BREAKFAST / REGISTRATION  

8:00AM to 8:45AM ET

Room: Mississauga Ballroom Foyer

 OPENING REMARKS AND PLENARY  

8:45AM to 9:00AM

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

Land Acknowledgement and Opening Remarks:

 PLENARY  

9:00AM to 10:20AM

Economic and Policy Update

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

 2024 AWARDS PRESENTATION  

10:20AM to 10:30AM

Patti Moore Human Services Integration

• Award Recipient

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

 OMSSA-AMO MoU SIGNING  

10:30AM to 10:40AM

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

 PLENARY  

10:55AM to 12:15PM

Reconciliation with Indigenous Women: The Role of Municipalities in Improving Indigenous Women's Safety and Responding to the National Crisis of MMIWG

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

 BREAKOUT SESSIONS  

1:15PM to 2:35PM

 A  Bridging Divides: Voices & Visions About Homelessness in Mid-Sized Cities 

Room: TBD

Working with collaborators from three mid-sized Ontario cities and an Advisory Group comprised of three people with lived experiences of homelessness, we created a documentary, Bridging Divides: Voices & Visions on Homelessness, using a brokered dialogue approach.

Throughout the documentary, stakeholder groups including people with lived experience of homelessness, law enforcement and community (e.g., municipalities and social service organizations, private citizens, and businesses improvement associations) engage in a discussion on their perspectives regarding homelessness, the use of public and semi-public spaces, and public safety.

The session will screen Bridging Divides (45 mins) and engage participants in an interactive Q&A focused on how mediated dialogues might be used as an innovative process for cross-sectoral and stakeholder collaboration in response to homelessness and community concerns. 

Presenters:

• Jessica Braimoh, Assistant Professor, York University
• Erin Dej, Associate Professor, Wilfred Laurier University
• Carrie Sanders, Professor, Wilfred Laurier University
• Additional speakers to be confirmed

 B  Transforming the Future of Aging in Place Through Innovative Solutions

Room: TBD

Canada’s aging population is rapidly growing, as are their needs for more options through the aging continuum of care that can be tailored to them throughout their journey. 

There are already many cost-effective models that municipalities are championing, some of which pioneered by AdvantAge Ontario members such as Supportive Housing, Campuses of Care, and Community Wellness Hubs. 

Other models such as Nursing Home Without Walls can help seniors remain at home by connecting them with long term care services, which has proven to be successful in New Brunswick. 

This presentation will feature municipal leaders and will outline options that are already in place across the country and in Ontario, in the hopes that it will spur more municipalities to adopt these approaches and build the momentum for provincial government participation on a wide scale from both a policy and funding perspective. 

Presenters:

• Lisa Levin, Chief Executive Officer, AdvantAge Ontario
• Kathy Peters, Executive Director, Burlington Ontario Health Team
• Paul Sharman, Councillor, Ward 5, City of Burlington and Region of Halton
• Additional speakers to be confirmed

This breakout session is sponsored by the Regional Municipality of Durham

 C  Breakout C: TBC

Room: TBD

 D  Lessons & Discussion from the Field: Public Sector-led Employment Service Transformation

Room: TBD

Recently there has been a flurry of reports regarding the state of the Employment Service Transformation in Ontario. These reports have highlighted several challenges with the transformation including warehousing Social Assistance clients; negative impacts to former ODSP-ES providers; lack of transparency from the government; service provider sustainability; administrative burden; failed integration of Social Assistance and Employment Ontario; transactional services; and ultimately vulnerable people left behind. 

However, these reports have been heavily focused on service delivery by for-profit SSM. Quietly there has been five public sector SSMs trying to bring to life the ideals of this transformation: locally responsive services; client centred supports; and services accountable to generating sustainable and meaningful employment outcomes. 

Engage in an interactive discussion with public sector Employment SSMs regarding alternatives to the narrative above. Windsor, London, Bruce County, Durham Region & Fleming College will provide practical and actionable strategies that can be used in any catchment, regardless of the SSM. Engage in conversation with the SSMs to get the inside scope regarding what is possible, and what are the real limitations of the transformation. The session is not intended to highlight best practices, but to share how best practices can inform every CMSM and DSSAB in the province. 

