New Toll-Free Number For Kids with Multiple Disabilities
For the first time, families of children with multiple disabilities in York Region and Simcoe County have a single point of contact to access an integrated plan of care. The Children's Treatment Network of Simcoe York has officially launched its new toll-free number. By dialing 1-866-377-0286, parents of kids with special physical, developmental, and communications needs connect to a service that links regional healthcare, recreation, education, social and community resources from over 25 agencies and organizations. The Network provides a single plan of care and coordinates services from many agencies throughout all stages of a child's development, from birth through to age 19.
Bob Morton, the Chief Executive Officer of Children's Treatment Network of Simcoe York, explains that all of their partners care for kids with multiple disabilities and are committed to the single plan of care service. He says that the toll-free number creates a mechanism that allows service providers to work closely together to respond to the real needs of these families. Families have one place to call to get the help they need to navigate their way through a complex range of children's services as their children grow. It's all about making services more accessible and these families' lives easier. To date, the Network and partners have taken over 600 high priority needs children off of waitlists. By expanding critically needed services and resources in the community, the Network will continue to bring more services closer to home, so families won't need to travel long distances for treatment.
Network services are provided through Local Teams made up of professionals and specialists from partner organizations who are dedicated to serving and monitoring each child's care and development. Parents calling the toll-free number will be connected with a coordinator who will ask a series of questions to assess their child's needs. The child and family will then be assigned a team to develop a plan of care and coordinate all the required services. The plan is updated and changed as the child's needs evolve. Funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Network services are free.
The Network services are available to children and youth with a wide range of disabilities and complex conditions, such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, acquired brain injury, development and learning difficulties, spina bifida, autism or pervasive development disorder (PDD), and chronic and/or long-term medical conditions that require intensive therapy, specialized equipment, or travel to treatment centres outside the community. Services coordinated through the Network include occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, recreation therapy, social work, psychology, nursing, orthotics, audiology, seating and mobility, feeding and swallowing, augmentative communications and any other additional medical and child development services.
For further information visit:
www.ctn-simcoeyork.ca
