Upcoming Changes

Effective July 1, 2011, people looking for information or apply for adult 18+ developmental services will do so through Developmental Services Ontario Hamilton- Niagara Region:

Contact Hamilton
140 King Street East, Ste 4
Hamilton, ON, L8N 1B2
T: 905-570-8888
F: 905-522-6957

info@contacthamilton.ca
For further information check the following website www.contacthamilton.ca

Children's access will continue through your local Contact agencies.

Contact Niagara
23 Hannover Drive, Unit #8
St. Catharines, ON L2W 1A3
Telephone 905-684-3407
Toll Free 1-800-933-3617
Fax 905-684-2728
TTY 905-684-6289
info@contactniagara.org
or visit their website at
www.contactniagara.org


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Residential Services

Providing accommodation, care and supervision to adults who have an intellectual disability as defined by the Services and Supports to promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008.



Providing care and supervision to children and adults who have an intellectual disability as defined by the Services and Supports to promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with De- velopmental Disabilities Act, 2008.


Residential Services

Adult Community Living
This sector provides 24-hour group setting accommodation to individuals aged 18 and over who require daily supervision, care and support with multiple activities of daily living. Supports are offered within a range of group home and apartment settings within the community. Personal Lifestyle Plans are developed annually for individuals and reviewed on a quarterly basis.
Adult Individual Living
This program will provide a range of personalized supports to adults who live independently or semi-independently in the community–outside their family home, and who need periodic guid- ance and support with instrumental activities of daily living such as grocery/personal shopping, meal preparation, money management, and overall household tasks. Individual skill develop- ment training is based on assessed needs.
Adult Community Accomodation
This program will provide a full-time living arrangement between a qualified and dedicated Homeshare Provider who is willing share their family home with an adult who would then have the opportunity to experience the benefits of living in a family environment that is independent of their natural family home. Qualified Homeshare Providers are matched according to the interests and lifestyle of the adult.
Specialized Services
Bethesda Services operate a “Community Response Program” in partnership with established community-based agencies that will address the *urgent behavioural needs of adults living in the Niagara region. Community Living St. Catharines entered into a partnership with Bethesda in 2006 to serve as host agency to manage a “community response bed’ serving individuals with significant behavioural challenges that could place them at risk within their community, This program will have qualified persons with expertise in behaviour management who will supervise the individuals at the designated location. This is a time limited program and will only be available for a certain number of days per year. Application for service for individuals, families, or other agencies must be made directly to Bethesda Services.

*Urgent” has been defined as a timely response to a perceived need of an agency or individual as determined by the Logic Model used by Behavioural Service Providers.



Family Support Services
This sector of Community Support Services provides services to children and youth up to age 18 and to adults aged 18 years and over, their caregivers and/or their families. This service strives to create and provide supports that are flexible and responsive to individual needs as well as promote a quality of life for all family members. Support groups for parents, siblings, and ex- tended family members are coordinated to offer opportunities for information sharing and mutual support to others with similar experiences. Information with regards to community resources is shared with families and individuals supported.
Adult Day Programming
The Therapeutic Support Program focuses on community inclusion and access for people through a therapeutic approach leading to skill development and independence. Therapeutic support experiences address: physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, social development, and employment options. The supports are designed to assist adults in non-competitive employment alternatives and the activities are creative, flexible and responsive to the diverse individual needs of the individual.
Special Services at Home—Children and Adults
This program will, in consultation with the person and their family, assist to secure specialized workers for children and adults based on their approved Ministry contract, including program goals. The focus is to assist children and adults to participate in the community, provide opportu- nities for developmental programming, and provide support to families. Special Services at Home requires an approved Ministry of Community and Social Services contract that specifies goals and objectives which address the individual’s personal needs.
Preschool Services
This program promotes the development of children aged 2 to 6 who have two or more areas of delay to facilitate their inclusion in community child care placements. Services are individualized and supports are provided in a family-directed approach and delivered to meet both the needs of the family and the child’s developmental needs. These supports include: advocacy, team service planning, goal planning and implementation, facilitation of transition to school, connection to community resources, and supports to community child-care settings through consultation and training. An agency sponsored cooperative nursery school supporting children ages 2 to 5 is op- erating out of Dalewood Public School.