3. addiction
services initiative for ontario works participants services de soutien aux toxicomanes inscrits au programme ontario au
travail |
That Council
approve the establishment of 12 temporary positions for 12 months within the
Employment and Financial Assistance Branch to staff the new Addiction Services
Pilot for Ontario Works participants that will be administered by the City of
Ottawa effective March 2006 and the purchase of addiction services from
community agencies at no additional cost to the City.
RECOMMANDATION
DU COMITÉ
Que le Conseil approuve la création
de 12 postes temporaires pour une période de 12 mois au sein de la Direction
des services d’emploi et d’aide financière afin de doter en personnel le nouveau
projet consistant à offrir des services de soutien aux toxicomanes inscrits au
programme Ontario au travail, qui sera géré par la Ville à compter de mars
2006, ainsi que l’achat de services auprès d’organismes communautaires sans
coût supplémentaire pour la Ville.
DOCUMENTATION
1.
Deputy City Manager, Community and Protective
Services report dated 23 January 2006 (ACS2006-CPS-EFA-0001).
Report to/Rapport au:
Health, Recreation and
Social Services Committee
Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services sociaux
23 January 2006/le 23 janvier 2006
Submitted by/Soumis par : Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager/Directeur
municipal adjoint,
Community and Protective
Services/Services communautaires et de protection
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Danielle Massé, Director/Directrice
Employment
and Financial Assistance/Services d’emploi et d’aide financière
(613)
580-2424 x 43080, danielle.masse@ottawa.ca
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Ref N°:
ACS2006-CPS-EFA-0001 |
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SUBJECT: |
ADDICTION SERVICES
INITIATIVE FOR ONTARIO WORKS PARTICIPANTS |
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OBJET : |
SERVICES DE SOUTIEN AUX TOXICOMANES INSCRITS
AU PROGRAMME ONTARIO AU TRAVAIL |
REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Health, Recreation
and Social Services Committee recommend that Council approve the establishment
of 12 temporary positions for 12 months within the Employment and Financial
Assistance Branch to staff the new Addiction Services Pilot for Ontario Works
participants that will be administered by the City of Ottawa effective March
2006 and the purchase of addiction services from community agencies at no
additional cost to the City.
Que le Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des
services sociaux recommande au Conseil d’approuver la création de 12 postes
temporaires pour une période de 12 mois au sein de la Direction des services
d’emploi et d’aide financière afin de doter en personnel le nouveau projet
consistant à offrir des services de soutien aux toxicomanes inscrits au
programme Ontario au travail, qui sera géré par la Ville à compter de mars
2006, ainsi que l’achat de services auprès d’organismes communautaires sans
coût supplémentaire pour la Ville.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2003,
the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) began introducing an
Addiction Services Initiative across the Province, through the Ontario Works
Program that builds upon the existing framework and employment measures. Employment and Financial Assistance (EFA)
was chosen to pilot the Addiction Services Initiative in 2006. The initiative is designed to assist Ontario
Works participants whose addiction to alcohol, illicit drugs or prescription
drugs is a barrier to employment. As an
employment measure, the initiative provides enhanced supports to Ontario Works
participants to overcome addiction as a step toward finding and maintaining
employment.
The Employment and Financial Assistance Branch
consulted with a network of addiction services agencies on numerous
occasions. EFA and the agencies have
agreed on a service delivery model to address the requirements of Ontario Works
participants with substance abuse problems.
The program is to begin operation by March 2006.
The implementation plan requires an additional
12 temporary positions for a period of 12 months within the Employment and
Financial Assistance Branch and purchasing assessment and treatment services
from agencies. MCSS will fully fund the
Addiction Services Pilot and will provide one-time funding to set up the pilot,
as well as 100% of the costs associated with the purchase of the assessment and
treatment components of the program from community agencies. In 2007, should the pilots be successful,
all Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) will be required to
implement this new initiative, which would become an additional service
available through the OW Employment Program.
RÉSUMÉ
En 2003,
le ministère des Services sociaux et communautaires (MSSC) a commencé à mettre
en place, à l’échelle de la province, un projet consistant à offrir aux toxicomanes
des services de soutien dans le cadre du programme Ontario au travail, lequel
s’appuie sur la structure actuelle et les mesures d’emploi existantes. La
Direction des services d’emploi et d’aide financière (SEAF) a été choisie pour
diriger le projet en 2006. Celui-ci vise à apporter de l’aide aux participants
à Ontario au travail dont la dépendance à l’alcool, aux drogues illicites ou
aux médicaments d'ordonnance constitue un obstacle à l’emploi. Mesure d’aide à
l’emploi, le projet donne aux toxicomanes de meilleurs outils pour vaincre leur
dépendance et arriver à trouver et à conserver un emploi.
