Blog

Embracing Compassionate Care: The County of Renfrew Mesa Initiative

Embracing Compassionate Care: The County of Renfrew Mesa Initiative

by | April 2025

OMSSA is featuring several 2024 Local Municipal Champion award recipients and their work in the Knowledge Exchange Blog. Please read this entry from the County of Renfrew.

In early 2024, the County of Renfrew launched a groundbreaking initiative centered around a collaborative approach to providing compassionate care in the community. This phased approach, named Mesa (pronounced “mey-suh”), embodies bold and compassionate work to address the root causes of homelessness, substance use, addictions, and mental health issues while fostering a resilient and healthier community for all residents of the County of Renfrew. This blog post explores the essence of Mesa, highlighting its innovative strategies and the profound impact it has on the community.

Cochrane District Services Board: Pilot Project to Support Client Access to Healthcare Practitioners

Cochrane District Services Board: Pilot Project to Support Client Access to Healthcare Practitioners

by | April 2025

In 2023, the Cochrane District Services Board (CDSB) undertook a comprehensive analysis of its client demographic, revealing that 25% of its caseload had been on social assistance for five years or more. This deep dive into the reasons for the prolonged need for social assistance identified significant health barriers, including physical impairments, mental illnesses, and addiction issues, which impede clients’ success.

The data further showed that 57% of the clients on social assistance for more than five years may not have access to a healthcare practitioner. To address these challenges, CDSB launched a pilot project in 2024 aimed at enhancing client access to healthcare practitioners.

The Importance of Collaboration in the Human Services Sector – Learnings from CSWB in Halton

The Importance of Collaboration in the Human Services Sector – Learnings from CSWB in Halton

by | March 2025

Kendra Habing is the recipient of OMSSA’s 2024 OMSSA Young Leader Award. This award honours an individual 30 years or younger who has been recognized as a leader, created change, and strengthened leadership in their community. Kendra will be recognized at our 2025 Exchange Conference.

Today’s human services sectors face increasingly complex and dynamic challenges. Issues like mental health, homelessness, housing insecurity, and substance use require a multi-sector response that extends beyond the capacity of any single organization. To solve these challenging issues, upstream interventions are needed to prevent crisis in our communities.

The Halton Community Safety and Well-Being model is an inspiring example of what can be achieved when government, human services, and community partners come together with a shared vision. It reminds us that when we work collaboratively, we can do more together – leading to stronger, healthier, and safer communities for all.

Northumberland County Early Years Employment Initiative

Northumberland County Early Years Employment Initiative

by | March 2025

OMSSA is featuring several 2024 Local Municipal Champion award recipients and their work in the Knowledge Exchange Blog. Please read this entry from Northumberland County.

The Early Years Employment Initiative (EYEI) is six-week course designed to introduce Ontario Works (OW) clients and students (grades 11 and 12) to the workforce skills relevant for starting/re-starting careers in the Early Years sector. The program fosters a collaboration between the Early Years (EY) and OW Divisions at Northumberland County by encouraging workforce participation in an Early Years sector that is searching for ambitious ways to promote a thriving workforce and support increasing child care demands in Northumberland.

An Interview with Katherine Chislett

An Interview with Katherine Chislett

by | February 2025

From 2017 to 2024, Katherine Chislett served as Commissioner of Community and Health Services for York Region and as President of Housing York, Inc., overseeing a $1 billion budget, 3,000 staff, and more than 300 programs that support York Region’s residents. Katherine’s focus on integrated service management and her dedication to equity and inclusion have enriched the lives of over 1.2 million residents.

She is also the recipient of the 2024 OMSSA Lifetime Achievement Award. OMSSA sat down with Katherine for an interview to discuss her work and career and thoughts on human services in Ontario.

Highlights of the 2024 Virtual Forum

Highlights of the 2024 Virtual Forum

by , | February 2025

Each year, OMSSA develops the topic of our annual Virtual Forum according to the interests of its members and on current developments in the municipal social services in Ontario. Since the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General ordered that all Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) plans adopted before July 2021 would need to be reviewed and revised by July 2025, it seemed both timely and appropriate that the 2024 OMSSA Virtual Forum be focused on issues directly linked to this work.

Family Services Durham: Building Collaborations for Responsive Support and Services to the Most Marginalized

Family Services Durham: Building Collaborations for Responsive Support and Services to the Most Marginalized

by | February 2025

OMSSA is featuring several 2024 Local Municipal Champion award recipients and their work in the Knowledge Exchange Blog. Please read this entry from the Region of Durham.

Family Services Durham (FSD) has provided affordable and no-cost quality community-based mental health services in Durham Region for almost 50 years. In 2023, over 6,600 residents were supported within FSD’s range of programs, which offer holistic, client-centered, trauma- and poverty-informed services designed to stabilize and strengthen individuals, couples, and families and respond to emerging needs.

An Interview with Gail Spencer

An Interview with Gail Spencer

by | January 2025

Gail Spencer, Manager of Housing Stability and Homelessness for the City of Greater Sudbury, spearheaded community and provincial initiatives, developing a roadmap for a responsive, integrated human service system for the unhoused population and programs aiming to end homelessness.

She is also the recipient of the 2024 OMSSA Patti Moore Human Services Integration Award. OMSSA sat down with Gail for an interview to discuss her work and career and thoughts on human services in Ontario.

City of Brantford Community Resource Navigation Team

City of Brantford Community Resource Navigation Team

by | January 2025

OMSSA is featuring several 2024 Local Municipal Champion award recipients and their work in the Knowledge Exchange Blog. Please read this entry from the City of Brantford.

Brantford’s Community Resource Navigation (CRN) pilot is a service delivery approach focused on improving OW recipients’ overall well-being, decreasing time on assistance and/or avoiding the need to enter the social assistance system altogether through an integrated and person centered service delivery model.

Be Part of the Solution Lambton

Be Part of the Solution Lambton

by | January 2025

Be Part of the Solution stemmed from priorities identified at Lambton County’s 2023 Stronger Together Summit. This event brought together stakeholders from local non-profits, government, the healthcare sector, and individuals with lived experience to discuss issues of housing, homelessness, and addiction. The top priority emerging from this summit was a public education campaign around homelessness, particularly with a focus on long-term supportive and affordable housing, and community will to say “yes, in my backyard” to these proven interventions. Learn more about Lambton County’s public education campaign.