Component: Complex Special Needs

Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017

Service description

The purpose of Complex Special Needs funding is to provide

  • additional service(s) that fall within the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ mandate to eligible children/youth whose complexity of need is beyond the capacity of the family and local services to address
  • evidence-informed, outcomes-focused services/supports, which are reviewed for each child/youth annually, to decrease health and safety risks of children/youth

People served

Children/youth and their families who have ministry approved Complex Special Needs funded individualized service plans.

Program/service features

Complex Special Needs funding is for/to provide

  • service(s) that fall within the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services’ mandate
  • children/youth with complex special needs, whose complexity of need is beyond the capacity of the family and service system to address
  • evidence-informed, outcomes-focused supports, which are reviewed annually, to decrease health and safety risks of children/youth

Specific service provided

Individualized Complex Special Needs service plans may include full-time or part-time out-of-home (residential) placements, in-home respite, behaviour management or other services appropriate to the needs of the child and family (e.g., may also include support for families to better enable them to care for their child/youth in the home).

Program goals

Each child and youth will have an individualized Complex Special Needs service plan, reviewed annually, that reflects an assessment of his/her/their needs, strengths, and goals. The service plan will identify the specific services/supports received by the child/youth and identify how the plan will build on family strengths and support family goals and improve outcomes for the child/youth.

An assessment of the availability of ministry-funded supports in the community and the availability of other formal and informal supports to the child/youth and family will be included in the annual review and service plan will be adjusted accordingly.

The case/service resolution mechanism and/or local agencies are expected to work with the child/youth’s family to transition the child/youth and family to the existing service system as appropriate.

Ministry expectations

Services are child and family-centred and support the diverse needs of families in a way that is culturally safe, promotes equity, anti-racism, and anti-oppression.

Each individual service plan will be reviewed annually.

Services will be:

  • evidence-informed and reflective and responsive to child/youth, family and community strengths and needs
  • outcomes-focused and accountable to the child/youth, family, and community
  • sensitive to the social, linguistic, and cultural diversity of families and Indigenous communities
  • staffed by individuals with the appropriate range of skills and abilities necessary to respond effectively to the needs of children, youth, and families
  • based on the child’s/youth’s and family’s assessed needs, strengths, and goals, expected outcomes, and available individual, agency, community, and contracted ministry resources

Reporting requirements

The following service data will be reported at an Interim and Final period. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates.

Service data name Definition

# of individuals served (unique): CSN Individualized Supports

The unique number of individuals that received CSN Individualized Supports funding during the reporting period. An individual is counted only once during the reporting period.

Ministry-funded agency expenditures: CSN Individualized Supports

Total ministry-funded expenses for the Transfer Payment Recipient to administer and/or deliver this service during the Funding Year (cumulative).