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11/14/2006
Project Continuum Joint Task Force Reviews Results of Consultations

Project Continuum Joint Task Force
Reviews Results of Consultations and Workshops to
Better Serve Individuals with Disabilities in Ontario

(Thursday, November 9, 2006) Members of the Project Continuum Joint Task Force met last month to consider the results of the 46 broad-based consultations and 4 workshops completed this summer and fall. The research pointed to gaps along the continuum of services desired to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in Ontario and highlighted initiatives that The Easter Seal Society, Ontario (Easter Seals) and Ontario March of Dimes (OMOD) are working on separately to bridge these gaps.

“The results point to service planning and delivery gaps related to education, employment, housing, and life skills that have an impact on children, youth, and adults with disabilities and their families,” said David Boyle, Project Continuum Co-Chair and Past Chair of the Board for Ontario March of Dimes. “These are particularly apparent in the transition years from youth to adulthood and something needs to be done to better support these consumers.”

Project Continuum Co-Chair Greg Smith, Past Chair of the Easter Seals Board, agrees and added, “We recognize that there are a myriad of service organizations in this province, including Easter Seals and OMOD, that have very limited resources to individually and collectively address these service gaps today. This project enables us to consider if we could do more together to make the best use of our resources for the benefit of Ontarians.”

Members of the Boards of Directors and senior management of Easter Seals and OMOD participated in workshops on September 26 and September 28 to discuss gaps in the service delivery continuum and to assess the degree to which the organizations are strategically and operationally aligned to address these gaps together. Participants discussed their expectations for Project Continuum, articulated their own vision of the ideal service delivery continuum, and identified factors that would have an impact on the degree to which Easter Seals and OMOD could work together to create a society inclusive of people with physical disabilities.

The Joint Task Force will continue to reflect on the research results before creating a framework to identify and assess organizational change options to maximize resources while promoting the independence, personal empowerment, and community participation of children, youth and adults living with physical disabilities in this province. The Association Strategy Group team (ASG) will use this framework as a basis for identifying and comparing options. There are an infinite number of options that could be considered along a continuum of strategic restructuring. These options include, for example: status quo, shared administrative functions, shared use of facilities, joint program and service planning, joint service delivery, or a merger.

This is the first of three phases of work for Project Continuum. Stakeholders will have additional opportunities to be engaged in future phases. Early in 2007, the Boards of Directors of Easter Seals and OMOD will endorse either the status quo or one or more organizational change options worthy of further exploration. This will mark the end of Phase I. Work on Project Continuum will proceed to Phase II should it be agreed that further exploration of organizational change options is desired. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to participate in Phase II consultations to help Easter Seals and OMOD make a decision about what option to pursue. The option selected will be implemented in Phase III.

Meanwhile, staff, volunteers, donors, and other stakeholders are welcome to contact the ASG team to share any comments or concerns or to ask questions about the project. Individuals may send an email in confidence to Jennifer Shepherd and Chris LeClair at projectcontinuum@associationstrategygroup.com Messages sent to this address will be acknowledged within two working days. The team will review all comments and share the nature of the comments received on a monthly basis with the Joint Task Force overseeing Project Continuum. The names of individuals from whom the e-mails are received will not be shared with the Joint Task Force and will remain confidential. Members of the Joint Task Force will discuss all issues raised and will agree to an appropriate means of addressing the issues. Association Strategy Group will send a response to individuals within one month to advise them how their comments are being addressed.

The purpose of Project Continuum is to explore options to maximize the resources of both organizations while providing a comprehensive and seamless continuum of services for children, youth and adults with physical disabilities in Ontario. The project is funded through a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, spanning a 30-month period. This communication is the fourth in a series of updates that will be issued to keep you informed as the project progresses.

For more information, contact:

Andria Spindel Carol Lloyd
President and CEO President and CEO
Ontario March of Dimes The Easter Seal Society, Ontario
(416) 425-3463 x7320 (416) 421-8778 x340
aspindel@dimes.on.ca clloyd@easterseals.org

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