Transformation through equitable,
data-driven service innovation

Transformation through equitable, data-driven service innovation

April’s Journey: From Diagnosis to Continued Family Support

April is a 13-year-old who is full of energy, enjoys going to the movies (mainly for popcorn) and loves arts and crafts. Her family first accessed CTN when she was three years old. It was through CTN that April and her family received her autism diagnosis that allowed her to register for the Ontario Autism Program.

To support her communication and developmental goals, April accessed CTN's Augmentative Communication Consultation Service (ACCS). Through this service, the family obtained an iPad with the appropriate software to help April speak. The team at CTN showed the family how to use and modify the program as needed to best support April.

Since then, April and her family continue to look forward to the different community events hosted by CTN. They attend these outings often to support social opportunities and experiences for April. Recently, April participated in different York Region March Break events, including Reptilia, Pawsitively Pets and the sensory-friendly movie showing of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The diverse experiences these events provide for kids, youth and families, including April, is important to create a vibrant community for everyone. April always attends the events with a huge smile where she is recognized by CTN employees and verbally welcomed. It makes all the difference to April and her family.

Learn more about the community events available to kids, youth and their families on our website.

We were able to obtain an iPad for April and CTN showed me how to use and modify the program as needed.” - April’s family

Enhancing CTN’s Communications: The Implementation of RingCentral

In line with our commitment to innovation, CTN recently implemented a new cloud-based phone and fax system. With a focus on enhancing service delivery to families, this system reflects new ways to evolve and serve our community. Our previous systems no longer met the diverse needs of our Intake teams, Specialty Clinics, providers and the families we support across many sites. By integrating this new system, our primary aim was to enhance the phone experience for families. We wanted to ensure easier navigation to the appropriate CTN department or contact person when families dial our main line at 1-866-377-0286. Additionally, our goal was to facilitate prompt call backs, simplify the process for families to return missed calls, efficiently route incoming calls for immediate assistance and provide service providers with streamlined access to our team for client-related inquiries. This new system underscores CTN's ongoing commitment to modernization, enhancing service accessibility, and better supporting our teams, service providers and the families we serve.

Modernizing Communication with Families: CTN’s New Automated Reminder System

For families, it can be challenging to juggle different appointments and meetings for their child. To better support them, we introduced a new automated reminder system that sends clients automated reminders for CTN appointments through email, phone or voicemail. Initially launched as a pilot with select CTN clinics, the system will expand to other clinical services throughout the year. The new system supports engagement with families, eases communication and positively impacts the service delivery experience for kids, youth and their caregivers. We are hopeful that this change in how we communicate with families will help make a small difference in their day-to-day lives. By leveraging technology, CTN aims to better meet the diverse needs of the kids, youth and families we serve through modernized communication to improve service accessibility. Read more about the automated reminders system on our website.

Out and About for Teens: Augmentative and Alternative Communication in the Community

The Community and Family Participation (CFPP) program is committed to fostering engagement and community integration for kids and youth with disabilities and developmental needs. Out and About for Teens is a social event series that provides youth who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems the opportunity to meet with other AAC users, participate in fun events and make friends. AAC systems, such as electronic communication devices or picture-based systems, are used to support those who cannot rely on speech to meet their communication needs. The idea for this event series came from CTN’s AAC team, which includes clinicians from partner organizations at Closing the Gap, Oak Valley Health, The Speech Clinic, York Catholic District School Board and York Region District School Board. They identified a gap in social and natural opportunities for the kids and youth they support to meet others who use similar communication devices. Over the past year, CTN hosted six events in collaboration with different community organizations, including park and beach days, hands-on art, bowling, a pizza party and games nights. These events provided opportunities for kids with complex communication needs to engage, connect and participate actively with their peers. View our website calendar for upcoming community events this summer.

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Better Together: A vibrant community where all kids, youth and families belong
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Visit our website at ctnsy.ca for more information about CTN's services and a list of locations in York Region and Simcoe County.

Corporate Office:
13175 Yonge Street
Richmond Hill, Ontario L4E 0G6
1-866-377-0286
Email: info@ctnsy.ca
Children’s Treatment Network is funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) and works in close collaboration with network partners funded by MCCSS and other ministries including the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health.
Charitable Registration #: 830649141RR0001