regional collaborative service delivery summary of annual ... · 2014/2015 regional collaborative...

Regional Collaborative Service Delivery Summary of Annual Reports

September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015

2014/2015

Cataloguing and Publication Data

School and Community Supports for Children and Youth Regional Collaborative Service Delivery Provincial Summary of Annual Reports, September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4601-2887-9 ISSN: 2369-3460 For further information, contact: School and Community Supports for Children and Youth Branch Education Supports Sector Alberta Education 8th Floor, 44 Capital Boulevard 10044 – 108 Street Edmonton, AB T5J 5E6 Telephone: 780-422-6538 Fax: 780-422-2039 Dial 310-0000 first for toll-free access in Alberta. http://education.alberta.ca/rcsd © 2016, the Crown Right of the Government of Alberta. Permission is given by the copyright owner to reproduce this document.

http://education.alberta.ca/rcsd

2014/2015 Regional Collaborative Service Delivery Summary of Annual Reports i

Table of Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1

Vision, goal, objectives and outcomes ........................................................................... 1

Structure ........................................................................................................................ 2

Data Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 3

Celebrating Success ................................................................................................................ 4

Collaboration ................................................................................................................. 4

Service delivery ............................................................................................................. 7

Co-ordination and integration ......................................................................................... 8

Building capacity .......................................................................................................... 10

Regional Priorities ..................................................................................................................12

Mental health ............................................................................................................... 12

Social, emotional, and behavioural resources .............................................................. 13

Capacity building ......................................................................................................... 13

Integration .................................................................................................................... 14

Identifying Challenges ............................................................................................................15

Transition readiness .................................................................................................... 15

Collaboration ............................................................................................................... 16

Service delivery ........................................................................................................... 17

Human Resources Planning and Implementation ................................................................19

Financial Summary .................................................................................................................21

Looking ahead .........................................................................................................................23

Appendix A: Glossary of Terms .............................................................................................24

Appendix B: Provincial Financial Information for 2014/2015 ...............................................27

Appendix C: Regional Financial Information for 2014/2015 .................................................28

2014/2015 Regional Collaborative Service Delivery Summary of Annual Reports 1

Introduction Now in its first full year of implementation, Regional Collaborative Service Delivery is a joint endeavour between Alberta Education, Alberta Health, Alberta Human Services and Alberta Health Services. It enables partners to work together on a regional basis to enhance supports and services for children, youth, and their families. This report covers the period from September 1, 2014, to August 31, 2015 (2014/2015 year), as 17 regions across the province focused on increasing collaboration and integration of supports and services. The operational year also marked the merging of Regional Education Consulting Services into the Regional Collaborative Service Delivery approach.

Vision, goal, objectives and outcomes

The vision of Regional Collaborative Service Delivery during the 2014/2015 year was to:

Deliver regional supports and services to enable Alberta’s children and youth to succeed in their learning and improve their well-being.

The goal was:

Relevant regional supports and services meet the needs of children and youth in the context of their schools, families, and communities in the most effective and efficient manner possible.

The objectives were to:

improve access to supports and services;

build capacity of communities including school staff, service providers and families; and

improve integration and co-ordination of supports and services. The four outcomes measured and reported on were:

identified needs of children and youth are met;

Regional Collaborative Service Delivery is collaborative;

partners demonstrate leadership; and

partners are engaged.


Structure

Each of the 17 regions across the province was supported by a Regional Executive Team consisting of senior executive level staff from each partnering organization including:

school authorities;

Alberta Human Services; and

Alberta Health Services. The Regional Executive Team was accountable to partnering organizations for guiding the vision of Regional Collaborative Service Delivery at a regional level. Alberta Education served as the provincial administrative lead. Additionally, each region had a Regional Leadership Team made up of senior-level managers who work closely with those providing supports and services. Partnering organizations were also represented on the Regional Leadership Team. The Regional Leadership Team was accountable to the Regional Executive Team for the oversight and monitoring of the operations within the region. In the 2014/2015 year, each region was supported by a regional manager who was accountable to the Regional Leadership Team.


Data Analysis

Each of the 17 Regional Collaborative Service Delivery regions submitted an annual report for the 2014/2015 year. Reporting focused on three key areas:

celebrating success;

strategic actions; and

identifying challenges.

