Waterloo Children & Youth Services Planning ... - Social Services

June 2012
As a result, we introduced the notion of “coordinated access” into the dialogue at parent
forums and in face to face meetings with service providers.
Parent’s responses to the survey question, “during your search, would a service help
phone attended by an experienced professional have been helpful in connecting you to all
available resources in the Region of Waterloo What do you think of this idea as a future
resource” where overwhelmingly positive. “Love that idea”, “yes, yes, yes”! There were
also several important recommendations for ensuring the highest quality of such a
service.
5.11 Participant Recommendations (in brief)
Live voice is important – live resources with capacity for consultation.
Parents support each other – access to a parent with experience in the system
would be helpful.
Shared governance – that the service not be “owned” or run by one organization,
but set up as a partnership.
Capacity for crisis intervention and immediate support would be helpful.
Get youth input into the design of the system. Find out what youth would want.
Service resource continuity….call parent’s back, check up on them.
Ensure that the service is welcoming, kind, empathic. Someone with the time to
give parents what they need, to listen.
Ensure there is a coordinated electronic information system (especially basic client
information, name, address, Physician, School, contact people, etc.).
6. DISCUSSION & RECOMMENDATIONS
Strategic Recommendations
6.1 Efficient System of Access
Over 30% of parents who filled out the survey (n=48) reported making over 9 contacts
before finding a service and expressed concern about the inefficiency of the system.
Clearly parents are spending a great deal of time calling service after service to collect and
decipher information about the types of services available for their children and the
eligibility requirements. Given that the current system in Waterloo Region has over 35
separate access points for MCYS funded services this finding is not unexpected (Appendix
6 – Current System of Access to MCYS Services).
Many parents expressed concern for families who might not have the capacity to do the
work required to find services in Waterloo Region. They were especially vocal about their
concern for families with cross cultural issues. It is not difficult to imagine that for
someone with English as a second language that calling over nine services for information
would be overwhelming. Therefore the committee recommends that Waterloo Region
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