OADD Workshop – Fall 2022

Journey to Belonging – MCCSS presenters: Jody Hendry, Director, Developmental Services and Supports Branch

MCCSS is pleased to join the OADD’s Fall workshop to talk about Journey to Belonging: Choice and Inclusion, the government’s plan for reforming developmental services. The presentation will cover progress updates, stakeholder engagements, and address some myths and misconceptions about reform.

The Clinical Justice Program: An Integrated Approach to Justice Navigation

Presenters: Courtney Hutson, Samantha Airhart, Vicky Simos, Marnie McDermott

The Clinical Justice Program (CJP), established in 2018, is a collaboration between Centre for Behaviour Health Sciences (Mackenzie Health) and Community Networks of Specialized Care-Central East (CLH Developmental Support Services). The CJP’s mission is to support complex individuals with a dual diagnosis who are involved in the criminal justice system as a victim, witness or accused to ensure they experience the justice system in an equitable manner. This in turn, will provide access to appropriate sanctions, improve intersectional collaboration, as well as reduce fiscal costs associated with prolonged court delays. The CJP encompasses four separate pillars of clinical support including: the Justice Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Clinic, the Adapted- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (A-DBT) Justice Group, the Justice App and the Justice Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Clinic (in development). To date, qualitative and quantitative data supports the success of this program, which is being delivered through a hybrid model of support. Participants will learn four different models of support, community collaboration and the referral process which can assist an individual with a dual diagnosis that has encountered the justice system. The participants will also be offered the opportunity to download the user-friendly Justice App that can be used to build capacity within their organization to assist clients that are currently being supported in the justice system.

Trauma Informed Care

Presenter: Leah Jeffery

People with developmental disabilities experience mental health issues as a result of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect in greater numbers than the general public. Behaviors are often mistaken as non-compliance, manipulative, and attention-seeking when in actuality they may be a response to earlier experiences of trauma. Through understanding the neurobiology of trauma, participants will begin to reshape their view of behaviors and develop a toolbox of evidenced-based strategies to effectively support those in their care.

Working with Micro Boards

Presenter: Brendan Pooran, Pooran Law and Karen Bell, Executive Director MicroBoards Ontario

As Journey to Belonging unfolds, and direct funding becomes more common and families choose how that money is managed, microboards are being seen as a viable way of providing long-term planning, sustainability and most importantly, support of a person to live the life they want to live. Agencies and Direct Support Professionals need to know what microboards are, the role they play in the sector, and how to support someone who has a microboard.

Domestic Human Trafficking: Awakening

Presenters: Deanna Djos, Wendy Leaver

Deanna Djos and Wendy Leaver are members of the Domestic Human Trafficking (DHT) Team from Montage Support Services. They will provide resources and tools on how to recognize Domestic Human Trafficking and share information about how the team at Montage has provided a person-centered trauma and survivor-informed pillars of support for victims of DHT with IDD (Intellectual Developmental Disabilities).

Day Program Innovation

Panelists: 1. Crystal Mohammed, Kerry Place,
2. Nicole de Freitas, Community Living York South,
3. Lori Johnson and Paulina Finak, Ongwanada,
4. Janeen Halliwell, PMB

This Panel discussion will be a series of 15-minute presentations by the panelist followed by a Q&A session.
Crystal Mohammed of Kerry’s Place will be talking about how they have adapted their programs to a hybrid model and how that works,
Nicole de Freitas of Community Living York South will talk about how they addressed re-opening, moving from virtual to hybrid service delivery,
Lori Johnson and Paulina Finak of Ongwanada will talk about how their process of critical evaluation of the ways supports and services had been delivered and the evolution of their programs to be more inclusive, person-centred and sustainable
Janeen Halliwell of PMB will talk about the process of evolving and changing, identifying strengths, areas for development and the factors that impact these decisions today.