Across the Niagara Region, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) provides funding for a range of residential and non-residential services/supports for children with developmental disabilities, children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and children with social, emotional and/or behavioural problems. These services are delivered through 14 community based transfer payment agencies. Historically and currently, Contact Niagara has been forging ahead in its quest to deliver quality services for children and their families. It will continue to be involved in looking at the best ways to deliver service in Niagara to ensure timely, flexible and appropriate responses while valuing the diversity of our communities and the individuals that live within them.
Our Process
Since June 2000, Contact Niagara has served as the single point of access for consumers and their families who require any of these services. By using a community based, common intake tool, Contact Niagara gathers accurate and important information from individuals, so that they do not have to tell their story over and over again when searching for the most appropriate services. At the same time, Contact Niagara has developed partnerships with agencies to coordinate effective and confidential flow of information at a client, interagency and systems level.
Why Contact Us?
Contact Niagara works diligently to apply other features found in its mandate. It aims to “never be the wrong place to call” by helping individuals navigate the system of Niagara services/supports, even those which fall outside of services offered by MCYS. Contact Niagara is also involved in local planning with multiple providers in an effort to problem-solve highly complex and urgent situations presented by individuals. Part of Contact Niagara’s work is also to collaborate with all sectors and across regional services to ensure that individuals are always at the centre of the service delivery approach. Contact Niagara does this by having a strong presence in a number of community committees, and showing a strong commitment for a more cohesive and integrated service system by leading several projects and initiatives.