Presenters:

• (moderator/speaker) Aaron Stauch, Director, Government Relations, Bruce County
• Sarah Hasse, Director, Workforce Development, Fleming College
• Myles Soulliere, Manager, Windsor Regional Employment Network
• Rosanna Wilcox, Interim Director, London Regional Employment Services
• Christine Wilmot, Manager, Employment Services System, Durham Region

 E - SPONSOR PRESENTATION  
TITLE TBD

Room: TBD

 BREAKOUT SESSIONS  

2:50PM to 4:10PM

 F  Ending Homelessness in Greater Sudbury: Alignment of Homelessness Planning, Land Use Policy, Strategies and Incentives & More than a Checkbox: Studying Youth and Lived Expert Prioritization and Participation in Community Homelessness Planning in Ontario

Room: TBD

Presentation #1

On May 28, 2024, the Roadmap the End Homelessness by 2030 was presented by City of Greater Sudbury Community Development staff to Council and was unanimously approved.  The Roadmap to End Homelessness outlined 26 recommendations to reach functional zero homelessness through a housing first approach by 2030, with an estimated cost of approximately $350 million, through investments from federal, provincial, and municipal governments.  

The Roadmap to End Homelessness by 2030 included several recommendations to increase access to housing for individuals experiencing homelessness, as evidence highlights that the provision of sufficient affordable and secure housing significantly decreases the number of households who will experience homelessness.  

In early 2024, City of Greater Sudbury Planning Services staff developed a Housing Supply Strategy which aims to ensure that all current and future residents in Greater Sudbury have access to housing options that meet their needs and is attainable at all income levels.  The Strategy contains a series of action items targeting known gaps in housing supply. 

In order to achieve recommendations included within the Roadmap to End Homelessness focused on housing, Community Development staff have partnered with Planning Services staff to ensure alignment between the Housing Supply Strategy and the Roadmap to End Homelessness to accelerate progress on affordable housing development.  

This presentation will outline highlights from the Roadmap to End Homelessness and Housing Supply Strategy development process, opportunities for coordination between the two strategies to increase the supply of housing in the community, and progress to date. 

Presentation #2

This interactive workshop will introduce participants to Amanda Buchnea’s preliminary doctoral research project’s findings, examining Ontario community homelessness planning processes and community engagement. The aim of the research is to generate a deeper understanding of origins and practice of community homelessness planning. It also explores the complexity communities navigate when developing and implementing plans with the collaboration and engagement of community members with lived expertise, including youth. The research is intended to create useful knowledge resources that can inform housing and homelessness service coordinators, planners, and policymakers as they navigate this important issue in their communities. During the workshop, preliminary research findings will be presented, with an opportunity for participants to reflect and draw on their own experiences to discuss points of interest, questions, and ideas to inform the next stage of the research and knowledge mobilization. 

Presenters:

• Caitlyn Bourque, Special Projects Manager, City of Greater Sudbury
• Melissa Riou, Senior Planner, Strategic and Environmental Planning, Planning Services Division, City of Greater Sudbury
• Amanda Buchnea, PhD Candidate, Social Practice and Transformational Change Program, University of Guelph
• Additional speakers to be confirmed

 G  Breakout G: TBC

Room: TBD

 H  Toward a More Equitable EarlyON System: Learnings from a Provincial Scan and Toronto Children's Services' Pilot Project, 'Reimagining the Early Years for Black Children and Families'

Room: TBD

 I  More Than Circling the Parking Lot: How Service Navigation Changes the Employment Landscape & Pathway to Enhanced Health Services - A Public Health Partnership Pilot

Room: TBD

Presentation #1

Ontario Works Brantford-Brant is conducting pilot to enhance our client service pathway. By providing community resource navigators to support the hands-on functions of case management alongside our service coordinators’ focus on ongoing eligibility, we aim to improve client outcomes and better meet our provincial targets.

With evaluation by Wilfrid Laurier University, we hope to imbed best practices (and lessons learned) into our work moving forward. Join us in a conversation about why we decided to undertake the pilot, what a community resource navigator does, and what the evaluation is telling us so far. 

Presentation #2

Many clients have been on social assistance for years, which begs the question - Why? In their search for answers, the Cochrane District Services Board (CDSB) believed the lack of access to a healthcare practitioner prevented clients from returning to work or accessing the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Through innovative partnerships and collaborative efforts, CDSB created a 1-year pilot project that aimed to enhance client access to healthcare. The project findings expose significant social challenges that affect client health, quality of life, and success, while also impacting Ontario Works caseloads. Join CDSB as they share details about their public health partnership pilot project which helped shape sustainable pathways to enhanced health services for social assistance clients. 

