The Division assists the Department and Regional Health Boards to operate within their mission, vision and values and to strive toward their goals by developing and implementing provincial policies based on current research and information.

Is responsible for the planning, development, interpretation and evaluation of the programs for all ages across the continuum of health and community services through four program consultant sections.

Children and Youth Legislation
Child, Youth and Family Services
    Child Care Services
Adults
    Newfoundland and Labrador Heart Health Program
Seniors
Cross Life Cycle
Addictions Services

It focuses on the establishment of provincial program standards that are consistent with identified best practices in program delivery and development in partnerships with other government departments, regional health boards and the community.

This Division is responsible for the overall planning and evaluation of functions of the Department including the Departmental Plan, the Department's participation in the Social Audit of the
Strategic Social Plan, applied research and evaluation throughout the Health and Community Services system.

The Children and Youth section is responsible for the planning and development of policies, standards and programs to support best practices in compliance with the legislative frameworks which govern the provision of services for children, youth and families in this Province. The legislation currently in this program area include:

Adoptions Act
Child, Youth and Family Services Act
Child Care Services Act
Freedom of Information Act
Parent and Child Health Programs
National Child Benefit Reinvestment Plan

• Family Services
Social workers work with families & communities to develop, provide, evaluate and link services to children, youth and their families. These services are aimed at preventing, reducing and/or resolving risks to child safety, health and well being. There are three family service programs:

Family Support Service

This program is aimed at promoting the safety, health and well-being of children through prevention, early intervention and strengthening families and communities. It can include any service a family may require to further the safety, health and well-being of a child, to prevent or reduce the risk of child maltreatment, improve parenting, prevent removal of a child from his/her parent and support communities to meet the needs of children and families.

Voluntary Care Agreement

A parent can choose to seek temporary care for his/her child to enable the parent time to seek help and/or resolve any issues in the family home that could place the child’s safety, health or well being a risk.

Child Welfare Allowance

This service is available to provide relatives or significant others of children, who are removed from their family homes, support and financial services if they are willing and capable of providing care to the child. This programs aims at ensuring the child maintains consistency in relationships with family, significant others and community.

• Youth Services
The goal of this program is to assist young people age 16 & 17 in a successful transition to adulthood. Social work intervention and services may be provided to youth and their families. Youth Services can be either residential or non residential.

Non Residential Youth Services

Prevention and support services are available to young people living in their family home to address issues which could effect their development and well being including such things as risk of maltreatment, mental health and addiction issues.

Residential Youth Services

If a youth is at risk of maltreatment in his/ her family or has no parent willing or able to provide care to the youth, he/she can be offered residential and support services on a voluntary basis. If the youth can safely return to his/her family this would be the focus of intervention.

• Protective Intervention
When a child is alleged to be at risk of maltreatment social workers provide risk assessment and risk reduction planning to ensure the child is safe. Intervention with the family, within the context of the community, ensures the best interest of the child are paramount.

The Adult Programs section provides program development and support to the Health and Community Services, Integrated and Institutional Health Boards and other partners regarding adult program and service developments. The Adult Programs section is a new grouping of programs and the mandate of the section continues to develop.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Heart Health Program (NLHHP) is a community-based health promotion initiative aimed at improving health and reducing the rate of heart disease in the province. The program, sponsored by Health Canada and the Department of Health and Community Services, was launched in 1990 and focuses on Healthy Eating, Active Living & Being Smoke-Free. The NLHHP works through six Regional Heart Health Coalitions along with various community groups, health organizations, and professional associations to encourage people to lead healthier lifestyles and to create an environment that helps people make healthy lifestyle choices.

The Heart Health Coalitions represent all health regions across the province. The Coalitions are composed of Health and Community Services staff; representatives from professional associations and health organizations; members of our target population; and, community volunteers. The Coalitions continue to evolve and initiate a variety of activities at the local and regional level covering the three key heart health messages. The initiatives include community kitchens; walking clubs; lifestyle clinics; cooking classes; exercise programs; healthy lifestyle programs for youth; workplace initiatives; smoking prevention and cessation programs; and, heart health fairs and workshops.

