment exhibited by our community partners throughout the year results in
the best possible solutions for individuals
and their families.
In 2009-2010 we began working with our
developmental service provider colleagues
to implement the Ministry of Community
and Social Services‟ new Application for
Developmental Services and Supports and
the Supports Intensity Scale©. Completing
this documentation with individuals who
are applying for developmental services is a
very new requirement provincially. Likewise this is a very new process for CSCN
and our many community partners. The
Board of CSCN appreciates the patience
and cooperation of applicants and service
providers alike as our staff work to fine-tune
this process.
With the proclamation of the “Services and
Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of
Persons with Developmental Disabilities
t
Act, 2008”” on the horizon, the Board of
CSCN is bracing for what is certain to be a
very exciting and challenging year ahead.
It is with great appreciation and with no small
regret that I must announce the departure of
two Directors from the Board whose terms
have expired after many years of dedicated
service to CSCN. Pat Ledroit was elected to
the Board on July 19, 2000. Pat has helped
guide our organization through many challenging developmental stages. Over the
years Pat has graciously hosted several Board
retreats and strategic planning sessions. Pat
has long been an enthusiastic supporter of
the WrapAround process. Pat was very instrumental during the introduction and implementation of WrapAround in Ontario.
Maurice Jenkins was elected to the Board on
October 19, 2000. Maurice has quite aptly
represented Huron County on the Board, in
so doing, Maurice has logged many kilometers during his (10 year) tenure travelling to
regular Board meetings and many monthly
committee meetings. Maurice will always be
remembered for bringing his keen sense of
detail to Board deliberations.
On behalf of the Board of Directors I extend
our sincere appreciation to both Pat and
Maurice for their dedicated service on the
Board, our very best wishes to you both!
Denis J. Gadwa
President, Board of Directors
Community Services Coordination Network
Inside this issue:
Executive Director’s Message
Emergency Flexible Funds
Adult Developmental Services
2
2
3
Children’s Services
4
WrapAround
4
CSCN Board
5
About CSCN
6
“On behalf of the Board of
Directors I extend our sincere
appreciation to both Pat and
Maurice for their dedicated
service on the Board, our very
best wishes to you both.”
2009-2010 ANNUAL REPORT
PAGE 2
Exe c uti ve Director ’s Me ssage
As I reflect on the year, it is hard to imagine how quickly the time has passed! In
the area of Adult Developmental Services,
there has been a great deal of activity
aimed at advancing the Ministry of Community and Social Services‟ Transformation agenda. MCSS has implemented a
new and common Application for Developmental Services and Supports across
Ontario. The application process includes
the administration of the Supports Intensity Scale©. This work has been undertaken in Ontario initially with specific
groups of individuals identified by MCSS.
This new work has necessitated the hiring, training and certification of new staff
at CSCN who will complete these new
tools. This was a very challenging time.
Individuals, their families and agency staff
gave generously of their time to assist in
the implementation of this initiative. We
are most grateful to the families and our
agency colleagues for their unwavering
assistance and support.
In the Children‟s Services area, we were
successful in receiving a grant through
the Child Welfare Secretariat to contribute to the continued evolution of Alterna-
tive Dispute Resolution strategies.
This work has been enriched by our
willing and supportive partners in the
Child Welfare system. The grant is
intended to increase the use of nonCourt options in the Child Welfare
system. We are pleased with our
early outcomes, and remain optimistic
that the findings of this project will
ultimately support this practice shift.
Our Board of Directors, Senior Management and agency staff members
have worked very hard this year to
continue to keep „many balls in the
air‟. Our complex and diverse workload continues to challenge us to
manage diverse responsibilities and
competing demands within an economic environment that is uncertain.
Our agency continues to rely upon
the strong and committed network of
partners in both the Children‟s and
Developmental Services systems. We
are fortunate to have developed and
sustained so many positive, collegial
relationships as we collectively serve
some of the most vulnerable members of our collective communities.
We are very pleased to be celebrating our
10th year of collaborative service planning
with Health Units/Healthy Babies Healthy
Children programs in the counties of Oxford, Elgin, Huron and Perth
In the coming year, we can anticipate
many more significant challenges! As ever,
we will continue to rely upon our diverse
and talented Board to mark the path for
the agency. Our outstanding Management and Staff team will continue to utilize
their skill and expertise to embrace the
many new directions we will be asked to
take. We have every confidence that our
Board and staff Team at CSCN will continue to meet the challenges that they face
by providing high quality service that is
both responsive and person focused.
