19 Dec Journey to Belonging – Ministry Update December 2023

Fall is a busy time for conferences in the developmental services sector. These are important opportunities for dialogue and for sharing ideas. Ministry representatives are pleased to have participated in a number of events from September to November. I was able to attend part of the Community Living Ontario conference in Ottawa in September and the Provincial Network on Developmental Services Human Resources Forum in Toronto in October.

I learned about a lot of great work happening across the province, supporting the vision and direction of Journey to Belonging. People understandably have questions about what’s next, and I will communicate any updates as soon as they’re available. Yet all around I see amazing examples of people embracing the vision and having important conversations about change. We all have a role to play to bring the vision of Journey to Belonging to life. Part of my goal with this communication is to keep sharing that vision, affirming our commitment to it and celebrating progress.

Developing a new funding approach

Developing a new funding approach for services for people with developmental disabilities is one of the central commitments in Journey to Belonging. Our aim is to provide funding that is based on people’s assessed support needs. We also want people to have more choices about how they receive the services and support they need.

This is a complex undertaking. Because a new funding approach will impact people with developmental disabilities, families and caregivers and service providers, we are proceeding carefully and listening to concerns. Right now, the ministry’s focus is on building the approach to individualized budgets, which means determining the types of services and supports government will fund, and how much funding would be assigned to people based on their assessed support needs. We are making plans to engage with stakeholders on these issues in more detail. We know we need to involve and learn from people with a range of experiences and expertise.

I thought it would be helpful to address two questions that I’ve heard:

How will people receive DS funding in future?

We know a one-size-fits all approach will not work for everyone. The goal is to give people options on how to receive, manage and spend their individual budgets on eligible services and supports. For example, people could choose to receive services directly from service providers or manage their funding directly, or a combination of both. No decisions have been made yet about how the system will administer funding and individual budgets. That work is ahead of us.

What does the ministry mean by a “person-centred” funding approach?

We talk about the funding model being “person-centred” because it will determine an individual budget based on a person’s unique assessed support needs. Each person is considered individually, based on their needs and circumstances.

Workforce strategy and initiatives

I’m pleased to share that task groups led by the DS sector are up and running to support the implementation of initiatives under our workforce strategy. These task groups include people who work in developmental services agencies, in Developmental Services Worker (DSW) programs at colleges, self-advocates, and family members and caregivers. Members were selected through an Expression of Interest in June 2023. We are grateful for their expertise and enthusiasm as we move towards our goal of a more skilled, diverse and professional workforce that empowers people to be part of their community.

I’d like to mention some of the work underway:

• We are working with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to update the program standards for DSW programs to include the modernized core competencies for workers. This change will help ensure that people entering the workforce from DSW programs are equipped with the most up-to-date knowledge and expectations to support people.
• We are learning from a ministry-funded micro-credentials pilot that focused on building capacity to support people with mental health needs and exploring how micro-credentials can be part of the solution to enhance training and skills development. Micro-credentials are short, focused skills development courses that are flexible and aimed at people who want to upgrade their skills.
• We continue to work with the sector to deliver workforce mental health training and build strategies for maintaining the health and wellness of the workforce. The cultivating community wellness (CCW) initiative aims to provide timely and targeted mental health resources to staff and organizations in the Developmental Services sector in Ontario. Read more about this initiative here.

In Case You Missed it:

• In August 2023, the Ontario Caregivers Organization awarded grants of up to $4,500 to 42 Family Support Networks across the province to build their capacity to provide peer support. MCCSS is funding this initiative, which supports a commitment in Journey to Belonging to help individuals, families and support networks make connections, get peer support and find information.
• The online learning resource As Safe As Possible is available on RealXchange, the developmental services sector’s hub for knowledge sharing. It focuses on how to recognize and avoid victimization from human trafficking and exploitation. It is aimed at people with developmental disabilities and organizations that provide them with support. The project was funded by the Government of Ontario under the province’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy.

Please enjoy a safe and happy holiday season,

Karen Glass
Assistant Deputy Minister
Community Services Division
Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services