La Direction des services d’emploi et d’aide
financière a consulté à maintes reprises un réseau d’organismes spécialisés
dans les services de soutien aux toxicomanes, après quoi les deux parties se
sont entendues sur un modèle de prestation de services qui répondra aux besoins
des participants à Ontario au travail aux prises avec des problèmes de
toxicomanie. Le programme entrera en vigueur en mars 2006.
Le plan de mise en œuvre exige la création de
12 postes temporaires (12 mois) au sein de la Direction des services
d’emploi et d’aide financière ainsi que l’achat de services d’évaluation et de
traitement à des organismes appropriés. Le MSSC financera entièrement
l’initiative et accordera aux villes une subvention non renouvelable pour les
aider à mettre sur pied le projet pilote. De plus, il assumera la totalité des
coûts associés à l’achat de services d’évaluation et de traitement à des
organismes communautaires. Si, en 2007, les projets pilotes se sont avérés une
réussite, tous les gestionnaires des services municipaux regroupés (GSMR)
devront mettre en place la nouvelle initiative, laquelle constituera un service
supplémentaire offert par le programme Ontario au travail.
BACKGROUND
Ontario
Works provides a range of employment assistance measures to help individuals
and families relying on social assistance become self-sufficient through
employment. The number of persons
receiving Ontario Works has been declining over the past ten years. However many of the persons remaining on the
caseload have increasingly complex barriers to employment, including substance
abuse problems.
In 2001, the Ministry of Community and Social
Services (MCSS) announced the Government’s five-point action plan designed to
ensure Ontario Works was more responsive to the needs of social assistance
recipients. The final phase of this
plan was to implement an addiction services initiative that focused on removing
addiction as a barrier to finding and maintaining employment for Ontario Works
participants.
This initiative has been implemented in
phases. Phase one involved establishing
four pilot sites and the second phase expanded the initiative to five
additional sites. Those initial sites
involved smaller CMSMs. The current
phase focuses on expanding the mandatory implementation of the program to
larger CMSMs. The Addiction Services
Initiative is a voluntary program for Ontario Works participants in that
individuals may chose to self declare addictions, and then pursue assessment
and treatment options.
The Addiction Services Initiative is designed
to provide Ontario Works participants who present substance abuse as a barrier
to employment, with the treatment that will assist them in the recovery
process.
Some of the key features of the Addiction Services Program are:
·
Addressing participants’ problems with
alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs, when such problems are a
barrier to employment or participation in Ontario Works employment activities.
·
That the program focuses on removing
substance misuse as a barrier to employment while respecting the dignity and
right to informed choice of all participants.
·
Identifying and referring interested
participants to competent specialists for assessment and treatment.
·
Recognizing that treatment can be a
long-term process that may involve one or more relapses.
·
Establishing individualized case
management plans so that participants receive appropriate treatment and
supports.
Participants
in the Addiction Services Program will be able to access employment related
benefits along with their ongoing financial assistance. The benefits are intended to assist
participants in getting and keeping employment or begin to remove barriers to
move a participant along the path to self-sufficiency.
The specialized case coordinators involved in
the pilot will carry reduced caseloads enabling them to do more appropriate
interventions and employment coaching.
They will be available to function as brokers in order to identify and
co-ordinate services required by participants.
They will develop case plans with each participant in coordination with
staff from addiction treatment agencies.
Because retention in treatment is a high predictor of successful treatment
outcomes, case coordinators will assist participants through times of crisis
through direct intervention and provision of needed supports and services.
As a result of a survey conducted
by EFA in 2004, it was determined that approximately 10% of the participants on
Ontario Works had substance
abuse problems that interfered with their ability to find or maintain
employment. With caseload averages
hovering around 18,000 cases in 2005, the total number of Ontario Works
participants with substance abuse problems was estimated at approximately 1,800
cases.
More recently in June 2005, EFA
assessed the capacity available within the network of addiction service
agencies to accommodate Ontario Works participants engaged in the Addiction
Services Initiative. During the course
of the capacity assessment the agencies delivering substance abuse services
estimated that there were approximately 400 Ontario Works participants already
involved in treatment.
DISCUSSION
Since the 2001
announcement by MCSS, EFA has anticipated the need to develop an Addiction
Services Initiative plan and has therefore consulted widely with the network of
addiction service agencies. From the
outset guiding principles were adopted in concert with community partners and
validated during the development of EFA Branch’s Implementation Plan submitted
recently to MCSS.
Some of the principles of the plan are:
·
Involving participants in the Addiction Services
Program will depend on their willingness to engage in a change process
affecting their life.
·
Involving participants in the least intrusive and
intensive treatment interventions appropriate to their needs and circumstances.