Liz Prendergast
Executive Director
Community Services Coordination Network
Eme rge ncy Fle xi ble F undi ng
Emergency Flexible Funds are allocated
annually by the Ministry of Community
and Social Services. These flexible resources are intended to address the immediate needs of an individual with a
developmental disability who is in crisis
or nearing crisis. The funds are allocated
to support the implementation of an interim support plan while a longer-term
sustainable plan can be developed.
As in previous years, emergency flexible
funding was used to assist individuals
and families to address a variety of needs.
The supports that were made possible as
a result of access to this flexible funding
are not otherwise available in the Ministry of Community and Social Services
continuum of funded services.
During the 2009-2010 fiscal year, a total
of 88 requests for Emergency Flexible
Funding were approved across the
CSCN five county catchment area. This
represents an increase of 9 approvals
over the previous fiscal year.
Flex fund requests are reviewed by the
(adult) Service System Resolution Team
in each community. If the Team ap-
proves the request, funding can be
made available almost instantly in order
to address the emergency.
We would like to express our appreciation to members of the Service System
Resolution Teams for their dedication
and for bringing their experience, expertise and insight to the process throughout the year.
COMMUNITY SERVICES COORDINATION NETWORK
PAGE 3
P assport Ini ti ative
Passport is an initiative introduced by the
Ministry of Community and Social Services a number of years ago. Passport
funding is intended to enhance opportunities for young adults who have a developmental disability, who have left school.
The Community Services Coordination
Network is the Passport delivery agency
across the agency‟s five county catchment area.
At the end of the 2009-2010 fiscal year
there were 184 applicants on the community waiting list for Passport funding
broken down as follows:
London-Middlesex
Oxford County
Elgin County
Huron County
Perth County
58
30
26
12
58
There are currently 105 individuals receiving Passport funding across the five
counties.
To date there has been no announcement by the Ministry of Community and
Social Services regarding an additional
investment of resources in the Passport
Initiative for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
money, individuals and families continue to report that the Passport Initiative has made a remarkable difference
in their lives.
The total Passport funding allocation for
the CSCN 5 county catchment area for
the 09-10 fiscal year totaled $1.25M.
Individuals wishing to apply for the
Passport program can contact the CSCN
London office for more information.
Using relatively small amounts of
Adul t Accommodation Supports
During the 2009-2010 fiscal year a total
of 29 individuals were able to access an
accommodation support across the CSCN
catchment area. This represents 10 individuals in London-Middlesex, 4 in Oxford,
4 in Elgin, 8 in Huron, and 3 in Perth
County.
The number of individuals wishing to
access an accommodation support was
substantial. At fiscal year-end there were
a total of 584 individuals on a community
waiting list for an accommodation support. This represents an increase of 34
individuals (6.2%) over the previous
year.
Broken down by county the waiting list
figures are as follows:
London-Middlesex
Oxford County
Elgin County
Huron County
Perth County
298 (51.0%)
75 (12.8%)
77 (13.2%)
81 (13.9%)
53 ( 9.1%)
De vel opme ntal Ser vice s Tr ansfor mati on
In 2008, the Ontario government
passed the Services and Supports to
Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons
with Developmental Disabilities Act,
2008. It received Royal Assent on October 8, 2008. When it is fully in place, the
new Act will replace the Developmental
Services Act, which is more than 35
years old.
This year the Ministry of Community
and Social Services introduced a common Application for Developmental
Services and Supports that is currently
being implemented across the province.
The application process includes the
administration of the Supports Intensity
Scale© or SIS©.
The SIS is a tool designed (by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) to measure the
relative intensity of support that each
person with a developmental disability
requires to fully participate in community life.
The SIS is intended to be used in conjunction with person-centred planning
processes to assist planning teams to
develop individualized support plans
that are responsive to the needs and
choices of persons with disabilities.
The new application and assessment
process will be consistent, fair and standardized for each region. Everyone
(across Ontario) will use the same tools
and meet the same standards.
The Community Services Coordination
Network has responsibility for implementing this new application process in
London-Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin,
Huron, Perth, Grey, and Bruce Counties.
2009-2010 ANNUAL REPORT
PAGE 4
Chil dre n Se rvice s Data
During the 2009-2010 fiscal year a total
of 630 new records were opened at
CSCN for children and adolescents.
Throughout the 09-10 fiscal year the
Community Services Coordination Network tracked 1,774 residential admissions to Merrymount Children‟s Centre.
232 Local Resolution meetings were
convened by CSCN and 192 children
and adolescents were reviewed by a
Service System Resolution Team.
Local Resolution Teams are responsible
for meeting with children and their parents/guardians for the purpose of creating comprehensive individualized, community based plans, that will address
identified needs.
Where a period of residential based
service is recommended, it is the role of
the Local Resolution Team to develop
an interim support plan while the child
and family await a residential admission.
representative of the many services and
supports that families have contact
with. Thank you very much to the individuals and organizations that commit
countless hours to the Resolution process.
