Children's Treatment Network brings immediate help to over 200 children with multiple disabilities in Simcoe County

Network expands availability of rehabilitation specialists and developmental assessment services for area children and their families

Simcoe County, ON, April 5, 2006 -- The Children’s Treatment Network (CTN) of Simcoe York is pleased to announce that through the collaborative work with its members, the Network is already providing immediate benefits to over 200 children with multiple disabilities in Simcoe County through expanded services and availability of resources.

These early initiatives have already had an impact on reducing waiting lists as the Network prepares for its official 1-800 access to coordinated services launch in late April.

The Network is the first service delivery model to link regional healthcare, recreation, education, social and community resources from over 20 participating agencies and organizations. Four Local Teams will be dedicated to providing a single, long-term plan of integrated, coordinated care for children in Simcoe and York with physical and developmental needs from birth to age 19.

“After months of dedicated work on everyone’s part, we are delighted to report that the Children’s Treatment Network model is already delivering results to children with the highest priority needs and their families,” says Bob Morton, Chief Executive Officer, Children's Treatment Network of Simcoe York. “These kids would not have had access to these services so quickly without quick response from our partners within the Network. This exemplifies what the Network is all about – bringing essential services to over 4,200 children with multiple disabilities in Simcoe and York faster and more efficiently. ”

Developmental paediatrician Dr. Nicky Jones-Stokreef, Medical Director of the Child Development Program at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH), says that the early support initiatives of the Children’s Treatment Network have allowed her to not only increase her availability, but also to provide the resources to educate other service providers. “The Network is playing an instrumental role in reducing wait lists for high priority needs children and making badly needed paediatric diagnostic, consultation and treatment services available to them in a shorter time,” she says. “Right now, there are 200 kids waiting to be seen by a developmental paediatrician at the OSMH alone  – and that number is growing exponentially. The Network is already giving us a good start on ensuring that kids are properly prioritized and referred, and the system that supports these kids is more effective and efficient.”

In addition to expanding paediatric developmental assessment services at OSMH, new or expanded programs now being provided or developed for  Simcoe and York through the Children’s Treatment Network include:

• Adding physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology resources to augment services provided at schools, at home and through Community Care Access Centres (CCAC). This has allowed over 500 high priority children in Simcoe and York to be taken off waitlists or receive the expanded services they need.
• Funding to continue Markham-Stouffville Hospital’s Paediatric Developmental Assessment Clinic operations and ensure ongoing assessment, diagnostic and referral services for kids under 6 in York Region with developmental issues. The Clinic was initially scheduled for closure in July 2006.
• Training and equipping of localized Feeding and Swallowing teams to ensure children with complex challenges in this area receive proper nutritional care. These teams will be made up of specialists from the Community Care Access Centres and their service providers, preschool speech and language programs, paediatric therapy services and hospitals in York and Simcoe.
• Local provision of services for children in need of augmentative communication specialized services through partnering with Bloorview Kids Rehab.
• Specialized training for rehabilitation professionals to increase local capacity and the number of certified personnel for the Assistive Devices Program.
• Enhancements to local recreational programs for children with special needs in conjunction with York Support Services Network and Catulpa Community Support Services in Simcoe.

Anne Bell, Executive Director for CCAC Simcoe County reports that the organization currently has approximately 800 children on wait lists for rehabilitation services. “Thanks to the collaborative work with the Children’s Treatment Network, we have already been able to accelerate physiotherapy, occupational therapy and rehabilitation services for 218 high priority children with complex needs in Simcoe County. We’ve also engaged additional case managers to expand service coordination in preparation for the Network’s single plan of coordinated care initiative. By doing this in collaboration with the Network and other organizations, we are ensuring that the kids most in need get services more quickly – and that there is no duplication of effort. That’s the strength that the Children’s Treatment Network brings.”

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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