Each annual report was reviewed by a provincial Cross-Sector Team made up of representatives from Alberta Education, Alberta Health, Alberta Human Services and Alberta Health Services. Each region met with the Cross-Sector Team to discuss their annual report. These discussions contributed to building a shared and enriched understanding of how the Regional Collaborative Service Delivery approach was implemented across the province. Regional financial and human resources data provided in the annual reports was consolidated and summarized. Data from each region’s annual report was also analyzed using qualitative data analysis software that identified common themes. The data was then reviewed and validated by a research analyst.


Celebrating Success Each region reported on successes related to four areas:

collaboration;

service delivery;

co-ordination and integration; and

building capacity.

Collaboration

Common themes related to collaboration, as illustrated in Figure 1, include:

increased communication;

co-ordinating and leveraging system resources; and

integration of all available resources in a given region.

Figure 1: Common themes related to collaboration success


Increased collaboration across the province was reflected a number of ways. It should be noted that no region documented a decrease in collaboration as a result of their regional work. Over 40 per cent of regions noted opportunities to increase partnerships with service organizations.

Nearly 25 per cent of regions noted opportunities to review, improve, and increase capacity to address children and youth with complex needs.

Nearly 30 per cent of regions noted opportunities to enhance community involvement to better deliver supports and services, and provide more efficient responses to identified needs.

Over 40 per cent of regions noted increased opportunities to collaborate with neighbouring regions, which significantly increases regional capacity.

Examples of what enhanced collaboration looked like included:

increased opportunities for capacity building, by having access to partner organizations and neighbouring regions with specialized expertise and training opportunities;

contracting for provision of professional service delivery from neighbouring regions; and

integrated methods of service delivery resulting from increased partner collaboration.

Increased communication

The majority of regions reported increased communication between staff, school personnel, service providers and parents. Regions credit the use of technologies, such as Skype and Google Calendar as contributing to this. As a result of improved communication, regions reported an increased ability to identify needs and align actions. The following strategies to increase communication were implemented across the majority of regions:

school-linked team visits to all schools;

collaborative meetings between school-linked teams and school-based teams;

multidisciplinary consultations; and

area meetings in regions with a larger geography.


Co-ordinating and leveraging system resources

In some regions, collaboration led to new ideas and opportunities for delivering services differently. This was a result of:

re-evaluating existing expenditures on programs and staff;

identifying duplication; and

relying on regional partners to provide services. Individual regions shared the following examples of how they delivered services differently in 2014/2015 year.

Many service providers who work within Regional Collaborative Service Delivery have taken on the same clients in their contract work for Family Supports for Children with Disabilities. This provided co-ordinated supports to families between home and school programming and decreased duplication of service teams.

Dialogue around the types of service delivery available enabled schools to access service providers and other specialists in different ways (e.g., classroom consultation vs. referral for single student).

A tri-region initiative focused on service delivery for children and youth with low-incidence disabilities within a geographic area.

Regional Leadership Team collaboration led to the allocation of unexpended funds to increase support for a Family School Liaison Worker program for each school division within the region. This increased direct service and service provider contact with children, youth, and their families.

Regions who noted an increase in communication and engagement with other partners also tended to report an increase in their ability to target resources directly to identified needs and to make more supports available. Regions who used opportunities to co-ordinate and leverage system resources were less likely to see existing budgets as a barrier to service excellence. Integration of all available resources

Collaboration between partners and co-ordination of services is resulting in more streamlined and seamless service delivery. In many regions, service planning supports a multi-employer approach. As a result of this multi-employer approach, contractors and service providers from different organizations are increasingly co-ordinating their planning and service delivery. Regions report strong relationship building across program areas and service providers. Feedback indicates the positive impact on children, youth and their families, as a result of delivering co-ordinated, integrated and more comprehensive service.


Service delivery

Common themes around service delivery, as illustrated in Figure 2, include increased and simplified access and directed funding.

Figure 2: Common themes related to service delivery success

Increased and simplified access

The majority of regions reported that simplifying access to service providers and other specialists led to more efficient planning and increased the frequency and quality of services available. These regions noted that an increased focus on universal strategies and a multi-disciplinary approach was most effective in addressing the needs of children, youth and their families. The efficiency of the multi-disciplinary approaches for meeting student needs in the classroom also created more time for in-depth planning. Directed funding

Many regions directed funding to specific programming and resources within the 2014/2015 year. Partners built consensus on what would most benefit children and youth in the region. This resulted in more informed decisions in areas such as programming and staffing. Regions shared a number of examples of how they directed funding, including:

transitioning staff from part-time to full-time, or hiring new staff; and

securing school support workers in remote areas. Collaboration enabled regions to work more effectively and share resources with partners, including Alberta Human Services, Alberta Health Services, school authorities and other Regional Collaborative Service Delivery regions. This type of collaboration and sharing of resources was especially beneficial for remote and rural regions.