Presenters:

• Abigail Apenteng, Manager, Family & Income Stability, City of Brantford
• Christine Heavens, Director, Community Development and Services, Cochrane District Services Board
• Christine Lachance, Interin Housing & Ontario Works Program Manager, Cochrane District Services Board
• Nicole McGivern, Supervisor, Family & Income Stability, City of Brantford
• Tammy Smith, Program Manager, Community Development and Services, Cochrane District Services Board

 J - SPONSOR PRESENTATION  
TITLE TBD

Room: TBD

 BREAKFAST / REGISTRATION  

8:00AM to 8:45AM ET

Room: Mississauga Ballroom Foyer

 OPENING REMARKS AND PLENARY  

8:45AM to 9:00AM

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

Land Acknowledgement and Opening Remarks:

 PLENARY  

9:00AM to 10:20AM

TITLE TBC

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

 2024 AWARDS PRESENTATION 

10:20AM to 10:35AM

Champion of Human Services

• Award Recipient

Room: Mississauga Ballroom (Main Level)

 BREAKOUT SESSIONS  

10:55AM to 12:15PM

 K  Recuperative Care: When Homelessness and Health Meet & Thunder Bay DSSAB Home for Good Initiative Update

Room: TBD

 L  Shifting from Scattered Site Supportive Housing to a Focus on Whole Community

Room: TBD

Public housing resources in Ontario are rare and precious considering the current homelessness crisis in Canada. Communities are looking for ways to maximize the good use of public resources to ensure people can find a home. Indwell and the Region of Waterloo are partnering to create good housing and opportunities for stability at two regionally operated multi-residential buildings. Implementation of a whole of community approach to support has produced noticeable changes in tenant stability, building aesthetics and sense of community safety.  

This presentation identifies the core attributes of successful partnership with a focus on overcoming challenges through thoughtful dialogue and decision-making based on evidence. We will explore what aspects of this partnership matter the most and how it can be replicated. 

Presenters:

• Leah Logan, Regional Director, Indwell
• Amy Osika, Manager, Client Services & Waterloo Region Housing, Region of Waterloo

 M  Working Towards More Equitable Access to Child Care: A Review of the Subsidy Access Pilot and the Crisis Spaces Pilot

Room: TBD

Since the implementation of the Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Plan, the province has seen a significant increase in demand from parents wanting to access licensed child care. As the demand for child care spaces grows, we have learned that families using Child Care Subsidy often face additional barriers to accessing licenced child care spaces, and there are no longer vacant spaces available for families that may need a space urgently due to a family crisis.  

The Region of Waterloo has implemented two pilots aimed at increasing equity of access to child care for vulnerable or low-income families. These pilots support the local Access and Inclusion Plan created by the Region of Waterloo, as well as the Provincial Access and Inclusion Framework. In September 2023, Children's Services launched the Subsidy Access Pilot with initial participation of 14 child care sites. Child care sites participating in the pilot hold 20% of their spaces for children in receipt of Child Care Subsidy. In addition, all new child care centres or classrooms are required to hold 30% of their new spaces for children in receipt of Child Care Subsidy. 

The Crisis Spaces Pilot is a collaboration between Children’s Services and the local Children’s Aid Agency in reserving spaces specifically for families experiencing a crisis. Both pilots will be reviewed in greater detail, including implementation strategies, cost, challenges, and feedback.  

Presenters:

• Kristen Bustamante, Manager, Special Projects, Children's Services, Region of Waterloo
• Tyla Fullerton, Manager, Integrated Policy, Planning & Funding, Children's Services, Region of Waterloo
• Nickey Wiles, Manager, Child Care, YMCA of Three Rivers

 N  Building Capacity for Service System Management

Room: TBD

Session description coming soon. 

Presenters:

• John Howley, President, Labour Market Partners Inc. 
• Sue Ritchie Raymond, Principal Consultant, SLRR Consulting
• Marianne Seaton, President, Collaborative Strategies Inc. 
• Additional speakers to be confirmed

 O - SPONSOR PRESENTATION  
TITLE TBD

Room: TBD