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Family Support Options
Working in partnership with families. Family Support Options offers a range of supports to families who are caring for a child, up to the age of 18, with a developmental or physical disability living in Wellington County.
For questions or more information about funding you already have within Family Support Options (FSO) – which includes the Special Services at Home (SSAH) and/or Medically Fragile Technology Dependent (MFTD) funding programs at CMHA WW, please contact your Coordinator at (519) 821-8089 or 1-844-264-2993 (Cheryl Van Every-Petty ext. 4083; Julie Bergwerff ext. 2518 or Lisa Romeo ext. 2507).
If you are a parent/legal guardian or service partner who is interested in determining if your child (ages birth to 17 years of age) is eligible for any of these funding programs offered through FSO at CMHA WW and you live in Guelph and/or Wellington County please refer to the Referral Information tab below.
For information and questions about the Supporting Kids in Camp (SKIC) Program or respiteservices.com – please contact Luis Sandoval at ext. 4087.
Information about CMHA WW’s privacy policy can be found here.
- What is SSAH / MFTD?
Special Services At Home
The Special Services at Home (SSAH) program is funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
Family Support Options (FSO) Coordinators assist families to apply for SSAH funding which provides one-to-one support in the home or in the person’s community to meet personal development and growth goals. SSAH provides funding for parent relief and related supports to help the family meet their identified needs.
CMHA provides support to families that choose to have their funds agency administered.
The FSO Program has options for funding. Please talk with your Coordinator for more information. This program provides financial support to all families to make use of the flexibilities attached to SSAH funding for assistance with camp costs, recreation, other respite options and/or temporary assistance with homemaking tasks.
Ministry SSAH Guidelines & Self-Administered versus Agency Funding
To review the Ministry’s guidelines for Special Services At Home funding, please click here
Please click here to view the “Funding Management Chart”. This helps families understand the difference between Self-Administration versus Agency Administered funds.
If you are choosing to Self-Administer your funding, click here for some helpful information about completing the SSAH application:
Special Services at Home Tip Sheet – Surrey Place
“This article was originally published on SurreyPlace.ca. Surrey Place provides specialized clinical services to individuals with developmental disabilities in the Toronto region and Northern Ontario.”
Support for children who are Medically Fragile and/or Technology Dependent (MFTD)
FSO Coordinators also manage “MFTD” supports which are geared towards providing individualized respite options for children who are medically fragile and/or technology dependent. This extra funding is intended to provide them with opportunities to participate in programs and activities that will enhance their socialization, learning, and enjoyment of seasonal recreation, as well as to provide their parents with needed respite from caregiving.
CMHA provides support to families that choose to have their funds agency administered.
Seasonal Supports
Seasonal support funding may be available to children with the MFTD designation. Please contact your FSO Coordinator for more information.
- Referral Information
Are you a parent/legal guardian or service partner interested in determining if your child (ages birth to 17 years of age) is eligible for any of these funding programs offered through FSO at CMHA WW? If your child lives in Guelph and/or Wellington County, please review and follow the referral directions included in the documents below.
For Parents/Legal Guardians
Referral process for FSO – Family Version
For Service Partners
Referral process for FSO – Service Partners
FSO F 024 Referral to FSO – Fillable
FSO F 024 Referral to FSO – Printable
Form Submission Instructions
To submit the form electronically or by mail please make sure you also upload and/or print the additional documents to submit with the form:
- Supporting documentation confirming diagnosis of a developmental and/or physical disability
- Proof of birth
- Proof of residency
Submitting Electronically:
- Once the referral form is complete save it on your device
- Use the secure submit file link here: TitanFile Secure Submit
- Enter your personal information, then upload the completed referral form and additional documents into the “Attach Files” box
- Click on the green “Send Files” link
Submitting via Mail:
- Print and fill out the form, making sure you also have copies of the additional documents listed above to mail with it
- Mail To:
234 St Patrick St E, Fergus, ON, N1M 1M6
ATTN: Lisa Miller, Children’s Services Manager
*All referrals will be reviewed monthly by the FSO Coordination Team. Once assigned, an FSO Coordinator will reach out to the family to set up an intake appointment. This can take up to 4-6 weeks.*
- Orientation Packages
For families who have just completed an SSAH application and are waiting for funding please click here.
For families who have recently been approved for funding please click here.
