A thread...

1/ Close to 10K students are at risk of having crucial School Based Rehabilitation Services (SBRS) disrupted as MCCSS is allowing a mid-school year transfer of services. This concerns the whole special needs community. #ONed #DelaySBRSTransfer #onpoli @ToddSmithPC

2/ 9 out of 20 Children’s Treatment Centres (CTC) plan to disrupt students' rehabilitation services by ending their longstanding contracts with current providers providing the SBRS in Ontario’s Education System. #ONed #DelaySBRSTransfer #onpoli @JR_Ottawa @ToddSmithPC @AmyFeePC

3/ MCCSS sent correspondence to CTCs informing them that they would “no longer be required to subcontract with specific service provider organizations for the delivery of services” & that the contract could be severed on Dec 31st, 2019 #ONed #DelaySBRSTransfer #onpoli @JR_Ottawa

4/ A mid-year disruption has never occurred in the history of Ontario’s School Based Rehab Services. #ONed #DelaySBRSTransfer #onpoli @JR_Ottawa @ToddSmithPC @AmyFeePC

5/ This change in contract will affect thousands of students by interrupting access to Occupational Therapists, Speech & Language Therapists and Physiotherapists. For some SBRS is the only source of rehabilitation students are able to access. #ONed #DelaySBRSTransfer @JR_Ottawa

6/ Many children will also lose the therapists they have built positive relationships with. #ONed #DelaySBRSTransfer #onpoli @JR_Ottawa @ToddSmithPC @AmyFeePC

7/ The recently released Autism Advisory Panel report clearly recommends (p.39) that MCCSS & MOE should “avoid any mid-year changes that would negatively affect a child’s school year”. #ONed #DelaySBRSTransfer #onpoli @JR_Ottawa @ToddSmithPC @AmyFeePC

8/ By ignoring this vital recommendation, @ToddSmithPC & this government are sending a message to the #Autism community, as well as broader #disability community & their families, that they are not listening. #ONed #onpoli #DelaySBRSTransfer @JR_Ottawa @AmyFeePC

9/ We urge Minister Smith to put an immediate STOP to current (and future) mid-year transfers, in order not to disrupt current services being delivered to our children, whom long awaited these services as well. #ONed #onpoli #DelaySBRSTransfer @JR_Ottawa @AmyFeePC

10/ We also urge the minister to look into the cost effectiveness of this transfer and its effects on current wait times. #ONed #onpoli #DelaySBRSTransfer @JR_Ottawa @AmyFeePC

11/ MCCSS aims to address waitlists in Ontario. So it would only make sense to reconsider and do the right thing - Delay The Transfer. #ONed #onpoli #DelaySBRSTransfer @JR_Ottawa @AmyFeePC