The Local Resolution Team is responsible for referring individuals requiring
residential based services to the Service
System Resolution Team. This Team is
responsible for determining which residential program (funded by the Ministry
of Children and Youth Services) will be
best able to address the needs of the
child and family.
Membership on Resolution Teams is
Wr apAround
The 2009-2010 fiscal year was once
again a year of both challenges and
remarkable outcomes for the WrapAround initiative.
This marked the completion of the 5th
year of a venture with the CAS of London & Middlesex to provide joint support to complex families using the WrapAround model. Outcomes continue to
be very positive.
We are very pleased that WrapAround
principles and values continue to be
offered as part of the core curriculum in
both the Social Service Worker & the
Child and Youth Worker programs at
Fanshawe College. Facilitator training
for the students is delivered by CSCN
staff.
Our partnership with the London Intercommunity Health Centre, Immigrant
Seniors WrapAround program continues. WrapAround Facilitators receive
both training and coaching through
CSCN.
During Children‟s Mental Health Week
the Elgin WrapAround Community
Team held a fundraising luncheon at
the St. Thomas Public Art Gallery. The
highlight of the event came when the
keynote speaker ( a mother who had
participated in the WrapAround process) spoke about her journey through
WrapAround, and the remarkable impact the process had on her and her
CSCN i s F unde d By
Ministry of Community and Social Services
Ministère des Services Sociaux et Communautaires
Ministry of Children and Youth Services
Ministère des Services à l‟enfance et à la jeunesse
family. The event raised $1,400 that will
be used to provide WrapAround facilitation in Elgin County.
On any given day in Oxford, Elgin, and
London-Middlesex we continue to support approximately 65 children and
their families through the WrapAround
process.
COMMUNITY SERVICES COORDINATION NETWORK
PAGE 5
Comple x Speci al Ne e ds Fle xi ble F unding
In 2005 the Ministry of Children and
Youth Services (MCYS) initiated a planning process for children and youth
with Complex/Multiple Needs. A major
theme that emerged from this planning
process was the need for flexible funding to support ongoing family resiliency.
In October of 2005, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services made flexible
funding available across the region.
This funding continues to date. The
funding is available to access mechanisms to assist the children and families
that they work with on a short-term
basis until they are able to access other,
longer-term supports.
These invaluable resources are most
often used to mitigate crisis and/or allow time to engage other services and
supports that have been identified.
70. This represents an increase of five
over the previous fiscal year (65).
Families continue to report that access
to relatively small amounts of flexible
funding can make a huge difference
during a time of considerable need.
The current funding for the five counties in the CSCN catchment area totals
almost $148,000. In 2009-2010 the
number of children and families that
accessed these flexible resources was
CSCN Boar d of Di rec tor s
President
Denis Gadwa
Maurice Jenkins
Vice President
Celia MacDonald
Ada Khot
“Volunteers are not paid,
Secretary
Liz Prendergast
Pat Ledroit
Treasurer
Wes DeShane
Dr. Dev Sainani
not because they are
worthless because they are
Directors
Judy Andrigo
Barb Sonier
Barb Desjardins
Paul Willoughby
CSCN - Agency Revenue
MCSS/MCYS
Non-Operating
(Special Projects)
65%
MCSS/MCYS
Operating
12%
Other
23%
priceless.”
Anonymous
Community Services Coordination Network
171 Queens Avenue, Suite 750
London ON N6A 5J7
Phone: 519.438.4783
Fax: 519.673.1509
Toll Free Phone: 1.877.480.2726
Toll Free Fax: 1.877.462.1509
E-mail: [email protected]
www.cscn.on.ca
www.wraparound.ca
About CSCN
The Community Services Coordination Network (CSCN) is a
not-for-profit charitable organization funded by the Ontario
Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ontario
Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
The key function of CSCN is to coordinate access to various
services and supports for adults with a developmental disability, and for children and adolescents with complex needs
that may require a response from more than one service
provider.
Participation in the CSCN process is required for children and
adults with a developmental disability who are pursuing
accommodation supports and for children and adolescents
seeking admission to a residential based treatment program or
to the WrapAround process.
Our role is to link individuals and families to appropriate services and supports in their community. The work of CSCN is
intended to augment not replace the good planning that is
done by our service provider colleagues across the area.
CSCN does not provide direct service. We are part of a planning team that includes the individual, their family and various
service providers.
CSCN serves a five county catchment area that includes: London-Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin, Huron, and Perth Counties.
Mission Statement
CSCN assists families to access services for children with mental health needs and
children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Charitable Registration Number: 14098-2571-RR001