Ontario Works Archives

Access to Integrated Care in Couchiching: A Partnership Between the County of Simcoe Ontario Works and Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital

by Andrew Scavarelli and Melanie Moore | June 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 Simcoe and Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.

In the heart of Simcoe County, during a time of ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic response, a transformative partnership emerged between the County of Simcoe Ontario Works Division and Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH). This collaboration was born out of urgency as an innovative opportunity to support our vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness, and unattached patients in the community, aiming to increase access to care in the right place, outside of the emergency department. This blog post delves into the innovative strategies and tangible benefits of this partnership, highlighting how it has significantly improved health outcomes and set a precedent for integrated human services.

Expanding Access to Essential Services in Peel Region

by Jabari Lindsay | May 2025

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

In Peel Region, our Human Services Department is comprised of five individual divisions each with dedicated mandates and services. The Income and Social Supports (ISS) and the Social Development, Planning and Partnership (SDPP) divisions are two of the distinct services available to support Peel residents. As a part of ISS’ stability support service delivery, a review of Ontario Works client needs, barriers and goals was completed to identify key priority areas to be addressed. Together, we co-designed and launched two impactful program funds: the Wellness Response and Assistance Program (WRAP) and Digital Literacy Programs.

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

by Christine Heavens | 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.

Northumberland County Early Years Employment Initiative

by Northumberland County | 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.

OW Directives and SAMS Introduction: The Basics

by Rob Kirsic | February 2025

In this workshop, participants will focus on refreshing their knowledge of Ontario Works and SAMS.

OW Directives and SAMS Introduction: The Basics

by Rob Kirsic | February 2025

Part 1: Monday, February 10 | 9:00 – 12:00 Part 2: Tuesday, February 11| 9:00 – 12:00 Part 3: Wednesday, February 12 | 9:00 – 12:00 Part 4: Thursday, February 20 | 9:00 – 12:00 Part 5: Friday, February 21 | 9:00 – 12:00 Registration Cut Off: Thursday, February...

An Interview with Gail Spencer

by Rob Kirsic | 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

by Abigail Apenteng | 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.

Shining a Light on SAMS Data The City of Ottawa’s Case Management Tool

by Kurt DesRoches | September 2024

The City of Ottawa’s Case Management Tool is a successful replacement to working out of the Provincial SAMS reports. It’s more accurate, more timely and more user-friendly. It comes in the form of a suite of Power BI dashboards tailored to the needs of the user groups. These dashboards are operationalized and are the prime sources of information for Ontario Works case management. Prior to this, Ottawa relied on reports from Social Assistance Legacy Information (SALI) for performance metrics and manually-maintained Excel files to keep on top of caseloads. Learn more about the work Ottawa is doing to help their community.

Region of Durham Adult Protective Services: Innovative Partnerships and Housing Stability

by Region of Durham | August 2024

OMSSA is featuring several 2023 Local Municipal Champion award recipients and their work in the Knowledge Exchange Blog. Please read this entry from the Region of Durham.

The Adult Protective Services (APS) team provides case management and advocacy for over 300 adults with developmental disabilities living in the community. Clients of the APS program are those with mild developmental/intellectual disabilities that can often ‘fall-through-the-cracks’ and can represent some of our most vulnerable citizens in the community.

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