York Region: A Community of Collaboration

1. York Region: A Community of Collaboration Working together for children, youth and families

2. York Region Context • High Population growth • Extensively Diverse • Large Newcomer Community • Transportation/accessibility concerns

3. Grew by 22% to 892,712 (as of May, 2006). Fastest growing Census Division in Ontario and third fastest in Canada • Had the highest growth rate for all age groups in Ontario • Immigrant population accounts for about 60% of the growth between 2001 and 2006 • In 2006, the number of Aboriginals represents 0.4% of York Region’s total population. Same as 2001 • Number of families increased by 23% and the number of lone parent families grew by 37% • 12% of children live in lone parent families – majority led by women Prepared by York Region Community and Health Services Department March, 2008 York Region Growth Between 2001 and 2006 York Region:

4. Our Community of Collaboration: Supporting Structures

5. Where collaboration begins :York Region Planning Forum for Children, Youth and Families Vision Resilient children, youth, their families and communities in York Region. Mission The Planning Forum creates conditions, linkages and opportunities among organizations and other stakeholders to build resiliency within the families and communities of York Region.

6. Intentional Collaboration:Our Partnerships among Mental Health, Education and Community Services

7. Why Collaborate?Reality Check: Needs vs. Resource Our current reality= Our current need for Children’s Mental Health support vs. Our current resource capacity

8. Our Estimated Need • Need: • YRDSB student population= 110,000 • YCDSB student population= 55,000 • Combined student population=165, 000 • The percentage of students requiring mental health supports is approx. 18% or 29,700 students. (Ontario Child Health Study, Offord, 1989)

9. Our Capacity Organization/Agency Client Capacity # #FTES Blue Hills 720 65 Kinark 750 65 York Centre 200 37 Thistletown INTERFACE 340 35 Family Services YR 250 15 Canadian Mental Health Assoc. 100 10 Total Service Capacity 2360 students We currently have the capacity to support 3,060 students of the potential 29,700 students requiring mental health services. We only have the capacity to reach approximately 8% of students needing support.

10. How can we support the children and youth who need MH supports in an under resourced system? How can we support “all the rest”? • We need to build capacity where we can. Schools and communities are a natural place to do this. It is clear we need to work together to support and build resiliency for the children, youth and families of York Region. • Earlier intervention can support children and youth so they don’t get to the place where they need intensive services. • We can create efficiencies by up front intake processes, a brief therapy context, case management, service coordination and bridging for families requiring longer term support.

11. Our Collaborative Opportunity • 2004 Ministry of Child and Youth Services (MCYS) Funding Investment in Children’s Mental Health • Strategic Objective for the funding was for the Children’s Mental Health Sector to employ collaborative initiatives • A recognition of the importance of an integrated service delivery system across sectors

12. Total Funding=1.7 MillionSupporting 4 York Region Initiatives • Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) • Enhancing Clinical Capacity • Residential Redevelopment • COMPASS-Community Partners with Schools($300,000 of total budget)

13. Integration of York Region Initiatives 1 Triple P 2 Community Partners with Schools 3 Enhanced Clinical Capacity 4 Residential Redevelopment Universal Programs and Screening Information & Referral • Integrated Systemic View • Level 2-3 (Primary) Level 4 (Standard/Stepping Stones) Level 5 (Enhanced & Pathways) • Community Planning Tables Integrated Team Day Treatment • 3 Consultation & Comprehensive Assessments • 4 Respite Service Family Based Therapeutic Foster Care Therapeutic Family Care Assessment Stabilization Bed • Residential • Custody • Out of • Region Early Intervention Case Management (single provider) Intervention Service Coordination (multiple partners) Treatment Case Coordination (multiple/complex)

14. COMPASS: A Closer Look COMPASS Community Partners with Schools is a partnership of: York Region District School Board York Catholic District School Board Blue Hills Child and Family Centre Kinark Child and Family Services The York Centre for Children Youth and Families Thistletown Regional Centre for Children and Adolescents; INTERFACE Program Family Services York Region and other community serving agencies.

15. Our Community of Collaboration: Supporting Structures York Region Planning Forum for Children, Youth and Families Counselling and Treatment Committee Children’s Mental Health in Schools Committee COMPASS Together For Maple RH-EACH Linking Georgina

16. The Vision in Short: Integration COMPASS

17. COMPASSCommunity Partners with Schools Historical Review Where have we come from? Where are going?

18. Where we came from.. • COMPASS Original Facilitated Planning SessionMarch 29-30, 2005 • A Strategic planning session on how to approach a School and Children’s Mental Health Partnership

19. Planning Results Original Indicators of Success Student Based Decreases in the number of students: • sent to the principals office • under suspension • engaged in absenteeism • receiving more intensive children’s MH services (i.e. via Section 20 , residential care etc.) Increases in the number of students: • Graduating • Accomplishing 16 credits by age 16

