Component: Adults' DS Community Support Services

Legislation: Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008 (SIPDDA)

Service objectives

To provide access to ministry-funded adult developmental services for the geographic region in which they are designated.

Service description

The primary role of the Application Entity (Developmental Services Ontario) is to confirm eligibility for, and administer access to, ministry-funded adult developmental services and supports funded under the Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008 (SIPDDA).

For the purposes of this description, administering access to services encompasses a broad range of activities including, but not limited to, providing information, conducting needs assessments and coordinating the processes to connect people with developmental disabilities with available services and supports.

People served

People with developmental disabilities who reside in Ontario and are 16 years of age and older. Note: Application Entities may not facilitate referrals for applicants to ministry- funded adult developmental services and supports until the applicant is 18 years of age and over.

Specific services provided

  • Intake
    • Initial collection of basic applicant information
    • Information provision
    • Provide information to persons with developmental disabilities and/or their representatives of choice, and the general public, about
      • Eligibility requirements for ministry-funded adult developmental services and supports
      • The process for applying for ministry-funded adult developmental services and supports
      • Ministry-funded adult developmental services and supports
    • Provide navigation assistance (i.e., housing navigation and/or service navigation)
    • Provide support to eligible adults with developmental disabilities and/or their representatives of choice to understand and navigate the adult developmental services and supports system
      • This includes assisting individuals to identify relevant community-based services, including housing options (regardless of sector or funding source) available to persons with developmental disabilities in their local communities or region
    • Where requested, obtain and provide information about supports outside the local community or region
    • Respond to information requests from individuals awaiting assessment or service
    • Support integrated transition planning for youth with developmental disabilities
  • Outreach
    • Conduct outreach activities to increase awareness of the application entity's role in the developmental services sector
    • Ensure Developmental Services Ontario staff have access to up-to-date information about all relevant community-based services (regardless of sector or funding source) available to persons with developmental disabilities in the geographical area for which the application entity is designated
  • Triaging
    • initiate local urgent response processes when circumstances meet the criteria
    • identify individuals most in need of assessment, based on ministry direction regarding assessment priority groups
    • identify individuals, where appropriate, who should be referred to funded developmental services which can be accessed prior to the needs assessment
  • Confirmation of eligibility
    • Confirm eligibility of applicants
    • Provide referrals to psychologists or psychological associates for the purpose of completing or reviewing a psychological assessment as necessary
    • Verify that psychologists and psychological associates are registered and in good standing with the college of psychologists of Ontario or an equivalent body from another Canadian province
    • Provide written notice of eligibility confirmation decisions to applicants
    • Review eligibility decisions as required and provide written notice of decisions of the eligibility review process
    • Re-direct non-eligible individuals to other appropriate supports
  • Assessment of support needs
    • Maintain service standards for the assessment process and associated targets
    • Develop strategies (to be developed in partnership with the ministry) to address assessment backlogs/long wait times
    • Administer the application package to assess eligible applicants' support needs
    • Complete the assessor summary report
    • Enter assessment information into a provincial database of client records
    • Provide individuals or their representatives with information summarizing the services and supports they will be considered for following completion of the needs assessment, including information about the process of referral or connection to services
    • Conduct re-assessments as required based on changes in individual circumstances or needs
  • Connect individuals to available services
    • Maintain a thorough knowledge of available local and regional ministry- funded adult services and supports, including service vacancies
    • Connect or refer eligible applicants to services and supports where available according to their services and supports profile
    • Work with agencies, families and individuals to confirm services accessed
  • Data management and reporting
    • Maintain a provincial database: Developmental Services Consolidated Information System (DSCIS) of client records and service registry, and ensure that the information is complete and accurate through regular validation and personal contact
    • Track supplemental client information outside of DSCIS, as required, on an interim basis
    • Respond to regular and ad hoc reporting requirements, as well as ministry information requests
  • Support for prioritization and planning processes
    • Participate in community and regional planning processes such as, but not limited to, community networks and related committees
    • Ensure that substantive changes in individual circumstances or needs are updated in the provincial database
    • Support established processes which prioritize applicants, and ensure applicants are re-prioritized as required based on changes in individual circumstances or needs
    • Maintain a list of prioritized individuals awaiting service, based on established prioritization processes
  • Urgent response
    • Be a point of contact for people with developmental disabilities, or their primary caregivers, in urgent need
    • Fulfill role in accordance with urgent response guidelines, including connecting people in urgent need with available resources and sharing required information with members of the urgent response committees, as applicable
    • Document referrals through the urgent response process, and document the outcome of the urgent response process, as applicable
  • Engagement with DS sector and other partners
    • build and maintain effective partnerships within the developmental services sector, and across sectors where appropriate
    • respond to information requests from the service sector
  • Implementation of provincial initiatives
    • participate in ministry working groups; provide input and feedback during the development of ministry initiatives
    • support the implementation of ministry initiatives
  • Feedback processes
    • gather feedback about the application entity, including an applicant's level of satisfaction with services received and address concerns raised
    • provide the ministry an annual summary of feedback gathered
  • Participate in Developmental Service Ontario provincial network and sub-committees

