Message from the CEO
Engaging, updating, listening to and working with clients and their caregivers is critical to the ongoing success of Grandview Kids. You are our best partners in care. We continue to seek out ways to share information and resources with the community we serve, as well as offer opportunities to gather your feedback to help us make changes and improvements at Grandview.
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That is why I am pleased to launch our new newsletter for clients, caregivers, families and our community – Gather by Grandview.
Gather is about community. It's about bringing together people and ideas to support, advocate for and celebrate one another. When we Gather, we learn, we play, we innovate, we thrive.
Gather will be a monthly update about all things Grandview: new programs and projects, upcoming events, important announcements, and more. It will be easily accessible online through our website, and printed copies will be available across our locations in Durham Region.
Gather will feature client and caregiver voices and stories. It will offer a way to amplify and showcase those experiences and perspectives through feedback surveys, focus group opportunities and our Family Leader Program. It’s a tool for you, built with you!
We started our work on this newsletter with feedback from our Family Advisory Council (FAC) – a group of parents and caregivers to Grandview clients, who volunteer their time and use their lived experiences to influence program design and decision-making at Grandview.
For a long time, we have known we must communicate with our clients and their caregivers in forums beyond social media, and in channels outside clinical appointments. Gather is one way to broaden our communications approach.
Building on our FAC’s recommendations, we will continue to create this newsletter together. We want it to be a valuable resource for clients and caregivers, whether you are just starting out on your Grandview journey, or have been with us for years.
If you have a suggestion for newsletter topics, or would like to share a story, please submit it via this online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/GatherNewsletter.
I look forward to connecting again next month. Welcome to Gather.
Sincerely,
Tom McHugh
CEO, Grandview Kids
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We have two openings on our Family Advisory Council (FAC). We are seeking volunteers with diverse experiences and backgrounds (age, gender, culture, education, geography) to advise us on what matters most to Grandview Kids clients, families and the community at-large. | |
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What is the FAC?
Our FAC is made up of parents and caregivers to Grandview Kids. These dedicated and passionate volunteers provide advice and guidance from a client and family perspective to improve the planning and delivery of programs and services at Grandview Kids, and across the broader paediatric health system. The FAC is about empowerment and advocacy.
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What does the FAC do?
The FAC meets quarterly to discuss systems-level topics – problems that all families may encounter, regardless of the child’s age or diagnosis. The group pulls from their lived experiences to provide recommendations to Grandview Kids, participating in the design and decision-making processes for programs and services. In some cases, FAC members share their stories and solutions on committees external to Grandview Kids, offering opportunities for broader impact.
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How do I get involved?
To be eligible for the FAC, you must be a caregiver to a Grandview Kids client (e.g., parent, guardian, grandparent, family caregiver, sibling). You must be able to participate in four, two-hour meetings per year. And most importantly, you must be able to pull from your lived experience to make recommendations for the good of all Grandview families, clients and caregivers.
If you’re interested in applying to the FAC, submit this application form by May 26. Completed applications, or questions about the application process, can be submitted to familyengagement@grandviewkids.ca.
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Community corner
Did you know? We have a custom Grandview Kids Collection, curated by the Ajax Public Library. The Collection includes toys, books, magazines, read-along stories, educational tutorials, and more. Many of these are available online, while others you can borrow from the library.
This program is available for all Durham Region
residents; you do not need to live in Ajax to access these amazing materials.
Check out the collection >
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Grandview Kids Archives
Grandview Kids is celebrating 70 years of excellence providing paediatric rehabilitation in the Durham Region. In honour of our 70th Anniversary, we are launching our official archives. The archives will allow us to preserve our rich and meaningful history.
We know Grandview has impacted our community over the decades. If you have photos, documents or stories to share about Grandview's history, please consider donating them to our growing collection. Help us showcase Grandview's history, progress and successes for years to come.
Let us know if you have a submission >
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Client talk
We recently interveiwed former Grandview client, Scott Bremner – the author of Durability: Braving the non-disabled world. The book includes a memoir, advice for people with disabilities and parents with children with disabilities, and a political history of disability and accessibility legislation.
Read Scott's story >
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Caregiver talk
In honour of April being Autism Acceptance Month, Natasha, Family Engagement Program Coordinator and Interim Manager, told her powerful story of her journey as a Grandview parent and autistic adult (exceprt below).
Read Natasha's story >
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Get involved, stay connected | |
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Join our Online Parent Support
(OPS) groups
Our Family Engagement Team moderates three Online Parent Support (OPS) pages, available on Facebook. The Team is comprised of caregivers to Grandview clients and former clients (grads), who use their lived experience and specialized training to support others in their journey.
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The online support pages are for caregivers by caregivers, offering at-your-fingertip access to peer support, networking and resource sharing.
There are three online support groups you may be eligible to join:
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OPS: This is a general page, available to all Grandview families. Go to facebook.com/groups/Grandview.OPS. Then click on “Join Group” near the top right-hand corner.
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TAPS – Transition Adolescent Parent Support Group: This is a page for caregivers to youth, aged 15 or older, who are transitioning from childhood to adulthood health or social services. Go to www.facebook.com/groups/grandviewtaps/. Then click on “Join Group” near the top right-hand corner.
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OAP Info: This group is a forum to share information and resources with families to help navigate the OAP (Ontario Autism Program) and Grandview’s Autism Services. It is offered as a Foundational Family Service. Providing an OAP number is required to join this group. Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/oap.info/. Then click on “Join Group” near the top right-hand corner.
You must have a Facebook account to join these groups. They are closed (non-public forums). Anyone can request to join the group, but only those verified as parents/guardians of Grandview Kids will be approved to join by the Group Administrator.
