collaboration

Strengthening the Early Years Workforce in Windsor-Essex: A Multi-Pronged Approach to Recruitment and Retention

Strengthening the Early Years Workforce in Windsor-Essex: A Multi-Pronged Approach to Recruitment and Retention

by | July 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 Windsor.

Across Ontario, the recruitment and retention of high-quality professionals in the child care and early years sector has become a challenge. Since 2022, the province has taken important steps to address this issue by funding locally developed community initiatives aimed at sustaining the current workforce, improving access to professional development, and attracting new recruits to the field. In Windsor-Essex, we embraced this opportunity by implementing a comprehensive, community-driven strategy designed to achieve long-term impact and meet the evolving needs of our region.

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.

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.

Towards Reconciliation in Research: Ethical Approaches to Research and Engagement with Indigenous Peoples

Towards Reconciliation in Research: Ethical Approaches to Research and Engagement with Indigenous Peoples

by | November 2024

The history of unethical research with Indigenous Peoples cannot be undone, but we can recognize this history and shift towards a future where research is decolonized and collaborative. By centering Indigenous data governance and adopting ethical methodologies, we can foster a research environment that respects the sovereignty, knowledge, and rights of Indigenous communities so that research benefits rather than harms Indigenous communities. This shift is not only necessary for healing historical wounds but also an essential part of reconciliation and healing for Indigenous communities.

Understanding the AMO-OMSSA Partnership

Understanding the AMO-OMSSA Partnership

by | May 2022

Read our latest blog post from AMO’s Senior Advisor, Michael Jacek, talking about how OMSSA and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) work together. OMSSA members may not realize that our organizations are already joined at the hip and together we can accomplish much through collaboration while being mindful of our respective roles and contributions.

From Poverty to Equity: Expanding the Lens in Dufferin County

From Poverty to Equity: Expanding the Lens in Dufferin County

by | April 2022

When you think of the word poverty, what do you see? Many see visions of people without access to drinking water in faraway places or of sprawling metropolises with rough-looking, crime-ridden neighborhoods. Most people have a hard time seeing poverty in their own charming little town, even though it exists. Poverty doesn’t always resonate with all people and all human service providers in the same way. Read more from County of Dufferin’s Director of Community Services, Anna McGregor, on the work being done to address poverty and equity in this community.