Co-ordination and integration

Common themes around co-ordination and integration, as illustrated in Figure 3, include:

increased capacity;

increased communication; and

meetings. Figure 3: Common themes related to co-ordination and integration success

Increased capacity

The majority of regions reported a significant increase in their capacity to provide supports and services as a result of Regional Collaborative Service Delivery. Using this approach facilitated the development of standardized processes and increased collaboration. It also led to improved integration and co-ordination of local services. Increasingly, service providers who are part of school-linked teams may work for more than one employer, and as result of this diversity, are more able to create innovative solutions. Regions report that service providers are increasing their professional capacity and are accessing new expertise and resources that were not previously available.


Increased communication

Regions reported that service providers are building stronger relationships across regions and are networking with partners to deliver improved services because:

communication across regions is increasing opportunities for professional development and cross-training between service providers from different backgrounds and employers;

information-sharing strategies are being put into place; and

partners have increased knowledge of supports and services available, strategies for improving efficiencies and the importance of co-ordinating supports and services.

Meetings

The majority of regions reported a significant increase in the number of meetings between service providers, school staff and families resulting in increased collaboration and co-ordination of services between home, school and community. Increasingly, the relationship between service providers is focusing on how they can work in partnership to provide supports and services and liaise with families. In some regions, regional managers now regularly hold monthly meetings with service providers and meet with each discipline (speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, behaviour consultants, etc.). Regions reported that these opportunities to discuss ideas, actions, and feedback on a regular basis are having a positive effect on the delivery of services.


Building capacity

Common themes around building capacity, as illustrated in Figure 4, include:

resources – human;

resources – equipment;

professional development; and

family involvement.

Figure 4: Common themes related to building capacity success

Resources – human

The majority of regions noted that increased collaboration, integration, and communication led to increased access to service providers and other specialists. This was especially important in rural regions where expertise may be limited and in remote communities where access and travel pose a challenge. Examples of types of service providers and specialists include:

speech language pathologists;

occupational therapists;

mental health therapists;

rehabilitation specialists;

vision specialists;


deaf and hard-of-hearing specialists;

augmentative and alternate communication (AAC) specialists; and

behaviour specialists.

Resources – equipment

The majority of regions emphasized the importance of specialized equipment, such as augmentative and alternative communication systems, and specialized computer hardware and software. Increasingly, regions are working with local partners in their regions, and with neighboring regions, to support children and youth who have specialized equipment needs. Professional development

Nearly all regions reported a significant increase in opportunities for professional development. Collaboration between partners, including service providers, specialists, school authorities and government yielded new cross-sector learning opportunities, such as specialist training, workshops, conferences, and various other events. The following examples of professional development opportunities were shared:

Learning for All – community of practice;

Mental Health Literacy teacher training;

National Violence Threat Risk Assessment Conference;

trauma-informed practice presentations;

Learning Through Play convention;

coaching workshops; and

Lunch and Learn sessions. Family involvement

Many regions reported positive outcomes from increased parent involvement in the planning of supports and services for their children. Parents met regularly with service providers and school teams to ask questions and discuss their child’s progress. Families also had opportunities to build their capacity by participating in workshops provided through partners.


Regional Priorities In reporting on strategies and actions for the 2014/2015 year, regions noted that integration is a priority. In the majority of cases, programming and planning were co-ordinated with other activities in the region, and virtually none of the strategic actions were implemented in isolation. Many regions collaborated with each other in the implementation of strategies. This was especially the case in remote and rural regions. They often collaborate with neighbouring urban regions to access professional development opportunities and service providers.

Mental health

Mental health was a priority for regions, and is reflected in a range of strategies aimed at increasing capacity. Examples of strategies reported include:

identifying mental health support needs and resources in each geographic area;

building an understanding of what mental health is and how to support children and youth with mental health issues through presentations from Alberta Health Services addiction counsellors, family school liaison workers, monthly newsletters and content for school websites;

hosting a community wellness fair to share resources and information about available supports;

participating in joint professional development, including Suicide Prevention training for school-based teams and Mental Health Literacy teacher training;

building capacity of school staff and service providers to support groups of students who have specific mental health needs, including supporting the transition of individuals from hospital to home and community;

developing and implementing core services to address emotional, behavioural and mental health needs;

shifting a referral-based mental health service delivery model to a more collaboratively connected approach in which mental health and family education practitioners are assigned to schools across a region;

re-designing service delivery to include universal, targeted and individualized mental health supports; and

establishing working groups to improve mental health collaboration and networking, including counselling, family liaison support and community-based services.


