Component: Autism

Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017

Service description

As part of the needs-based Ontario Autism Program (OAP), urgent response services (URS) provide time-limited services and supports for up to 12-weeks to respond rapidly to a specific, identified need to help stabilize that situation and prevent further escalation or risk of harm to a child or youth, other people and/or property.

The OAP URS is not an emergency or crisis support; children/youth referred to the OAP URS who are in a crisis or emergency situation will be supported to access local crisis services or a hospital emergency room as appropriate.

People served

URS will be available for all children and youth registered in the OAP who meet defined criteria identified through a standardized intake process.

To be eligible for the OAP URS children/youth must

  • Be registered in the OAP
  • Exhibit one or more key high-risk factors which have started or escalated/worsened in the last 14 days; and
  • Meet an urgent threshold for one or more high-risk factors determined through a standardized intake process

High-risk factors include: suicidal ideation or behaviour, violent thinking, fire setting, harm to animals, risk of exploitation, self-injurious behaviour, aggression, inappropriate sexual behaviour, flight risk, property destruction

Program/service features

The OAP URS is focused on helping to stabilize the situation and prevent further escalation or risk of harm to a child or youth, other people and/or property.

Where it is determined that a child or youth is eligible for the OAP URS, a URS coordinator will coordinate the planning and delivery of an urgent response service plan (up to 12-weeks) to prioritize and target a single, identified urgent need, in consultation with a family/independent youth as well as other relevant professionals, as required (e.g., OAP care coordinator, local service providers and/or other professionals involved with the child/youth and family/caregivers).

Where it is determined that a child or youth is not eligible for the OAP URS, a family will be supported to access appropriate local supports and services within and outside the OAP, including crisis/emergency services as appropriate.

Specific service provided

The URS plan may include one or more of the following urgent response services

  • Short-term, interdisciplinary consultation with a child/youth’s family and/or professionals, such as clinicians who are involved and are working with the child/youth, and/or educator(s)
  • Time-limited respite support
  • Service navigation to existing services within and outside of the OAP
  • Direct support to the family and/or professionals involved who work with the child/youth to implement behaviour intervention and/or therapy techniques with the child/youth (e.g., mediator model)

AFTEr six weeks, a child or youth’s progress will be reviewed, in consultation with a family/independent youth, and any required adjustments will be made to the URS plan. A review of the child/youth’s progress will be completed again prior to 12-weeks and a family/independent youth will be supported to identify and access the appropriate supports and services within and outside the OAP following discharge from the OAP URS.

Program goals

The goals of the OAP URS are

  • reduce the risk of harm to the child/youth, others and/or property
  • stabilize and prevent crisis
  • target a single issue that can be addressed within a time-limited approach
  • integrate the OAP URS with other OAP services and supports, including core clinical services, foundational family services, early years programs the care coordinator role and other non-OAP services

Ministry expectations

URS lead organizations in each MCCSS-defined region are accountable to the ministry for managing, delivering and/or coordinating the delivery of the OAP URS.

URS lead organizations will manage delivery of the program in accordance with the following principles

  • child, youth and family-centred
  • coordinated and collaborative
  • quality, best practice, and evidence-informed
  • accessible and responsive

URS lead organizations will also consider that the OAP URS will not

  • be a 24-hoURS a day, 7 days a week service
  • replace existing emergency or crisis supports, including local crisis services or hospital emergency rooms
  • replace or fast track access to core clinical services in the OAP
  • provide intensive residential services
  • provide direct funding to families to purchase services

Reporting requirements

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

Service date name Definition

Ministry-funded Agency Expenditures: OAP Urgent Response Service

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

# of Individuals Served (Unique): OAP Urgent Response Service

The total number of unique children/youth eligible for URS for whom a service plan was developed and implemented and the children/youth discharged.

# of FTE OAP Urgent Response Service Coordinators: OAP Urgent Response Service

The total number of FTE URS coordinators.

# of Referrals: OAP Urgent Response Service

The total number of individual referrals made for URS.

# of Individuals Re-Referred (Unique): OAP Urgent Response Service

The total number of unique children/youth who have been discharged from URS and have been re-referred to URS during the reporting period.

# of Re-Referrals for the Same High-Risk Factor: OAP Urgent Response Service

The total number of unique children/youth who have been re-referred to URS for the same identified high-risk factor during the reporting period.