EFA
believes that the Addiction Services Initiative will enhance its existing
service delivery model in that it is congruent with the branch’s employment
principles:
·
Valuing employment as a key determinant of quality of
life and a healthy community.
·
Investing in employment activities in order to
decrease the length of time on social assistance and the rate of reapplication
to social assistance.
·
Providing a range of employment supports such as
Community Placement, Employment Placement, etc., to meet the immediate and
long-term needs of Ontario Works participants.
·
Partnering with agencies and employers to provide employment
opportunities in the community and matching people to these opportunities to
build collaborative communities.
EFA has collaborated with a network of addiction service agencies to develop a service delivery model that will feature the following elements:
·
Provision of substance abuse treatment information to
all Ontario Works clients and opportunities for disclosure and participation in
the Addiction Services Program.
·
Planned early involvement of participants engaged in
substance abuse treatment in employment and/or employment related support
activities.
·
Strengthening partnerships with substance abuse
agencies to the benefit of Ontario Works participants with substance abuse
problems.
·
Specialized case coordinators available to provide
outreach and support to Ontario Works participants engaged in substance abuse
treatment.
The City of Ottawa is well
positioned to implement the Addiction Services Pilot. There is a long-standing history of collaboration and support
between EFA and the agencies in the addiction services network. EFA will introduce employment supports as
early as possible in the treatment process recognizing that these initiatives
are vital components in restoring dignity to individuals and sustaining them in
their recovery.
MCSS will fully
fund the Addiction Services Pilot in the amount of $1,500,000. In addition MCSS will provide one-time 100%
provincial funding in the amount of $150,000 to set up the program.
The
implementation of the Addiction Services Pilot requires an additional 12
temporary positions including a supervisor, 10 specialized case coordinators,
and a verification specialist.
In consideration
of many factors (Addiction Services Initiative is a pilot, short timeframe to
implement, OW client profile, geographic requirements, capacity issues,) the
network of addiction agencies along with the EFA Branch have determined that it
is in the best interest of the community to proceed with the purchase of
service from the following three agencies:
·
Addiction and Problem Gambling Services of Ottawa
($100,000),
·
Rideauwood Addiction
and Family Services ($80,000)
·
Maison Fraternité
($20,000)
Initial funding will be for
a period of 6 months to ensure the funding allocations are in keeping with
service level demands.
CONSULTATION
For the past 5 years EFA has organized periodic meetings to keep the network of community agencies apprised of the Addiction Services Initiative. Community agencies support elements of the Addiction Services Pilot including:
·
Voluntary participation of Ontario Works participants
in the Addiction Services Pilot.
·
That drug addiction assessments will be completed by
community agencies delivering substance abuse services.
·
Specialized case management and supports available for
Ontario Works participants.
·
Comprehensive addiction related training will be
provided to EFA staff.
The Champlain Addiction
Coordinating Body (CACB), which facilitates system coordination, planning and
advocacy, and is the voice for the addiction treatment system to political,
government and service sectors of Eastern Ontario, supports EFA’s plan related
to the Addiction Services Program.
In 2004, EFA convened an
Addiction Services Initiative Advisory Committee. Members were drawn from the addiction services network of
agencies, the community at large, and relevant City of Ottawa departments
including Health, Parks and Recreation, and Housing. The mandate of the Advisory Committee included determining best
practices in regards to assessment, referrals, and treatment options,
identifying clients’ needs and community resources, and identifying gaps in
service and possible solutions. EFA
will maintain the Addiction Services Initiative Advisory Committee and will
review the terms of reference and membership to ensure its effectiveness.
OTTAWA INTEGRATED DRUGS AND
ADDICTIONS STRATEGY
The implementation of the
Addiction Services Pilot will provide an additional strategy to support goals
of the Ottawa Integrated Drugs and Addictions Strategy of reducing the harmful
and destructive effects of substance abuse.
The Addiction Services Pilot will assist participants to overcome
substance abuse problems and pursue sustainable employment as an alternative to
remaining engaged in a drug-filled way of life.
ENDORSEMENT OF THE ADDICTION
SERVICES PROGRAM
On September 15, 2005 the Community and Protective Services Corporate Strategic Plan for 2005-2007 was approved at a special joint meeting of the Health, Recreation, and Social Services Committee and the Emergency and Protective Services Committee. The Addiction Services Program was discussed in terms of maximizing access to addiction services to support clients with addiction-related barriers to employment and financial stability. Committee members approved the Addiction Services Program as one of EFA’s initiatives in 2005-2007.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
As indicated, the Province is fully funding
the costs of the Addiction Services Pilot in the amount of $1,500,000 as well
as program set-up costs in the amount of $150,000 and therefore participation
in the pilot involves no additional costs to the City.
Employment and Financial
Assistance Branch will implement the Addiction Services Program.