Welcome to the SSAH Provincial Coalition !

Our Mission

We are a coalition of individuals, families, organizations, associations and agencies dedicated to ensuring that families in Ontario receive the meaningful support they require through 
the Special Services at Home Program.

Wait list climbs to 4000 families; families requesting enhanced respite are even Wait listed !

It is our position that the implementation of the new SSAH “directives” and the lack of recent investment in SSAH is not fair;
nor is it equitable.  We are very concerned about  the future of SSAH .  The wait list which is  growing daily, is a symptom of a much bigger problem in this province.
 How is this fair in the Transformation Process ?

***LATEST Statistics for 2008/09 just received summer 2009

ALERT: Download a copy of a

Special Edition of 
  First Choice NEWS,
June  2009

SSAHPC has Eight (8)  MESSAGES for the MCSS

NEW INFO

We are very troubled by the changes initiated by  MCSS on April 1, 2009.

In this financial environment, we understand the difficulty of responding fairly to a wide and diverse constituency.  We appreciate that, despite a budget deficit, families that are currently funded will not have their SSAH allocations reduced.
However, it is important for us to express our deep concern about  the  direction the Government  is taking to reduce that  deficit. We believe that by not funding any new contracts; by not enhancing existing contracts  and by taking back unspent  funding part way through the year,  families that rely on SSAH  for their primary support  will face significant hardship.  We believe this strategy is very shortsighted and may push families into crisis situations.  The evidence is clear that a small amount of  SSAH funding can make a fundamental difference to a difficult family situation and in many cases has been the glue that held the family together. 
The most unfair to families is 
NO NEW applications in Ontario for SSAH. Every new approved application goes directly on a wait list.

Who We Are:

The SSAH Provincial Coalition (SSAHPC) was formed in 1990 by a dedicated group of individuals, families and agencies who joined together for strength and support because of growing concerns regarding the need to expand policy and funding for Special Services at Home program (SSAH). At that time, we believe our advocacy efforts encouraged the government to increase the SSAH fund and expand SSAH to serve more people; in particular, children with physical disabilities and adults with developmental disabilities. SSAHPC continues to dedicate our efforts to ensure our mission is achieved.

SSAHPC is a large and ever growing coalition of families, individuals, agencies, provincial organizations and family networks. We are very proud of the many groups as members.

“ Keep it Simple, Keep it Flexible;
27,000 Families Deserve the Best” 

Position Paper written by by SSAHPC
released in January 2008  . 
Please feel free to share it with other families, friends or agencies.

Provincial member groups
Autism Society Ontario
Coalition for Inclusive Education,
Community Living Ontario
Down Syndrome Society of Ontario
The Easter Seal Society Ontario
Extend A Family
Individualized Funding Coalition of Ontario
Ontario Association of Children’s Rehabilitation Services
Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy
Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Association Ontario

Our Beliefs

• SSAH is a vital support and must become a program of First Choice.
• SSAH is essential for families.
• SSAH helps people and families to live meaningful lives in the community. 
• SSAH can change and grow to respond to individual and family needs.
• People with disabilities and their families have much to contribute about how SSAH could progress.

Special Services at Home Provincial Coalition

c/o 2495 Parkedale Ave., Unit # 4
Brockville, ON    K6V 3H2

Click here to view a slide show 
"SSAH... a Primer to Individualized Funding (I.F.) "

telling you all about 
the Special Services at Home Provincial Coalition

The Co Chairs, Beth French and Alison Ouellette received the Family Alliance Ontario Leadership Awards at the Family Alliance Ontario's annual conference April 28, 2007

Alison Ouellette and Beth French, Co Chairs , SSAHPC

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