Coordinated Service/urgent Response Coordinator

**PURPOSE OF THE POSITION**

The Service Planning/Urgent Response Service Coordinator (SP/URSC) is a dual role, that will work with our agency partner, Resources for Exceptional Children and Youth to support the planning, ongoing development and maintenance of Coordinated Service Planning and Urgent Response Services (Ontario Autism Program). The SP/URSC shall support our Indigenous children and youths across the Durham Region and Five Counties (URS only). The SP/URSC with the guidance of the Support Services Supervisor - Specialized Services will use their experience and knowledge to support our Indigenous children, youth, and their families in accessing services under the OAP and in coordinating services for those children and youth with multiple and/or complex special needs.

**RESPONSIBILITIES**

**Service Planning Coordinator (SPC)**:
The Service Planning Coordinator has a goal of ensuring service integration and to provide a range of ongoing supports to Indigenous children, youth, and their families with multiple and/or complex special needs. The SPC will act as the primary point of contact for children and youth with multiple and/or complex needs under the age of 18 as well as young people between the ages of 18 and 21 who remain in school. The SPC will lead the development, monitoring, and evaluation of the Coordinated Service Plan created with the child, youth, family, and providers from multiple sectors. The SPC will be highly skilled and knowledgeable with broad based extensive experience with families, systems, and service providers and will work collaboratively with the project partners in the delivery of the coordinated service plan.
- Delivering service that is culturally sensitive and child centered. Ensuring that child/youth, their families, and community partners and are actively engaged in intervention planning and promoting collaborative partnerships.
- Utilizing information gathered to develop a comprehensive understanding of the strengths and needs of the child/youth, their family, and the environment that they live.
- Using clinical judgement to assess and analyze in a culturally sensitive manner the strengths and needs of the child/youth and family which will ultimately inform the area of need to be supported through service providers.
- Providing leadership and support to the development and use of an inter-agency, inter-professional and cross-sectoral integrated coordinated service plan based on the family vision and priorities that addresses the service needs of the child/youth.
- Ensuring planning is collaborative by facilitating the coming together of relevant providers from appropriate sectors, to develop and maintain the coordinated service plan for the child/youth and their family.
- Coordinating case conferences that include the family and all service providers and any other supports identified by the family.
- Updating the coordinated service plan, mínimally every 6 months, to reflect shifting priorities of the family, the child’s developmental stage, progress towards goals and objectives, and transition planning.
- Maintaining a current comprehensive knowledge base of the system and resources across sectors to assist in system navigation and source appropriate services for the child, youth, and family.
- Researching and providing information and resource materials to parents.
- Acting as primary point of contact for a family and, when a new need or concern arises, respond to contacts from families to discuss the appropriate approach to addressing the need.
- Ensuring services are culturally sensitive, effective, well-coordinated, family-centered, and responsive to the child/youth’s changing needs.
- Providing written documentation for clients and external agencies in a writing style that is appropriate for the reader.
- Verbally communicating concisely, clearly and in a manner that is appropriate for the listener.
- Advocating with and on behalf of Indigenous families where necessary.

**Urgent Response Service Coordinator (URSC)**:
The Urgent Response Program [Ontario Autism Program (OAP)] is designed to respond rapidly to a specific identified need to prevent further escalation of risk or harm to a child/youth, other people or property based on the identification of key high-risk factors. The URSC has a goal of ensuring that Indigenous children, youth, and family needs related to Autism services are prioritized to ensure that all services are maximized for those who are affected by Autism.

The URSC will provide the Urgent Response Service in a culturally sensitive, comprehensive, flexible, and timely manner for Indigenous children/youth with Autism. The URS Coordinator will provide service navigation for all Indigenous children/youth referred, and lead the development, monitoring, and evaluation of the Urgent Response Service plan for those who meet the criteria for the service and their families.

It will also be the expectation of the URSC to ensure that a cultur