20. Planning Results Original Indicators of Success School/Community Based • Parents would be engaged in helping their children in a non-stigmatizing context (school as a more comfortable setting than a children’s mental health centre) • Teachers will feel supported in helping students they are struggling with by consultation with the multi disciplinary team

21. Planning Results Original Indicators of Success Systems Based • School doors would be open on a system wide basis (not just where historic relationships exist) • A common language is developed between the education, children’s mental health, and community service sectors • A realignment of resources and structural change within the education system and the mental health sector to reinforce the new way of working

22. COMPASS Expansion and Enhancement of Community Capacity and School Clinical Partnership • Community Planning Table • Community defined as: geographical area of a YCDSB and a YRDSB high school and feeder elementary schools. • Representation from: school administrators and staff, superintendents, trustees, students, parents, community members, community agencies/services, child welfare, libraries, recreation services, police, youth justice, hospitals, public health, faith communities, municipal government, provincial government. Community Based Implementation • Integrated Staff Team • Integrated multi-disciplinary consultation to school staff • Specialized resources for students, families, schools and community School BasedImplementation YRDSB High School YCDSB High School Feeder Elementary Schools

23. The COMPASS Model A two-level structure: • Community Level: supported by a Community Planning Table • Prioritizes the identified needs of the community • Partners to support the needs identified within the community • Broadens the supports available to students and families; providing a continuum of service from universal programs (i.e. recreation, parenting, health supports) to intensive.

24. The COMPASS Model 2. The School Level Integrated Team=COMPASS mental health staff integrated into school support team This multi disciplinary team provides consultations to teachers and school staff. The COMPASS staff member will work with families in an assessment and brief therapy context. Where long term supports are needed the staff bridges the families to community services.

25. The COMPASS Integrated Teams Integrating our strengths, practices and skills to build resiliency in schools, children and their families.

26. Integrated Support Continuum • Student • Groups Alternative Class Placement Therapeutic Support Suspension (ACCESS ) • Staff • Workshops In School Referral to Intake Case TeamIntegrated Assessment Conference w/ TeamScreening Intervention Plan • Classroom • Supports • Or interventions Rapid Response Support (crisis, brief consultation, safety plan implementation)

27. Collaborative Partnership “…how people interact with each other to make change happen…” (e3smallschools.org)

28. The Integration Continuum

29. First Shift From fixing children’s problems Promoting children’s strengths to Second Shift to Relationships Beyond programs Shifts

30. Third Shift From My School Our Community to Fourth Shift to To “our” children From “their” children Shifts

31. Shifted Thinking towards a Shared Vision These shifts allow us to: -Strengthen the resource capacity of schools. Schools become: -a seamless system of school-community based prevention, identification, and intervention services to meet the needs of children, and youth and their families where they are.

32. Factors For Successful Partnerships • Leadership • Shared Vision • Clear Roles and Responsibilities • Effective Communication • Trust • Shared Decision-Making and Accountability

33. Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons Learned The 4 Rules for Successful Collaboration: • The scope of the collaborative project is clearly defined. • Each partner knows how the collaboration will advance the interests of their organization and students/clients.

34. Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons Learned 3. Role and responsibilities have been defined; mechanisms for communication and joint accountability are in place. 4. The relationship works: there is enough trust and respect among the key players to support the level of risk and interdependence involved in the project.

35. Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons Learned Some of the challenges within collaborative work: • It's time-consuming • It demands the ability to face conflict directly • It demands that leaders subordinate their egos • It is leadership dependent initially

36. Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons Learned Who are collaborative leaders? • Leaders trusted and respected by all the groups and individuals involved in the partnership • Relate to diverse groups and individuals with respect and ease • Have good facilitation skills • Catalysts for systems change

37. Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons Learned • They nurture new leadership within the collaboration and the community • They have a commitment to the collaborative process and to finding real solutions to problems • They keep the focus on what's best for the group, organization, or community as a whole

38. Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons Learned How do you practice collaborative leadership? • Lead the process, not the people; • Help the group set norms that it can live by; • Assure that everyone gets heard; • Encourage and model inclusiveness; • Help people make real connections with one another; • Mediate conflicts and disputes; • Help the group create and use mechanisms for soliciting ideas;

39. Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons Learned • Maintain collaborative problem-solving and decision-making; • Push the group toward effectiveness; • Help the group choose initial projects that are doable; • Help the group identify and obtain the necessary resources to do the work; • Insist on and protect an open, transparent process; • Keep the group focused on what's best for theorganization, collaborative , or community as a whole.

40. Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons Learned Partnerships need to ensure: 1. that the values, ideas, and processes of the effort are widely shared and deeply felt, 2. that important relationships are nurtured and remain strong, 3. that policy and practice innovations are institutionalized and become the norm, and 4. that needed financial and human resources are secured for the long term.

41. Collaborative Partnerships: Lessons Learned “Education services, in partnership with health, welfare and recreation services, should universally promote social, emotional and behavioural well being as part of a child’s healthy development and total education”.