Provincially, a Research Team and an Advisory Committee provide advice and direction for the Heart Health Program.. The Advisory Committee, made up of key organizations working in the area of health promotion, helps to facilitate communication and partnership among agencies and organizations involved in the promotion of heart health in the province. The Research Team provides direction for the overall program in addition to the ongoing research process.

Numerous program resources have been developed to support skill development for volunteers and professionals. The NLHHP also facilitates and maintains formal communication links to share practical experiences and ideas through a quarterly newsletter Heart Matters; Regional Heart Health Exchange Teleconferences; a web site; regional and provincial meetings; and program inservices.

The NLHHP has formed partnerships with many community groups and organizations to promote heart health. We have partnered on the Ticker Tom Heart Health Program with the Teen Tobacco Team; with the Canadian Diabetes Association on the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy; and, the Heart and Stroke Foundation on the Heart Smart Restaurant Program.. The NLHHP is also the community representative on the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco.

For more information see the following website: Newfoundland and Labrador Heart Health Program

The Seniors Programs section is responsible for the development, organization and coordination of a comprehensive program and related standards for persons over the age of 65. Analysis and review of proposals for seniors programs is also a part of this section's mandate.

This section is responsible for four departmental programs which provides services across two or more of the three lifecycles; "Children and Youth, Adults, Seniors", These programs are:

Disability Services
Mental Health Services
Addictions Services
Youth Correction Services

Disability Related Programs/Services are delivered by the six regional Health and Community Services/Integrated Boards in accordance with provincial policy through funding provided to them by the Department. The following will give an overview of the program/services available within the province however; their availability within each region varies according to regional requirements:

Special Child Welfare Allowance Program
Direct Home Services Program
Community Behavioral Services
Social Work Services
Autism Pilot Project
Model for Co-ordination of Services to Children/Youth
Community Living and Supportive Services for Adults with Disabilities
     Alternative Family Care Homes
     Co-operative Apartment Program
     Home Support Services Program
     Special Needs Board & Lodging Supplement
     Flat Rate Allowance
     Other Special Needs Funding / Community Access
     Special Assistance Program

This allowance enables provision of financial assistance to families with a child (under the age of eighteen years) who has a disability. The assistance is designed to enable families to purchase items and/or services which are necessary due to the child's disability. The amount of monthly entitlement for each family is determined through assessment via the application of a financial needs test.

This program is a home-based early childhood intervention service available to families with children, age-birth to school-entrance, at risk or having developmental delay. The primary aim of the service is to assist families, identify and obtain information/support to promote the holistic well-being of their children. Referral to the program can be made by any interested party as long as family members agree to such action. The service is voluntary and at no cost to the family.

The home visitor, called the Child Management Specialist, visits the family and assists with the identification of individualized goals and objectives. Home visits usually occur on a weekly schedule, but may be less frequent. The direction and dynamics of the intervention is determined during home visits through discussion between family members and the Child Management Specialist.
Child Management Specialist positions are located under the Regional Health & Community Services and Integrated Boards throughout the province.

This program is a community based behavioral support program which serves persons (school-aged and older) with diagnosed developmental disabilities and accompanying intellectual impairment, who have been identified as exhibiting behaviors which impede community integration and threaten residential, educational, and vocational placements. In two regions the service is offered in a limited way to other children under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act. The service is based on the idea that offering the right behavioral support to people will improve quality of life and guarantee that they are included in the community.

Referrals are received from many sources including parents, teachers, social workers, medical personnel and other professionals as long as family members agree to such action. The service is voluntary and at no cost to the family. The Behavioral Management Specialist generally visits the home setting but visits can also occur in schools, work settings or other places where people need support to display appropriate behaviors. Both clients and families need to be involved in deciding the amount and kind of help the is to be provided. Home visits occur as necessary, usually every week or two weeks. Behavioral Management Specialist positions are located under the Regional Health & Community Services and Integrated Boards throughout the province.

Social workers are available within each region to provide individual and group councelling, assist with the development of service plans and service co-ordination, complete individualized assessments, issue funding when approved, and review and monitor programs and services delivered.

