PROMISE YearsPROMISE Years Partners Researching Options to Maximize Integrated Service for Early Years

Presentation

Presenters: Dale Kotowsky

Cheryl Dyer-Vigier

Lynn Cory

Introduction

• School Divisions, Community Health Providers and Social Services Agencies within the southern part of Assiniboine Regional Health Authority have enjoyed a partnership for many years.

Our Goals

• The goal of Promise Years is to provide speech and language services,occupational and physiotherapy services to rural pre-school children and parent-child programming focusing on parenting, nutrition, literacy and building community capacity.

Three Programs

• Speech and Language Program

• Parent Child Program

• Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy Program

Speech and Language

• Improve available speech/language programs for pre-school children.

• Increase in the number of clients receiving programs.

• Improve communication skills for the target population.

• Enhance community awareness of communication disorders and availability of programs.

• Enhance the quality of parent-child relationships.

• Enhance the communication between parents and service providers

Parent Child Program

• Parents will gain skills and become more confident in their parenting role.

• Children will live in caring homes that promote physical, social and mental growth.

• Children will learn and play in safe environments.

• Parents will build strong community connections• This program and all its services are voluntary to

families.

Occupational/Physiotherapy Programs

• Identify children with delays in fine and gross motor skills.

• Improve availability of OT/PT services for school-age and pre-school children.

• To provide service to children in their community environments.

• To increase communication between parents/caregivers and the service providers.

Intake Process

• Intake is accomplished through the collaborative/cooperative model of the four school divisions; Prairie Spirit, Turtle Mountain, Southwest Horizon and Fort La Bosse.

• Promise Years accepts all referrals for purposes of prioritization and determination of need of service.

• Referral forms are sent to the school division office that serves the catchment area for the family and the Student Services Coordinator for the appropriate division manages the referral.

• Referrals are forwarded on to the appropriate therapist. A case history form, brochure and authorization for assessment will then be sent to the family.

• An appointment for an assessment will be arranged, when completed a diagnostic report will be sent and a program planning meeting will be arranged.

• At the program planning meeting the assessment results will be reviewed and a program plan will be developed, a family contract and program planning documents will be signed

• Progress will be monitored on a regular basis and client satisfaction surveys are distributed to families.

• Cooperation and Collaboration is key to the intake process.

• Student Services Coordinators from each Division meet regularly with Therapists and the Parent/Child Coordinator to review caseloads, programs and planning needs.

Program Numbers

• Pre-school Speech Language: 116

• Occupational Therapy: pre-school 17 school age 114• Physiotherapy: pre-school 14 school age 75• Parent Child Program: 13 communities served

Programs offered: Ready to Sing, Read, Create, Play, Mother Goose, Getting Your Child to Eat, Step 2, Mothers & Daughters In Touch, Rock & Read.

Offering training in Alphabet Soup and Bookmates. Workshops in Early Years in two divisions.

Service Providers

• 2 Occupational Therapists

• 1 Physiotherapist

• 7 Speech/Language Pathologists

• 1 Parent/Child Program Coordinator

Service Delivery Model

• Our collaborative model involves service delivery through the School Divisions where both pre-school and school age children receive required services.

• Teams of professionals meet to solve problems and develop solutions.

• Our model centers on a trusting relationships where partners respect each other.

• Our therapists interact directly with children and their families in their local communities to develop programming to meet the needs of children. Extensive follow-up and evaluations are provided and are very important for effective results.

• All School Division Boards of Trustees are supportive and are key to the success of our programs.

Limitations

• Geographical area, mileage/travel costs• Increase of number of children needing

services.• Divisional boundary issues-we work as a

region and can not be restricted by boundaries.

• Clinician certification with MECY• Challenges to the Service Delivery Model

Highlights

• Number of Children on programs indicate that therapy services are accessible at the community based level.

• Smooth transition between pre-school and school programs.

• People within the Community and Education system enjoy the opportunity to access services.

• Effective establishment of communication links between families, public health, community programs and school divisions are very strong.