2024–2025 Services delivered: community-based rehabilitation services
Component: Children’s Rehabilitation Services
Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017
Service description
SmartStart Hubs
SmartStart Hubs are a clear entry point to early identification and special needs services for families with concerns about their child’s development and day-to-day functioning related to development. Through the SmartStart Hubs families’ concerns are explored and families are supported to identify their children’s strengths and functional needs from a holistic perspective. Hubs ensure seamless connections to appropriate further assessments and services, including family-based supports. SmartStart Hubs develop streamlined service pathways with community partners to ensure that the family experience is seamless.
Community-Based Rehabilitation Services
Community-Based Rehabilitation Services (CBRS) includes delivery of speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and physiotherapy (and other complementary services for children and youth with support needs, delivered in community-based settings (including multi-service agencies, community settings, at a family’s home, and/or through virtual approaches). These services are designed to support children’s development and day-to-day-functioning so that they can participate meaningfully at home, school, and in the community; achieve their life course goals; and are set up for success in adulthood.
People served
SmartStart Hubs are expected to serve children and youth from birth until the age of 19, or up to age 21 if they are in school and living in Ontario. SmartStart Hubs will serve children and youth whose families have concerns about their development and/or day-to-day functioning related to development (not driven by mental health concerns alone).
Community-Based Rehabilitation Services are provided to children and youth until 19 years of age, or up to age 21 if they are in a publicly funded school and living in Ontario with physical and/or developmental disabilities, chronic illness and/or communication disorders, or other developmental support needs, and their families.
Program/service features
SmartStart Hubs and CBRS are delivered by multi-service agencies using a holistic approach to meeting the diverse needs of children and youth through services that are culturally-safe and responsive for families of all races and cultures and ensures that all people feel safe when receiving services and supports.
Services are provided within a continuum of supports and interventions reflecting levels and/or intensity of service to address functional needs and meet family-centered goals, with efficient access to services. Rehabilitation services are delivered by multi-disciplinary teams of regulated health professionals and allied service providers that may include: Audiology Rehabilitation Engineering; Social Work; Psychology and Psychometry; and Therapeutic Recreation.
Specific service provided
SmartStart Hubs are delivered according to the SmartStart Hubs: Connecting Families with Child Development Services Policy and Practice Guidelines, 2022 (SmartStart Hubs Guidelines), and include:
- clear entry to/connecting families with child development services information gathering
- connection to service family-based supports
- streamlined service pathways
Community-Based Rehabilitation Services will include the following features
- Access and Intake
- Early Intervention
- Assessment
- Intervention (inclusive of a continuum of Speech-Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Intervention services)
- Supportive transitions
- Child and family-centred service delivery
- Seamless service delivery
- Collaboration and partnerships
- Performance measurement
Services are child and family-centered and support the diverse needs of families in a way that is culturally safe, and promotes equity, anti-racism, and anti-oppression.
Program goals
The goal of the SmartStart Hubs is to be a clear point of entry to children’s development services for parents and caregivers who have concerns about their child’s development and/or day-to-day functioning related to development.
The goal of Community-Based Rehabilitation Services is to support children and youth with rehabilitation services that are flexible, individualized and coordinated so that they can participate meaningfully in school and community and at home, achieve their life course goals, and are set up for success in adulthood.
Ministry expectations
SmartStart Hubs are managed in accordance with the SmartStart Hubs Guidelines, 2022 or any subsequent updated versions (or any other supporting policy documents provided by the Ministry).
CBRS is managed in accordance with the descriptions provided here and the 2023 Preschool Speech and Language and Children’s Rehabilitation Services Guidelines or any subsequent updated versions and any additional supporting documents provided by the Ministry.
Reporting requirements
The following service data will be reported on at an Interim and Final period. Please refer to your final agreement for report-back due dates.
