How to Develop Services in Your Community

• From an idea comes the vision: “That People will no longer have to leave our communities to receive supports and services”.
• Knowledge is required to understand the needs of individuals with a developmental handicap, and what services and supports are there for them.
• What is a developmental handicap? The Developmental Services Act defines developmental handicap as: “a condition of mental impairment present or occurring in a person’s formative years that is associated with limitations in adaptive behaviour”.
• Take action, organize get together with family, friends, health and social service providers who have ideas on how to provide support and services to developmentally challenged adults. Identify issues, and develop an action plan on how to address issues. Set up a working committee to determine how the organization will look like, and to prepare terms of reference for the accountability structure.
• Arranging meetings, ensuring that provincial delegates, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, Developmental Services Branch, and delegates from the Chief and Council to discuss plans are included. It is very important that you include the provincial delegates at the beginning of your discussion, so that they will be aware of your intentions to provide services.
• Meet with the Chief and Council to inform them of your intentions of looking into the possibility of secure First Nation based support and services. Ask for a Band Council Resolution supporting your idea.
• Set up an accountability structure – committee that will be responsible for the following:
  • Determining needs of individuals;
  • Developing a goal and vision statement;
  • Standards of performance;
  • By-laws, required only if you set up an incorporated board, not really necessary, but obtaining a charitable number would be of benefit for fundraising;
  • Personnel and administrative policy;
  • Program description – day program, residential,respitecare,etc.;
  • Client forms, e.g. Intake forms, referral forms,
  • Preparing proposals; and Arranging meetings, ensuring that provincial delegates, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, Developmental Services Branch, and delegates from the Chief and Council to discuss plans are included. It is very important that you include the provincial delegates at the beginning of your discussion, so that they will be aware of your intentions to provide services.
• Establish linkages with other agencies, and a provincial body to provide support. The provincial body is Community Living Ontario.
• Complete a feasibility study, to gather data on the number of individuals with a developmental handicap and through partnerships with other First Nations in the area could be developed to make it feasible to have an organization based on a native community.
• Development of the Proposal and forward to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
• Once funding approval has been received, programs and services can become operational and Individual Life Plans completed.