- Invoicing Information
The invoice for services provided can be found here:
Invoice for Services Provided- Fillable version
Invoice for Services Provided – Printable version
Families have several options to submit an invoice, that include the following:
Email
You can submit your SSAH Invoices by email to: ssahinvoices@cmhaww.ca. Please ensure invoices and receipts are sent as PDF attachments.
Drop Off in Person
You can drop off invoices in person at the following CMHA WW offices:
- 80 Waterloo Ave, Guelph
- 737 Woolwich St, Guelph
- 234 St. Patrick St. E, Fergus
- 392 Main St, Suite 1, Mount Forest
Mailboxes labeled “SSAH Invoices” are available near the main entrances of the buildings. Please address all correspondence to “ATTN: SSAH”.
Click Below to View Invoice Samples
- Invoice Sample #1: Paying a one-to-one worker
- Invoice Sample #2: Paying for Housecleaning
- Invoice Sample #3: Submitting for other eligible expenses
Click here for a video about SSAH eligible expenses.
Click here for a video about how to fill out an SSAH invoice.
Click here to view more information about the invoicing process at CMHA WW.
Click here to view About Invoices – Tigrinya Version.
Click here to view About Invoices – Vietnamese Version.
Click here to view About Invoices – Arabic Version.
For more information regarding eligible and non-eligible expenses, please visit the ministry’s website at https://www.ontario.ca/page/special-services-home Click on #3 “What services you can get”.
- Deadline Dates for Invoices and Receipts
All invoices and receipts are due to CMHA WW on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month (*with the exception of December 2024) by 8AM via email to ssahinvoices@cmhaww.ca OR by drop off at any of the CMHA WW offices in Guelph, Fergus and Mount Forest. See “Invoicing Information” above for more information.
View the full list of deadline dates for invoices and receipts here!
- Is your child 16 years old?
Transition planning is preparing for one of the most significant times in your child’s life—becoming an adult! Special Services At Home (SSAH) is a program for children only, ending at the age of 18 years. The year that your child turns 18, the Ministry will prorate SSAH funding, and you must submit all invoices and receipts by the end of the month your child turns 18 on.
With all of the correct documents, your child can be confirmed eligible for adult developmental services at age 16, although the services will not start until age 18.
For additional information check out the websites below.
- Community Living Guelph: https://clgw.ca/
- DSO – Developmental Services Ontario: https://www.dsontario.ca/
- ODSP – Ontario Disability Support Program: https://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/EN/MCSS/programs/social/odsp/index.aspx
- Surrey Place: https://www.surreyplace.ca/
- Newsletters
- Helpful Websites
- AIR – Access, Information & Referral: https://compasscs.org/family-counselling-services-guelph/developmental-services-counselling-guelph/access-information-referral/
- Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD) – Surrey Place: https://www.surreyplace.ca/resources/applying-for-assistance-for-children-with-severe-disabilities/
- Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD) – Ontario: https://www.ontario.ca/page/children-special-needs
- CMHA WW Here 24/7: https://here247.ca/
- CMHA WW Here4Kids: https://cmhaww.ca/services/here4kids-and-here-24-7/
- Community Living Guelph: https://clgw.ca/
- Compass Community Services (formerly Family Counselling & Support Services): https://compasscs.org/
- DSO – Developmental Services Ontario: https://www.dsontario.ca/
- Disability Tax Credit (DTC): https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/segments/tax-credits-deductions-persons-disabilities/disability-tax-credit.html
- Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington: https://www.fcsgw.org/
- Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington: https://www.is-gw.ca/
- Hopewell Children’s Homes, Stephanie Home: https://www.hopewellchildrenshomes.org/
- Independent Living Guelph: https://guelphindependentliving.org/
- Kerry’s Place Autism Services: https://www.kerrysplace.org/
- KidsAbility Centre for Child Development: https://www.kidsability.ca/
- Kids Country Club: https://www.kidscountryclub.org/
- Ministry of Children, Community & Social Services (MCCSS): https://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/
- OAP – Ontario Autism Program: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program
- ODSP – Ontario Disability Support Program: https://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/EN/MCSS/programs/social/odsp/index.aspx
- Respite Services / CHAP Program (Community Helpers for Active Participation) (Wellington): https://www.supportyourway.ca/Wellington/respiteservices
- Surrey Place: https://www.surreyplace.ca/