Services excluded

  • activities such as prioritization and development of service and support profiles for applicants
  • psychological assessment for the purpose of confirming eligibility for adult developmental services and supports
  • assessments that are provided in the context of other services, such as employment assessment in the context of employment supports
  • assessments by health professionals related to health and medical conditions requiring action or treatment
  • provision of direct funding to eligible applicants and management of direct funding agreements with individuals (pending proclamation of relevant sections of the legislation)

Delivery method

  • services may be provided in person, or by other means (e.g., phone, email, mail, and videoconference)
  • services are to be delivered as outlined in the policy directives for application entities and operational guidelines
  • services provided are aligned with the ministry's safety and security guidelines and expectations

Services will be

  • designed to address the needs of the individual and their family
  • respectful of the social, linguistic and cultural diversity of families and faith communities
  • staffed by individuals with the appropriate qualifications, training and range of skills necessary to respond effectively to the needs of individuals and their families
  • based on the individual's assessed needs, service requests and available individual, agency, community and contracted ministry resources
  • guided by the ministry's developmental service transformation vision, principles and priorities

Program goals

Provision of access to ministry-funded adult developmental services and supports that promotes social inclusion, choice, independence and rights.

Ministry expectations

  • Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) are required to collect, access, and report on personal information stored in the Developmental Services Consolidated Information System (DSCIS)
  • DSO will be responsible for safeguarding the privacy and security of personal information
  • DSO will ensure that only "authorized persons" will have access to and use personal information obtained from applicants, as required for the performance of their duties
  • DSO will promote and strive for provincial consistency in service delivery based on jointly-developed best practices
  • Where service standards are not met, the ministry reserves the right to adjust DSO funding accordingly
  • Service agencies will comply with all relevant legislation, regulations, policy directives, program guidelines, funding agreement(s), accountability and reporting requirements; service agencies must continue to report to the DSO and the Ministry regarding the status, and/or any changes in circumstances or service terminations relevant to all placements, of adults with developmental disabilities served by the service agencies matched and linked by the regional DSO
  • The service agency is responsible for utilizing the information technology specified by the Ministry for the collection and maintenance of information, maintaining the security, integrity, consistency and validity of the information collected and maintained; and ensuring that data is accurate and kept up-to-date

Privacy and security of confidential information

Each DSO shall create and adhere to privacy and security governance that aligns with the MCCSS privacy and security requirements and applicable guidelines, including guidelines related to consent. DSOs shall maintain the privacy and security of confidential information and shall comply with MCCSS security requirements and applicable guidelines where required.

With respect to any personal information on DS applicants and its collection, use, retention, disclosure, destruction or disposal, DSOs shall abide by all applicable legislation and MCCSS requirements and take reasonable measures to comply with the following information management requirements

  • Any applicable legislation governing the protection of information
  • Any relevant regulations, policies, standards, protocols or directives relating to the administrative, technical and physical safeguarding of personal information

Privacy and security programs

The Board of Directors of each DSO is accountable for the privacy and security of personal information held by the DSO and the security of the information system holding that information. DSOs shall ensure that

  • A person within the organization (ideally from senior management) is designated to implement, and monitor the implementation, of privacy measures, on behalf of the organization
  • A person within the organization (ideally from senior management) is designated to implement, and monitor the implementation, of security measures on behalf of the organization
  • A privacy program is in place. This program must be compliant with
  • The industry best practices
  • When applicable, the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)
  • All other legal requirements
  • A security program is in place
  • This program must be in line with industry best practices
  • A security breach protocol is developed, maintained, and monitored, and its findings are reported in a yearly survey
  • The proper privacy & security governance is in place, approved by senior management and regularly reviewed
  • Its staff is aware of its duties in terms of privacy & security requirements and it is documented in writing
  • They comply with any specific privacy & security requirements MCCSS may have

Reporting requirements

The following service data will be reported on at an interim and final stage. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates and targets.

Service data name Definition

# of FTE active assessors: Application Entity for the year

The number of FTE active assessors in the Application Entity at the time of reporting (snapshot).

Application Entity: Ministry-funded Agency Expenditures

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

Note: Application Entities may not facilitate referrals for applicants to ministry-funded adult developmental services and supports until they are 18 years of age