The Autism Pilot Project is a two year, early intervention treatment program for preschool children between the ages of eighteen to sixty months, up to school entry. Thirty-five children will be participating in either an intensive, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) program based on the Lovaas methodology and research OR a parent implemented, cognitive developmental ABA based on the information processing research and behavioral treatment for children with Autism by Dr. Zelazo (Montreal). The pilot will be evaluated on repeated measures for child, sibling, parent and family factors, via quantitative analysis, prior to treatment, one year into treatment, and after completing two years of treatment. A follow-up evaluation will be completed three to five years after completing treatment. Quantitative data will focus on identification of required parent supports and services, regional implementation barriers specific to delivering ABA treatment supports and services, regional of treatment implementation and outcome for their child. Based on the evaluation of the pilot project, recommendations will be made regarding the future directions pertaining to early identification, assessment and treatment of children diagnosed with Autism.

Other government departments are involved in the delivery of children's services and since 1995 the Departments of Education, Health and Community Services, Human Resources and Employment, and Justice have committed to the implementation of the "Model for the Co-ordination of Services to Children and Youth". This model recognizes that many children require supports and interventions for specific periods during their lives. These supports often require input from many professionals represented within those departments. To be fully effective these services cannot be provided in isolation of each other.

The model assumes that coordinated planning and integrated service delivery will result in appropriate assessment, early identification, and timely actions which support the child's continued and full participation in family, school, and community living with the minimum appropriate level of service. It also limits the number of service providers with whom the child and his/her family must interact and facilitates the sharing of information and skills.

There is only one plan (ISSP) in place for a child but many professionals from different departments may have access to the plan and may have responsibility for providing information on the development of objectives to meet the identified goals. This provides for a more consistent service in all environments and assists with transitions from one setting to another. The Model is implemented throughout the region in the following structure:

• Alternative Family Care Homes
Private homes which have been approved by Health and Community Services for the purpose of providing room and board, supervision and personal and social support for the care of up to two unrelated adults with developmental disabilities in a family atmosphere. Supports and services are available as necessary. Monitoring and supervision is provided by the social worker assigned by the Regional Health and Community Services/Integrated Board.

This program is a private residential setting operated by an incorporated community board of directors and staffed by a live-in supervisor and relief staff. Homes are usually rented houses and are shared by up to three adults with developmental disabilities. The program is not meant to provide permanent homes and the main emphasis is on skill teaching and support to enable more independent living.

The Provincial Home Support Program has three distinct components serving persons with specialized needs: clients over the age of 64, clients aged 18-64 with disabilities, and children under the age of 18 who are living at home with their families or are residing in a care giver home under Child, Youth and Family Services. Services are delivered by the regional Health and Community Services/Integrated Health Care Boards throughout the province from funding that has been allocated to the boards. Program policies and standards have been developed provincially. Funding is approved on an individual basis to enable the individuals/families to obtain homemakers, home support workers, attendants, and other non-professional support required to enable them to remain in their homes and communities.

The Department of Human Resources and Employment is responsible for the payment of the basic monthly board & lodging for all adults who live with non-relatives. When adults, aged 18 years or older, with developmental of physical disabilities require higher rates to live in such settings this basic rate is supplemented through Health and Community Services, according to assessed needs, to provide a combined payment up to the maximum monthly amount allocated in policy.

Adults with disabilities who require home support services are entitled to receive a Flat Rate Allowance up to a maximum of One Hundred and Twenty Five dollars per month. This allowance acknowledges that a person with a disability requiring supportive services may incur expenses not generally incurred by other individuals and therefore is intended to cover such personal expenses not usually provided for in regular monthly funding.

Funding maybe available to cover the costs of additional minor expenses to enable a person with disabilities to make their home environment accessible or to make minor furniture/appliance repairs. Persons with developmental disabilities may also receive funding to enable them to participate in community access activities.

Funding provided to alleviate the costs of supportive health services to assist with activities of daily living for clients in the community that would ordinarily be a benefit extended to persons in hospitals or nursing homes. For more information see the following website: www.sppd.gc.ca