NETWORK E-BULLETIN - APRIL 2006 EDITION

Children's Treatment Network & Partners Already Making a Difference to Families in Simcoe and York

Final Preparations in Place for the Network's April Launch

There has been a lot of progress made in preparation for the official 1-800 launch of Children’s Treatment Network in late April. Thanks to the support of everyone in the children’s services community, the Network is making great strides toward the goal of providing families with a single point of contact for a single plan of coordinated care for children with multiple disabilities from birth to age 19.

Here is a brief update on new developments since our last eBulletin:

• We’ve Grown! - In February we reported that 11 organizations had become Network members. Since then we have grown to 21 members plus 11 provincial partners and 12 community partners, with more to be announced in the near future. See our website for a complete list of Network members and partners at http://www.ctn-simcoeyork.ca.
• 1-800 Access to Coordinated Services Launching in Late April - Systems, protocols and tools enabling coordinated response are being finalized and will be ready for the launch later in April. Community Care Access Centres of Simcoe and York have been designated as the Network’s official hosts for access to services, and will serve as the ‘single point of contact’ for kids with disabilities and their families
• New Website and Brochure – A new and dynamic, user-friendly website is in the final stages of development. This new site will help families, Network members and regional professionals learn more about the Network, the partners and the services we all provide together to support kids with special needs. We’re also putting the finishing touches on a brochure that will be distributed to all our members and partner organizations to ensure information reaches everyone that may use Network services. Both the website and brochure will be available in tandem with the late April launch of 1-800 access to coordinated care.
• New Clinical Directors are on Board – We’re delighted to announce that two new Clinical Directors for York and Simcoe have been appointed. Sara Koke is responsible for the south while Bill Frampton focuses on the north. They will coordinate and oversee the range of local and specialized services delivered in each area.
• Recruitment of Paediatric Therapists – The Network has initiated a recruitment drive on behalf of our member organizations to augment staff working on the Local Teams in Simcoe and York. These teams will work closely together to provide coordinated care for each child and family. Initial services will be delivered by 4 Local Teams. As staff come on board, the number of Teams serving both communities will expand to 10. The Network is also in the process of designating host organizations for therapists and service coordinators and we’ll keep you posted as decisions are made. For more information on positions currently posted see the Recruitment Ad on http://www.ctn-simcoeyork.ca
  

Network and Partners Deliver Early Results

In our last eBulletin, we provided an overview of what the Network is and what it will bring to the community. We also outlined the new and expanded services that have been put in place that have already given over 500 children access to services they would not have had without the Network and our partners support. These included:

• Expanding physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology resources
• Expanding developmental paediatrician services at Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital
• Funding for Markham-Stouffville’s Paediatric Developmental Assessment Clinic in Markham
• Coordinating and training teams of feeding and swallowing specialists
• Bringing more augmentative communication and assistive devices services
  

Many of you have been asking if these early initiatives have had an impact yet on the day-to-day lives of the families we serve. We thought the best way to bring that to life for you is by sharing an example of how the Network and our partners are already making a difference in one family’s life in Simcoe. Next month’s eBulletin will feature a story from York Region.

Here is Aydan’s story:

Barrie Child’s Junior Kindergarten Dream Comes True

Aydan Graham gives developmental paediatrician Dr. Nicky Jones-Stokreef, a ‘high five’
during a recent visit to Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital

Aydan Graham is as excited as any three year old child would be about starting JK in September.

Yet for Aydan, who is severely disabled from Cerebral Palsy, turning four and starting a new life at school also means the support network that has kept him on track for day-to-day life gets a lot more complicated. Unable to walk, sit or stand without assistance, Aydan requires frequent therapy, regular visits to specialists, and specialized equipment to help him make it through the day. He also has limited use of his arms and hands which means he requires one on one care. So for kids like Aydan, starting JK takes more than just signing up on registration day.

But Aydan’s dream of starting Kindergarten will be much smoother thanks to the support of organizations that make up the Children’s Treatment Network of Simcoe York. And this fall he’ll be counted among the new JK students at W.C. Little Elementary School in Barrie.

Aydan’s mom Cindy says the new Network has been a huge boost for the family. “If it wasn’t for the Network and its partners, he wouldn’t be going to school. Period. He couldn’t have managed it physically,” she says. “Aydan has been well served by the pre-school system. But without the Children’s Treatment Network, he would not have the expanded range of ongoing support he needs as quickly. He would have ended up back on wait lists for some of the services and supports, which can take up to two years.”

As a designated high priority needs child, Aydan is one of the estimated 1,400 kids with multiple disabilities in Simcoe to enjoy the benefits of this unique new collaborative initiative. The Network and its partners make life easier for families by providing a single point of contact for a single, long-term plan of integrated coordinated care for children with physical and developmental needs from birth to the age of 19. The Network, which will officially launch its 1-800 access to coordinated services in late April, links regional healthcare, recreation, education, social and community resources from over 20 participating agencies and organizations. When fully operational, the Network will bring essential services to over 4,200 children in York and Simcoe.

According to Dr. Nicky Jones-Stokreef, a developmental paediatrician and medical director of the Child Development Program at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital who administers Aydan’s botox treatments to control his muscle spasms, parents are challenged by service gaps once kids leave the preschool system. “All of a sudden they find they have to navigate a complicated system involving multiple service providers and agencies, and battle waitlists to get all the services their kids require to be in school. The Network is bridging that gap and making it easier for kids and their families to make the transition by taking the complexities out of their hands and reducing waitlists.”

All of Aydan’s needs for school are now being managed by a designated case manager from the Community Care Access Centre Simcoe County – a member of the Children’s Treatment Network. The case manager works in partnership with the family, the Simcoe County District School Board and special education staff to arrange everything Aydan needs, including special equipment to help him sit, stand and move about and sourcing a dedicated resource teacher, as well as training school staff and setting up regular school visits by physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

“All the agencies that make up the Children’s Treatment Network is providing our family and Aydan with the services we need so he can continue to have as normal a life as possible once he enters school and grow and learn as other non-challenged children do,” says Cindy. “We’re grateful for their support.”