Ontario

Programs and Services

During the period of April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2001, 10 programs in two Ontario ministries (Health and Long Term Care, and Community and Social Services) were cost-shared under the Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities (EAPD) Agreement. Some programs - like the Ontario Disability Support Program, Employment Supports - offer a full range of goods and services to assist people with a wide range of disabilities. Other programs serve specific target groups (such as the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care's programs for people with mental illnesses) or provide specific services (such as the Supported Employment programs funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services, since April 2002, the Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services.)

Service Delivery

Community, family and children's services

The Employment Supports component of the Ontario Disability Support Program

The Employment Supports component of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) represents a new approach in employment programs for people with disabilities. The program offers people the assistance they need to become competitively employed. This focus on real jobs is also a key principle of the Multilateral Framework on EAPD, developed jointly between the provinces/territories and the Government of Canada.

Employment Supports is one component of the ODSP. The other component, Income Support, provides financial assistance and benefits to eligible people with disabilities. Both components of the ODSP represent an important shift from previous social benefit programs, where people with disabilities were often deemed to be "permanently unemployable." The Employment Supports program recognizes that people with disabilities want to work, and can work, if specific disability-related barriers are removed. Key features of the program are responsive service and consumer choice.

The program serves a diverse group of people who vary in disabilities and interests. Eligible clients can choose from a wide range of supports that can help remove disability-related barriers to employment and lead to competitive employment, that is, work that provides a salary at minimum wage or better. Clients may use the supports for self-employment or participation in a business enterprise where the objective is to earn at least the equivalent of minimum wage.

The Employment Supports component of the ODSP includes services such as employment preparation and planning, skills training, transportation assistance, job coaching, job placement and interpreter/intervenor services. Goods such as adaptive software, mobility devices, and tools and equipment needed for vocational training may also be provided. The client selects the specific goods and services that are needed and chooses the supplier. The goods and services are written out in the employment plan, which also states the client's employment goal and the specific disability related barriers to reaching that goal.

People wishing to participate in the program follow four steps:

1. interested persons complete an application package;
2. applicants who meet eligibility criteria complete an Employment Plan;
3. clients sign an Employment Supports Funding Agreement; and
4. clients receive goods and services as outlined in their Employment Supports Funding Agreements.

The goods and services identified by the client are provided directly by agencies, businesses and other organizations in the community. The role of ministry staff is to help clients reach their goals by acting as brokers and by connecting the client to the service provider.

The Employment Supports component of the ODSP was launched in January 1999. 1999-2000 was the first full year of operation for the program. In this first year, the program provided services to about 4,400 clients. As the program matures over the next several years, it is expected to serve 8,000 to 10,000 people per year.

Since 1999-2000 was the first full year of operation, program data is limited. However, data that is available shows that 60% of clients who completed their employment plans in 1999-2000 became employed and over 30% of clients who completed their employment plans were able to maintain employment during a job crisis.

Supported Employment Programs for People with Physical and Developmental Disabilities

These programs help people with disabilities who need extra assistance to adjust to employment - whether it be physically adapting to a workplace, responding to new stresses and challenges on the job or simply becoming used to the daily demands of working. Programming staff often provide one-on-one assistance or intermediary services between an employee and an employer. The general term for this assistance is job coaching. These services may be on an on-going basis or an "as needed" basis. Some clients require high levels of job coaching initially, but are able to reduce or eliminate the need over time.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Rehabilitation Services for the Disabled and Sheltered Workshops

The Vocational Rehabilitation Services program has been replaced by the Employment Supports component of the ODSP and will not be cost-shared under the EAPD agreement beyond the "transition" period. Under Rehabilitation Services for the Disabled, the services provided are generally referred to as pre-employment services. In some cases, these services primarily help a person adjust to living with a disability on a day-to-day basis. This can be an important step on the road to employment. Sheltered workshops serve people with severe or multiple disabilities who are presently unable to move on to competitive employment. These programs provide meaningful activities in communities and help participants learn important skills, such as communication and self-care. In some cases, participants also take part in work-like activities. Services under these programs are delivered by community agencies.

Health and Long Term Care

Alcohol and Drug Programs

Alcohol and drug programs are funded by the Ontario Substance Abuse Bureau of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. All programs are funded on a transfer payment basis to independent agencies. Services include:

• non-medical withdrawal management services which allow clients to participate in other services in the continuum of addiction treatment;
• assessment/referral services which involve an in-depth assessment of the client's ability to be successful in addiction treatment, and referral to the most appropriate service and treatment;
• non-residential counselling services that include individual, group, day/evening programming to help clients develop the skills required to manage their addictions, related problems and lifestyles;
• short-term (21 day) and long-term residential treatment (up to six months) that helps clients develop the skills required to manage their addictions, related problems and lifestyles in a substance-free environment; and
• recovery homes (up to six months) that include addiction treatment and practical programming such as life skills and pre-vocational training.