| Service data name | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ministry-funded agency expenditures: CBRS | Total ministry-funded expenses for the Transfer Payment Recipient to administer and/or deliver community-based rehabilitation services in the Funding Year (cumulative) |
| # visits (total): CBRS | The total number of CBRS funded visits with a registered client, whether individually or as part of a group, inclusive of interactions that may be in-person, video, telephone or through electronic communication. Services may include Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech- Language Pathology, Audiology, Rehabilitation Engineering, Social Work, Psychology and Psychometry, and Therapeutic Recreation. A visit is an interaction (greater than 5 minutes) with a client and/or parent/ guardian/ caregiver for the purpose of providing assessment, intervention or consultation. Notes: Interactions for the sole purpose of scheduling is not considered a visit. All visits should be counted regardless of whether it falls on the same calendar day. |
| # of visits (total - Occupational Therapy): CBRS | The total number of CBRS-funded occupational therapy visits with a registered client, whether individually or as part of a group, inclusive of interactions that may be in-person, video, telephone or through electronic communication. A visit is an interaction (greater than 5 minutes) with a client and/or parent/ guardian/ caregiver for the purpose of providing assessment, intervention or consultation. Notes: Interactions for the sole purpose of scheduling is not considered a visit. All visits should be counted regardless of whether it falls on the same calendar day. |
| # of visits (total - Physiotherapy): CBRS | The total number of CBRS -funded physiotherapy visits with a registered client, whether individually or as part of a group, inclusive of interactions that may be in-person, video, telephone or through electronic communication. A visit is an interaction (greater than 5 minutes) with a client and/or parent/ guardian/ caregiver for the purpose of providing assessment, intervention or consultation. Notes: Interactions for the sole purpose of scheduling is not considered a visit. All visits should be counted regardless of whether it falls on the same calendar day. A visit is each occasion when an individual is provided service in a functional centre. |
| # of visits (total - Speech-Language Pathology): CBRS | The total number of CBRS-funded speech-language pathology visits with a registered client, whether individually or as part of a group, inclusive of interactions that may be in-person, video, telephone or through electronic communication. A visit is an interaction (greater than 5 minutes) with a client and/or parent/ guardian/ caregiver for the purpose of providing assessment, intervention or consultation. Notes: Interactions for the sole purpose of scheduling is not considered a visit. All visits should be counted regardless of whether it falls on the same calendar day. |
| # of individuals served (unique): CBRS | The unique number of children and youth that received community-based rehabilitation services in the Funding Year. Services may include Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology; Rehabilitation Engineering; Social Work; Psychology and Psychometry; and Therapeutic Recreation. |
| # of individuals served (Unique - Occupational Therapy): CBRS | The unique number of individuals receiving community-based occupational therapy during the reporting period. If an individual was served in more than one functional centre, they would be counted in each centre. |
| # of individuals served (Unique - Physiotherapy): CBRS | The unique number of individuals receiving community-based physiotherapy during the reporting period If an individual was served in more than one functional centre, then they would be counted in each centre. |
| # of individuals served (Unique - Speech-Language Pathology): CBRS | The unique number of individuals receiving community-based speech-language pathology during the reporting period. If an individual was served in more than one functional centre, they would be counted in each centre. |
| # of individuals waiting for initial assessment: CBRS | The number of children and youth who are waiting for an initial therapy assessment for community-based rehabilitation services (children and youth have a referral date but have not received an initial therapy assessment). |
| # of individuals waiting for service initiation: CBRS | The number of children/youth who are waiting for community-based rehabilitation intervention services to begin (have received an initial therapy assessment, but service has not begun). |
| Average wait time from referral to initial assessment (# of days): CBRS | The average number of days waited for a community-based rehabilitation services assessment (from the referral date to the initial assessment date). The number of days waited for an assessment divided by the number of children and youth who received an initial therapy assessment will give the average wait time for an assessment (on a year-to-date average). |
| Average wait time from initial assessment to service initiation (# of days): CBRS | The average number of days waited from initial community-based rehabilitation services assessment to service initiation (date of the actual first visit). |
| # of individuals referred to CTC services (total) | The unique number of individuals referred to the CTC organization for all services during the reporting period. The referral must be received, and date stamped by the CTC. Report the same data as MIS 8562470 "Referrals to the CTC Organization". |
| # of intake assessments completed (total): SmartStart Hubs | The unique number of individuals for which an intake assessment was completed (intake assessment refers to the occurrence of an exploratory conversation). Total refers to the total number during the reporting period. |
| Average age at intake assessment (months): SmartStart Hubs | The average age of all individuals at intake assessment (where an exploratory conversation was held) during the reporting period. |
| # of individuals at intake assessment (ages 0 to 4): SmartStart Hubs | The number of individuals ages 0 to 4 for which an intake assessment was completed (where an exploratory conversation was held) during the reporting period. |
| # of individuals at intake assessment (ages 5 to 12): SmartStart Hubs | The number of individuals ages 5 to 12 for which an intake assessment was completed (where an exploratory conversation was held) during the reporting period. |
| # of individuals at intake assessment (ages 13 to 21): SmartStart Hubs | The number of individuals ages 13 to 21 for which an intake assessment was completed (an exploratory conversation was held) during the reporting period. |
| # of individuals waiting for intake assessment: SmartStart Hubs | The number of individuals who are waiting to have an intake assessment completed with the SmartStart Hubs (individuals have been referred but have not yet had an exploratory meeting) during the reporting period. |
| Average wait time from referral to intake assessment (# of days): SmartStart Hubs | The average number of days waited for SmartStart Hubs intake assessment (from the referral date to the completion of the exploratory conversation meeting) during the reporting period. |
A supplementary report providing additional information about these services may be required (reporting template and dates to be provided separately).