Social, emotional, and behavioural resources

During the 2014/2015 year, most regions focused on strategies and resources to address social, emotional, and behavioural supports for children and youth. Examples of strategies reported include:

developing knowledge-sharing and professional learning strategies and materials focused on universal and targeted supports for meeting social, emotional and behavioural needs;

implementing classroom-based learning experiences related to social-emotional well-being and behavioural regulation; and

supporting and implementing positive behaviour support models.

Capacity building

A focus on building capacity to enhance and expand the delivery of supports and services was a fundamental element of all strategic actions reported by regions. Examples of strategies reported include:

providing professional learning opportunities to school staff and service providers;

hosting a conference on trauma-informed practice for school staff and service partners;

collaborating between regions to exchange resources for the provision of service delivery;

providing opportunities for school-linked teams to collaborate, share knowledge and build their capacity;

providing behaviour management consultants to provide assessments, consultation, assistance with behaviour plans, and counselling in schools; and

expanding the knowledge and competencies related to integrated case planning for children and youth with complex needs and for provision of supports and services related to low-incidence disabilities.


Integration

Regions worked to improve integration of supports and services through increased collaboration and communication between service providers. Over 40 per cent of regions noted the importance of increasing communication between partners to support better integration of services. Examples of actions for improving the integration of supports and services for children and youth with complex needs included:

using local advisory groups to identify resources to support the needs of children and youth;

identifying point persons to provide an internal organizational screening prior to a case being elevated for a cross-systems review;

using a cross-regional integrated case-planning approach; and

establishing an integrated case plan for each child or youth brought forward for review, assigning a case manager to ensure the plan was implemented, and reporting on outcomes to all partners involved.


Identifying Challenges

Identifying and addressing challenges is an essential and ongoing component of the Regional Collaborative Service Delivery approach. Regions were asked to identify and reflect on how they addressed challenges in the 2014/2015 year related to:

transition readiness;

collaboration; and

service delivery. Regions continue to work to address common challenges through information sharing, increased collaboration, targeted capacity building, and deployment of service providers.

Transition readiness

Transition-readiness themes identified by regions, as illustrated in Figure 5, include the rural-urban context and human resources.

Figure 5: Common themes related to transition readiness challenges

Rural-urban context

Most rural and less-densely populated regions cited geography as a barrier to implementing supports and services. In these regions, there are fewer service providers and they have to travel longer distances between communities, decreasing their ability to provide continuous and timely services. Some rural regions addressed this through video-conferencing and contracting services. Many regions also collaborated in sharing resources. Bridging gaps in services by working collaboratively had additional benefits, including increased opportunities to build capacity, learn best practices, and formalize further opportunities to implement new approaches.


Human resources

Most regions allocated funds to recruit service providers and to provide training to existing staff. In some regions, full-time positions were realigned. In other regions, roles and responsibilities were integrated or changed to align with the updated service approach. Many regions continue to collaborate by sharing human resources and expertise; contracting of services between regions is a regular occurrence.

Collaboration

Key challenges around collaboration identified by regions, as illustrated in figure 6, include:

attracting and retaining service providers and other specialists;

financial resources; and

implementing change.

Figure 6: Common themes related to collaboration challenges

Attracting and retaining service providers and other specialists

Almost 30 per cent of regions identified attracting and retaining service providers and other specialists as a challenge to delivering services.


Financial Resources

Almost 60 per cent of regions identified financial constraints as a challenge in planning delivery. However, 16 of 17 regions carried forward unspent funds to the 2015/2016 year. In seven regions, the unexpended funds exceeded the provincial five per cent carry-forward cap. However, overall, the average surplus carry-forward for all regions was below the provincial five per cent cap.

Implementing change

Over 50 per cent of regions identified issues in adapting to a new approach to service delivery. Some regions reported that, despite meetings and communication, there are still some service providers and partners that do not fully understand the new approach.

