Services and Supports

The Government of Ontario funds numerous community agencies that offer people living with a developmental disability different levels of services and supports for housing, community participation, and one-on-one support. The DSO CER helps you gain access to these types of supports within your community.

on this page

• Housing Services and Supports
• Community Participation Supports
• Specialized Support
• Caregiver Respite

Housing Services and Supports

The Government of Ontario funds community agencies that offer people with developmental disabilities places to live. Some of the housing options include:

Group Homes and Group Living Supports

• small number of unrelated people living together
• up to 24 hour support per day
• generally accommodate people based on their abilities and needs

Supported Independent Living/Individual Living Supports

• live more independently
• people supported work or participate in day activities
• receive only a few hours of support per week (2 - 10 hours depending on setting)—support is not usually offered at night
• must be independent at night

Host Family Home/Associate Living Supports

• live with a family who can provide care and support
• the person supported is encouraged to become a contributing member of the household and support is very individualized
• families matched with person according to interests and individual lifestyle
• typically does not support people with significant medical or behaviour needs

Community Participation Supports

For adults looking to connect to their community through meaningful experiences that promote their personal interests, skills, growth and development, the Government of Ontario funds agencies providing Community Participation Supports. 

Agencies provide support for:

• recreation,
• volunteering,
• life skills programs, and,
• employment opportunities.

Structured programs are generally offered during the day in a group setting, and typically operate Monday through Friday. 

To access Passport Funding for community participation services and supports in your area, please following the links below:

York Region—York Support Services Network

Simcoe County—Catulpa Community Support Services

Durham, Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, Peterborough—Tri-County Community Support Services

Specialized Support

The Government of Ontario funds agencies who provide specialized support, through support workers and case management services to help people and their families plan for the services needed to support the person, as well as, connect them with services available within the community.

Adult Protective Service Worker

Meets regularly with an adult who has a developmental disability who lives on their own to help:

• get access to community supports and government-funded services,
• identify their strengths and needs,
• inform them about supports and direct them to the ones they need,
• manage their community resources and service plans, and
• develop problem-solving and life skills, like budgeting and learning to use public transportation.

In some communities, Adult Protective Service Workers have different titles, such as Service Coordinator or Adult Support Worker.

Behavioural  Services

This service is determined by evaluation of needs and may be provided through individual and/or group support.  Behavioural Consultation Services provides the following:

• assessment of adaptive skills and functional assessment of behaviour
• assistance in the development, implementation, and evaluation of treatment plans and strategies based on the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis
• caregiver training in the use of behavioural strategies in the person’s natural system of supports
• group instruction, workshops, and training in crisis prevention and treatment intervention strategies

Case Management Services

These services are provided on a short-term basis by a Case Manager who works with individuals and/or their families to coordinate formal and informal services to meet the person's unique goals.

The DSO CER makes referrals to York Support Services Network for case management services in York Region. Other transfer payment agencies may offer this service on an informal basis but the DSO CER does not make referrals to these informal services.

Person-Directed Planning

A community agency can provide this kind of support, or families and people with developmental disabilities may want to use the funding they receive to pay for supports they choose themselves.

Family Peer Mentor Support Services 

FamilyPeer Mentors provide emotional support and resources for family caregivers caring for a child or adult with autism or a developmental disability.

Family Peer Mentors can help you, the caregiver, by:

• identifiying and prioritizing your caregiver support needs.
• providing you with emotional and social one-on-one support. 
• developing strategies for self-care and stress management.
• assisting you in navigating community caregiver programs and resources.

To connect with a Family Peer Mentor please call 905-898-6455 or 1-866-257-9776 ext. 2349 or ext. 2213

Respite services give primary caregivers a temporary break from the routine of providing care to a family member with a disability. These services can be provided in different way, some people receive funding to choose and pay for their own respite support while others choose to use a respite program where the person supported can stay for a short period of time outside of the family home.

You can find information on different respite programs available near you or find a respite worker by visiting respiteservices.com.