Passport Funding and Special Services at Home

Passport Funding is a funding program by the Ontario Government in order to help young adults with developmental disabilities who are too old to continue attending school to access community support.  Once a person with developmental disabilities turns 21 years of age, they are no longer eligible to attend classes within the education system; and given that there are not a lot of programs available for young adults, once they age out of the school system, they end up staying at home with no financial resources to access staffing or community based programs to give structure and meaning to their work week.

The Ministry of Community and Social Services website has a concise explanation of what the Passport program  covers:

With Passport funding, individuals and families can:

• receive money directly so they can purchase their own services and supports
• get services and supports through community-based agencies
• get services and supports through a combination of both.

Who can apply for Passport Funding

Passport funding is for people with a developmental disability who:

• are no longer in school
• need support to participate in the community
• live independently with family or in supportive living, such as a group home.

Where to apply for Passport Funding

 For the past two years Passport Funding has been frozen as a result of the amalgamation of the Special Services at Home program into the Passport Funding program.  In this fiscal year (April 2013 - March 2014) everyone who was already receiving funding from either Special Services at Home or the Passport program had their funding renewed.  There were no increases, no chance to make any changes.  So if you were already part of either one of these programs then you are lucky.

Lots of people, in the meantime, have been in limbo.  Unable to apply for funding and unclear about when the new Passport Program will be open to taking new applications.  At the time of the writing of this post: there have been no memos to staff on the front lines or letters to parents giving any updates or possible timelines for making the Passport Funding a living program again.

The best one can do is to call the Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) office (see my previous post about the DSO here) and ask for a re-assessment if you or your loved ones situation demands additional funding.  The DSO will meet with you, make their assessment and then put you on the list of Passport Funding.

If you do not currently receive Passport funding, then you still should call the DSO and ask to be put on the list for an application for Passport Funding when this program is reactivated.  This the right thing to do only if you are already attached to the DSO or another agency as your lead agency, or, you have been assessed by the DSO for eligibility (that is, you or a loved one has been and diagnosed with having an developmental disability).

To access phone numbers for the DSO offices in Ontario follow this link

For the Toronto office of the DSO call 1-855-372-3858.

Developmental Services Ontario

Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) is an agency run by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. In Toronto, the agency happens to be located at Surrey Place Centre in downtown Toronto. There are 8 other DSO centres. To find the DSO centre which serves your area you can follow this link.

What does the DSO do? If you or a person you care for has not had any contact with the developmental services sector in Ontario then you will have to begin by contacting a DSO centre in your area. If you receive ODSP, have received services through a community living agency or other agencies funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services before July 1, 2011, then you do not have to go through the DSO. Simply call the agency you were last in touch with and they should be able to help you access any services you require. Usually, this is an agency known as your lead agency. Lead agencies are your first point of contact for any services you or someone you care for is looking to access. Anyone entering adult developmental services through the DSO in Toronto is considered to have the DSO as their lead agency.

The DSO -- Step-by-Step:

1. You (or someone you care for) call a DSO centre, they respond by taking your basic information; a critical piece of information requested at this stage is evidence that you or a loved one are eligible for services. Usually a Psychological Assessment is needed to determine if someone meets the definition for having a developmental disability. The document responsible for setting the criteria for eligibility for services is the Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act (2008).

2. At your first meeting with a DSO worker you will be asked a lot of basic questions and these will be added to your previous information. The form being filled out at this stage is called an Application for Developmental Services and Supports (ADSS) form. To learn the more details about the ADSS go here.
3. At your second meeting with a DSO worker they will help to complete a form known as the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS). This form is to help the DSO to find out what kinds of supports are needed by an applicant. Do you need a day program? Do you have complex medical needs? Will you need to apply for ODSP and then additional funding? This is what the SIS is supposed to determine. You can find more details about this form here.
4. Last Step -- A report known as Assessor Summary Report (ASR) is prepared from all the information gathered highlighting the most significant details/needs from your previous meetings.
5. A worker from the DSO will be responsible for directing you to agencies that will connect you with needed services.

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