Other regions noted that partners and teams need to more effectively plan and organize meetings to ensure key decisions are not unduly delayed. The need for service providers and other specialists to work more collaboratively was also identified as a challenge in some regions.

Service delivery

Key challenges identified around service delivery, as illustrated in Figure 7, include:

recruitment and retention of staff;

access to supports and services; and

caseloads.

Figure 7: Common themes related to service delivery challenges


Recruitment and retention of staff

Nearly 60 per cent of regions reported challenges in hiring, training, and retaining service providers and other specialists. In several regions, low-incidence disability specialists (such as consultants for the deaf and hard of hearing) had high caseloads, making it more challenging to schedule frequent school visits. Other regions relied on contractors, making it more challenging to provide a common approach. Access to supports and services

Over 40 per cent of regions reported that families experienced barriers to accessing services. This was especially the case in more remote and rural areas. Some children and youth require extensive supports from several service providers and these services are not always readily available in their home community necessitating the need for families and service providers to travel in order to support access. Nearly 30 per cent of regions reported inadequate resources available to provide quality mental health services. Specific concerns identified by regions included a lack of specialized in-patient units for adolescents and children experiencing mental health issues. Caseloads

As regions simplified referral processes and education partners connected with school-linked team members to arrange for increased school-based services, health-related supports had more requests for services. Nearly 30 per cent of regions identified that an increase in the number of referrals created a challenge. Over 50 per cent of regions also reported that staff workloads and professional commitments made it more challenging to schedule dedicated time for capacity-building opportunities.


Human Resources Planning and Implementation Table 1: Summary of FTEs by Service Category

The following table reports the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff supported by Regional Collaborative Service Delivery in the 2014/2015 year.

Service Category Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff supported

through Regional Collaborative

Service Delivery 2014/2015

Percentage of Total FTEs

(%)

Support for emotional and behavioural needs1

169.94 28.16

Support for low-incidence disabilities2 26.52 4.39

Speech language therapy 147.96 24.52

Occupational therapy 93.54 15.50

Physical therapy 20.33 3.37

Family liaison workers 82.57 13.68

Clinical nursing 5.29 0.88

Educational assistants 13.0 2.15

Regional management 24.35 4.04

Other3 19.90 3.30

Total FTE 603.39 100

1 Includes: behaviour support/consulting, emotional/behaviour supports, mental health therapy,

psychology, school counselling, student support, success coaches, youth support

2 Includes supports for low-incidence disabilities: alternative and augmentative communication systems, audiology, braille, vision loss

3 Includes: co-ordination, intake and clerical staff; therapy practice and clinical leads; and wrap around co-ordinators


Table 2: Summary of Planned Versus Actual FTEs by Service Category

The table below reports the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff. The data also compares the total number of planned versus actual FTE staff supported by Regional Collaborative Service Delivery in the 2014/2015 year.

2014/2015 Total FTE Planned

Actual Total FTE

Variance

Support for emotional and behavioural needs1

163.86 169.94 6.07

Support for low-incidence disabilities2

27.18 26.52 -0.67

Speech language therapy 149.37 147.96 -1.41

Occupational therapy 91.43 93.54 2.11

Physical therapy 20.21 20.33 0.12

Family liaison workers 81.37 82.57 1.20

Clinical nursing 5.37 5.29 -0.08

Educational assistants 4.29 13.00 8.71

Regional management 25.37 24.35 -1.02

Other3 19.32 19.90 0.58

Totals 587.77 603.39 15.62

Percentage of total 100% 103% 3%

_____________________

1 Includes: behaviour support/consulting, emotional/behaviour supports, mental health therapy,

psychology, school counselling, student support, success coaches, youth support

2 Includes supports for low-incidence disabilities: alternative and augmentative communication systems, audiology, braille, vision loss

3 Includes: co-ordination, intake and clerical staff; therapy practice and clinical leads; and wrap around co-ordinators


Financial Summary

In the 2014/2015 year, Regional Collaborative Service Delivery revenue totalled $68,841,577. Each of the 17 regions received a funding allocation to support their regional priorities. For detailed financial information, please refer to Appendices B and C.

The Financial Summary below indicates that not all allocated funds were expended in the 2014/2015 year. This does not necessarily mean that funds allocated to regions exceeded what was needed to carry out the Regional Collaborative Service Delivery mandate. Rather, within the operational requirements, regions are permitted to carry forward up to five per cent of their annual allocation to offset unanticipated costs.