The expected result of the drug and alcohol programs is that employed clients will maintain their employment and unemployed clients will receive life skills and pre-vocational programming to enhance their employability.

Mental Health Programs

The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care funds a variety of programs that provide employment supports to persons with serious mental illness. Services are provided directly in the case of provincial psychiatric hospitals or through third parties which include general hospitals and community mental health agencies. The constantly-evolving system of available services means there will be changes in the number and types of programs that provide employment supports to persons with mental illness.

Alcohol and Drug Programs in Provincial Psychiatric Hospitals

These programs provide comprehensive assessment, treatment and ongoing care to persons with concurrent disorders (mental illness and substance use problems). As of 2000-01 under the EAPD criteria, these programs no longer qualify for cost sharing.

Provincial Psychiatric Hospitals & General Hospitals

Inpatient and outpatient programs in psychiatric hospitals and general hospitals offer the following services: skills development/training, job placement, job development/creation, employment planning/career counselling and skills training on the job. The objective of these programs is to assist persons with serious mental illness to prepare for, obtain and maintain employment. As a result of Provincial Psychiatric Hospital divestment, governance of Provincial Psychiatric Hospitals began to transfer to general hospitals in 2000.

Community Mental Health Employment Programs

Supported Employment

Supported employment and other employment-related services are offered by a variety of agencies and businesses in the community that focus on meeting the needs of persons with serious mental illness. Some are consumer-operated alternative businesses, which are developed and operated by consumer/ survivor employees and offer employment opportunities. Agency-sponsored businesses are owned and operated by mental health agencies to provide rehabilitation and employment for persons with serious mental illness. Both kinds of businesses offer employment opportunities which pay consumers/survivors minimum wage or higher. As well, some community agencies focus exclusively on providing employment supports to persons with mental illness while other agencies offer additional services such as case management that may include an employment support component. The overall objective of these programs is to increase employability by helping individuals to prepare for, obtain and maintain employment. The key employment supports elements are:

• job development/creation/employer outreach;
• skills development/training for job/education;
• skills training on the job;
• job search skills/job placement;
• employment planning/career counselling; and
• supports to sustaining education/ employment.

Supported Education

These programs operate within the community college system and are offered to persons with serious mental illness interested in furthering their education and/or finding employment. Services include providing instruction in English as a Second Language, academic upgrading and/or remediation, career planning sessions and on-site support. The objective of the programs is to help persons develop a vocational goal.

Expenditures

*Note: as of 2000-01 the Alcohol and Drug Programs in Provincial Psychiatric Hospitals no longer qualify for cost sharing.

Consultation with the Public and People with Disabilities

Employment Supports Component of the Ontario Disability Support Program

Between 1996 and 1998, the Ministry of Community and Social Services undertook an extensive consultation with people with disabilities, consumer and advocacy groups, service providers and employers to assist the ministry to develop a new system of employment supports for people with disabilities. In all, over 200 individuals and groups were consulted.

During the consultations, the ministry heard that consumers and advocates wanted a system of supports that eliminated or reduced disability-related barriers to employment. People with disabilities wanted access to real jobs at minimum wage or better, quick and responsive service, and the ability to control the services they receive.

As a result of these discussions, the ministry developed the following principles for the Employment Supports component of the Ontario Disability Support Program:

• participation in the program is voluntary;
• where possible, clients can design and manage their own employment planning and job-finding strategies;
• clients who are self-directed receive quick service and are not required to engage in lengthy approval processes;
• clients should be able to choose their service providers; and
• clients are accountable for achieving the goals set out in their employment plans. Ministry staff are accountable for ensuring that clients receive the supports they require under those plans, and are also responsible for the Employment Supports Funding Agreements.

Mental Health Services
In 1998, an extensive consultation was undertaken at the request of the Minister of Health in order to review progress toward reform of Ontario's mental health system. In response to feedback that an implementation strategy for reform was required, Making it Happen: Implementation Plan for Making it Happen was released in 1999. This policy framework identified employment supports as an important part of the continuum of services required by persons with serious mental illness, highlighting the need for policy directions in this area.

Provincial Contact

Client Services Unit
Ontario Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services
Room M1-57
900 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1N3
Tel.: (888) 789-4199
Fax.: (416) 325-7136
TTY: (800) 387-5559