Children's Treatment Network of Simcoe York first to deliver community-based coordinated team care for children with multiple disabilities

ONTARIO, February 22, 2006 -- The Children’s Treatment Network of Simcoe York is taking a giant step forward to meet the needs of children with multiple disabilities with the launch of 1-800 access to coordinated services in April, 2006. The Network represents the first service delivery model to link regional healthcare, educational, recreational, social and community resources to provide a single, long-term plan of integrated, coordinated care for children with physical and developmental needs from birth to the age of 19.

“The Children’s Treatment Network will play an instrumental role in shortening waitlists, providing parents with easier and better access to multiple services and improve delivery of care for more than 4,200 children and their families in the region,” says Bob Morton, Chief Executive Officer, Children's Treatment Network of Simcoe York.“The initial launch in April is only the beginning of a comprehensive building process that will see the Network expand and evolve by augmenting core rehabilitation services and adding specialized resources.”

He explains that currently, parents of children with special needs are struggling to navigate the healthcare, education and community support systems to obtain the rehabilitation services and support for their child to progress and participate fully in daily living, school and play. “For many families in Simcoe and York, this means battling waitlists, traveling long distances to obtain services not available locally and coordinating care and services from multiple agencies and service providers. The children’s services community has embraced the Network model as an effective way to address these challenges and is working closely with us to ensure implementation as quickly as possible.”

One point of contact for single plan of integrated care from multiple agencies revolutionizes access to services

The Children’s Treatment Network represents an entirely new approach that builds on the strengths of existing service providers to expand and coordinate available services in the community, link resources, build capacity and reduce wait lists. Through the Network, agencies and organizations collaborate to develop a team approach to each child’s rehabilitation based on their specific needs. In addition, the Network will coordinate services for each child through all the phases of their development.

As of April, approximately 15 to 20 agencies and organizations in Simcoe and York will be participating in the Children’s Treatment Network. Services will be provided through four Local Teams made up of professionals and specialists from member agencies, who will work closely together to provide a coordinated plan of care for each child and family that will adapt as the child’s physical, developmental and social needs change.

Following the April launch, the Network will continue to bring more critically needed services closer to children and their families in the region. It will hire 90 additional professionals and specialists and expand the number of Local Teams as quickly as possible, from four in April to 10 by 2007. 

Alongside preparations to begin operations in April, the Children’s Treatment Network is working with member organizations to bring immediate help to more than 500 children with special needs in Simcoe and York. A number of new and expanded services have been brought into the community, helping to accelerate access to services for children and their families.

Current members and organizations working on the development of the Network include: Behaviour Management Services of Simcoe York, Blue Hills Child and Family Services, Brain Injury Services Simcoe, Catulpa Community Support Services, Children’s Aid Society of Simcoe County, Comcare Health, Community Care Access Centre of York Region, Community Care Access Centre of Simcoe County, Community Living Huronia, COTA Health, Kerry’s Place Autism Services, Kinark Child and Family Services, Markham Stouffville Hospital, Muki Baum Autism Services, New Path Youth and Family Services, Ontario Early Years Centres in York Region, Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, Professional Rehabilitation Outreach, Regional Municipality of York, Royal Victoria Hospital, Simcoe Community Services, Simcoe County District School Board, Southlake Regional Health Centre, York Catholic District School Board, The Speech Clinic, York Region Branch of Jewish Family & Child Services, York Region Children’s Aid Society, York Region District School Board, York Support Services Network and 1-1 Rehabilitation.  The Network will also work closely with organizations like Sick Kids and Bloorview Kids Rehab to better coordinate requirements for specialized services and care.

As part of the publicly funded system under the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Children’s Treatment Network services will be free.

About the Children’s Treatment Network of Simcoe York
The Children’s Treatment Network is a new not-for-profit service delivery model for children with multiple disabilities and their families in Simcoe County and York Region. This unique integrated network model will build on the strengths of existing service providers, including healthcare, recreational, educational, social and community resources, to create a revolutionary new system that provides a single point of contact and single plan of care for children and youth from birth to 19 who have special physical, developmental, and communication needs. The Children’s Treatment Network is funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. For further information, please visit www.ctn-simcoeyork.ca

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Extraordinary Conversations
Kathryn Boothby, 519-875-2994, kmboothby@sympatico.ca
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