The 2014/2015 year marked the first full year of Regional Collaborative Service Delivery implementation with Regional Education Consulting Services. Funding allocations for this first full year of implementation considered that the operational business of Regional Collaborative Service Delivery would require time to stabilize.

Regions were aware that surplus funds were capped for the 2014/2015 year, based on the assumption that many of the challenges faced in the transition phases would be resolved as operational business practices stabilized.

Table 3: Provincial Financial Summary: Revenue, Expenses and Carry Forward

The table below shows the total revenue for Regional Collaborative Service Delivery for the 2014/2015 year. Total revenue includes:

allocations to regions;

an allocation for regional management;

supplementary funding (hold harmless allocations);

interest income;

carried forward funds from 2013/2014, and

other revenues.

This table also summarizes the total expenses in two categories: Service Delivery Costs and Administrative Costs.

Percentage of total revenue

Total Revenue $68,841,577

Total Service Delivery Costs $62,398,024 91.64

Administrative Costs $3,064,870 4.91

Total Expenses $65,462,894 95.55

Carry Forward to 2016/2017 $3,378,683 5.16


Table 4: Revenue by Region for 2014/2015

Regional Collaborative Service Delivery revenue (including allocations to regions, regional management allocation, supplementary funding, interest income, carried-forward funds from 2013/2014 and other revenues) totalled $68,841,577.

Regional Collaborative Service Delivery Region Revenue

Aspen Collaborative Services $2,785,679

Bow River $2,044,132

Calgary and Area $16,734,369

Central Alberta $6,313,828

Central East Collaborative $1,218,774

City of Edmonton $13,029,741

Eastern Edge $6,353,801

Leduc and Area $1,304,857

Northern Lakes $1,740,113

Northern Lights $930,094

Parkland, Evergreen and Area $1,407,702

Peace Collaborative $3,936,570

Saint Albert and Sturgeon $1,865,906

Southeastern Alberta $2,280,651

Southwest Alberta $3,518,400

Wood Buffalo $1,621,630

Réseau $1,755,331

Total $68,841,577


Looking ahead

While 2013/2014 was a year of change and transition for Regional Collaborative Service Delivery, 2014/2015 was a year of collaboration and integration. Despite continued challenges, there is a growing sense of confidence and accomplishment in regions throughout the province. Through the full implementation of Regional Collaborative Service Delivery, regions are building relationships and refining practices and processes. Regional Collaborative Service Delivery is enabling the collaboration between Alberta Health (including Alberta Health Services), Alberta Human Services, Alberta Education, and community organizations to:

identify system needs;

co-ordinate and leverage systems;

build system capacities, and

plan for sustainability.

This collaborative approach is improving access to supports and services for children, youth, and their families across the province, while building the capacity and commitment of communities.


Appendix A: Glossary of Terms

Term Definition

Capacity building Capacity building refers to the knowledge, skills, participation, leadership, and resources to address relevant regional issues and concerns (adapted from Ontario Prevention Clearing House 2002).

Capacity building also refers to creating an understanding of the specific barriers that may be getting in the way of reaching goals and then using this information to strengthen skills and abilities of people and communities to overcome these obstacles.

Collaboration Collaboration is a process for setting collective priorities and incorporating different perspectives. This is reflected in the way people commit to working together to meet shared goals.

Collaboration allows for blending of perspectives, expertise, resources and shared accountability and responsibility.

Complex needs Children and youth who have complex needs require significant extraordinary care due to the severity of their impairments and require services from more than one service sector. This may include children and youth:

with multiple impairments, complex mental health and health issues and/or severe behavioural needs;

for whom all currently available resources have been utilized with limited success;

who require fiscal and human resources that strain the capacity of any one ministry; and

for whom there are questions about the safety of the child, youth, family or the public.

Individualized supports

Individualized supports are designed to meet the specific needs of an individual child or youth. These types of supports vary in intensity, may encompass a wide range of interventions, and may require varying levels of expertise. They may be required short-term or long-term and will change as the child or youth’s needs and contexts evolve.

Individualized direct supports may also be needed for individual or groups of children and youth.


Term Definition

Low-incidence disabilities

Low-incidence disabilities refers to conditions that impact learning where the prevalence within the school-aged population is typically less than one percent at any given time. The relative rarity of these disabilities means that local schools and communities may have limited experience and expertise in identifying and planning for the individualized and specialized supports that individuals with these disabilities require.

Children and youth with low-incidence disabilities include individuals who are:

blind or visually impaired (BVI);

deaf or hard of hearing (DHH);

deafblind (DB); or have

complex communication needs (CCN) requiring augmentative or alternate communication systems.

School-based teams

A school-based team comprises key school staff who meet regularly to address the specific needs of individual and groups of students who are experiencing academic, social or behaviour difficulties. This team focuses on collaborative problem-solving and ensures the expertise and resources available in the school are leveraged to best meet student needs. These teams also access the regional school-linked team when additional or different resources and expertise are required.

School-linked teams

A school-linked team is comprised of various service providers and other specialists who offer regular and predictable support to schools across a geographic area.

Targeted supports Targeted supports focus on strategies or interventions for children and youth who require more scaffolded learning experiences because their needs cannot be addressed through universal supports alone.

Collaborative teaming and problem-solving, as well as specialized expertise, may be required. For example, to fully embrace and respond to the diversity in a school community, specific expertise (e.g., Elders, cultural brokers, professionals with specific expertise) may be required to build the capacity of school staff or to work directly with individual or groups of children and youth.


Term Definition

Universal supports Universal supports focus on differentiated instruction, positive behaviour supports, and other broad-based strategies to benefit all children and youth. These strategies have a school-wide focus.

For many children and youth, high-quality instruction and supportive learning environments will be the only support that they require (in some or all areas or domains) to be successful.

Universal supports are incorporated into the environment and must be readily available at the outset, versus relying on a trigger (e.g., event or crisis) to access the supports.

Universal screening strategies can be useful in the early identification of those individual or groups of learners who require more targeted or individualized interventions and supports.


Appendix B: Provincial Financial Information for 2014/2015

This table details provincial Regional Collaborative Service Delivery revenues and expenses for the 2014/2015 year. Expenses are grouped under the broad headings of Service Delivery Costs and Administrative Costs.

Revenue Provincial Totals

Allocation $57,296,595

Regional Management $1,700,000

Supplementary Funding (Hold Harmless Allocations) $3,574,496

Interest $162,336

Carry Forward from 2013/2014 $4,417,325

Other Revenues $1,690,826

Total Revenue $68,841,577

Expenses

Service Delivery Costs

Professional HR costs $48,355,286

Para-Professional HR costs $4,301,676

Other HR costs $4,684,186

Other Service Delivery costs $5,056,876

Total Service Delivery Costs $62,398,024

Administrative Costs

Banker Board $356,070

Regional Management $2,236,605

Other Admin costs $472,195

Total Administrative Costs $3,064,870

Total Expenses $65,462,894

Carry forward to 2015/2016 $3,378,683


Appendix C: Regional Financial Information for 2014/2015

This table reports the total revenue of each of the 17 Regional Collaborative Service Delivery regions in the province. Revenue includes allocations to regions, regional management allocations, supplementary funding, interest income, carried-forward funds from 2013/2014 and other revenues. The table also reports expenses incurred by each of the regions. Expenses include service delivery costs and administrative costs. Finally, this table reports the surplus/deficit position of each region.

Region Revenue Expenses Surplus/(Deficit)

Aspen Collaborative Services $2,785,679 $2,770,799 $14,880

Bow River $2,044,132 $2,028,303 $15,829

Calgary and Area $16,734,369 $15,727,828 $1,006,541

Central Alberta $6,313,828 $6,023,728 $290,100

Central East Collaborative $1,218,774 $1,098,997 $119,777

City of Edmonton $13,029,741 $12,124,397 $905,345

Eastern Edge $6,353,801 $5,976,091 $377,710

Leduc and Area $1,304,857 $1,234,154 $70,703

Northern Lakes $1,740,113 $1,677,590 $62,523

Northern Lights $930,094 $889,553 $40,541

Parkland Evergreen and Area $1,407,702 $1,329,268 $78,434

Peace Collaborative $3,936,570 $3,936,570 $0

Saint Albert and Sturgeon $1,865,906 $1,835,907 $29,999

Southeastern Alberta $2,280,651 $2,168,906 $111,745

Southwest Alberta $3,518,400 $3,361,175 $157,225

Wood Buffalo $1,621,630 $1,563,330 $58,300

Réseau $1,755,331 $1,716,299 $39,032

Total $68,841,577 $65,462,895 $3,378,683

regional collaborative service delivery summary of annual ... · 2014/2015 regional collaborative...

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