You can speed up the approval process by sending an email to the Group Administrator (familyengagement@grandviewkids.ca) asking them for permission to join the group. You should never include personal health information in these messages. If you are looking for additional help from our Family Engagement Team, please reach out to the email above.
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Join our Board of Trustees
Grandview Kids is currently recruiting individuals to join our volunteer Board of Trustees. Applications are due May 12. We are seeking new Trustees with expertise and experience in construction/facility design, information technology, public relations /marketing, finance, governance and/or childhood disability. Bringing the family, parent and caregiver lens to this group is considered a great asset.
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New Build Update
We are building a new, state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Ajax, which is currently under construction. With a focus on hope, belonging, discovery and celebration, the New Grandview Kids will support the seamless and coordinated provision of family-centred care for children and youth with physical, communication and developmental needs.
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Our Purchased Service offerings are separate from the long-standing, available programs at Grandview Kids and do not impact those wait times. The current applied behaviour services we offer are:
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Foundational Applied Skills Training (F.A.S.T.) Model: Using the principles and teaching methods of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), foundational skills are the focus of goals in this program. Skill domains of focus could include: communication, play skills, behaviour management, imitation, self-care, and motor skills, to name a few (five or more goals are often focused on at a time in this service). This service option is most appropriate for children under age 11, who would benefit from skill development in various developmental domains.
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Mediator Model: Using the principles and teaching methods of ABA, goals are determined based on client and parent/caregiver input and assessment outcomes. A broad range of goal areas can be focused on, which may include: behaviour management, communication, play skills, self-care, job readiness, motor skills, etc. (one to four goals are often focused on at a time in this service). This service option is appropriate for children and youth up to age 18.
Wondering which Grandview Kids ABA service model is right for your child? Compare options in this graphic.
Grandview Kids lists all available Purchased Behaviour Services and groups on our
My Community Hub website. You can register for these Services by creating a My Community Hub account. For more information, visit grandviewkids.ca/purchased-services or contact our Service Navigators at 905-728-1673 ext. 2468.
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Project spotlight: Ocean eReferral
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We recently launched a new, online referral process using a platform called Ocean. This online tool enables users to send in referral information in a secure and user-friendly way. It also reduces the risks associated with faxed and paper-based referrals, such as missing information, illegible writing and security breaches. | |
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Our analysis revealed that up to 15% of our paper-based referrals required follow-up, creating a bottleneck, and totaling about 350 hours of additional work each year. Ocean enables us to re-invest that time and resources to support clients and families. We are now accepting new client and caregiver self-referrals using Ocean, as well as referrals from doctors. We are also in the process of rolling out an online referral form for school partners.
Read more about our modernized intake approach >
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Your voice matters
Ask us anything
Got a question about Grandview Kids? Send it our way for possible inclusion in a future edition of the Gather newsletter. Do not include personal health information in your questions. We will not to respond to questions regarding individual care plans.
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Shape the future of research and innovation at Grandview
Three reasons to get involved in research and innovation:
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Share your opinion on how Grandview Kids can connect clients and caregivers to research by completing this brief survey. | |
Events and important dates | |
May is Speech and Hearing Month | |
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Each year, Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) dedicates the month of May to raising public awareness about communication health.
Grandview Kids’ Speech and Language Department is full of dynamic clinicians skilled in assessment practices and therapy techniques. Parents participate in group and individual sessions with our clinicians to meet goals such as improving speech sounds, increasing vocabulary, producing longer phrases, building on grammatical structures, learning picture communication systems, building pre-reading skills and more!
Thank you to our incredible team of Speech-Language Pathologists, Audiologists, and Speech-Language Therapy Assistants – you make Grandview Kids sparkle!
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May 1 is National Physicians Day | |
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May 1 is National Physicians’ Day – on this day, we recognize the extraordinary people who choose to serve in the profession of medicine. More specifically, here at Grandview Kids, we have a team of dedicated physicians that strive to offer outstanding pediatric care and rehabilitation services for the children and youth at Grandview Kids.
Let’s take the time to recognize the dedication and hard work of Dr. Hunt, Dr. Knights, Dr. Siapno, Dr. Fischer, Dr. Mason, Dr. Drouillard, Dr. Andrews and Dr. Camp. We cannot thank them enough for the support they provide our families.
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April was Autism Acceptance Month | |
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Grandview Kids is proud to support, partner with and learn from autistic clients, caregivers, employees and community members. Autism Acceptance means celebrating differences and encouraging tangible action to support and include autistic individuals. Acceptance means understanding and acknowledging the diversity of lived experiences, cultures and environments.
Learn more about autistic allyship, culture, language and acceptance on the blog >
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Upcoming events
Check out the Calendar of Events on the Grandview Kids website for upcoming events and activities for you and your family: grandviewkids.ca/events-calendar/.
Follow us on social media @GrandviewKids for updates and stories about dates of significance, important to Grandview Kids clients, caregivers, staff, volunteers and community.
Here are a few you may be interested in:
Weekly Family Engagement Team Coffee Chats
SSAH Paperwork Party
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It’s almost that time of year… McHappy Day® is returning to Durham Region on Wednesday, May 10, and Grandview Kids could not be more excited! McDonald’s® locations in Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa and Clarington are supporting Grandview Kids, as well as a few other amazing, local charities this year. Please consider stopping in at your local McDonald’s® to pick up your favourite treat, provide a donation or purchase a McHappy Day® item. Donations are also being accepted at check-out between now and May 10.
For more information on McHappy Day® or ways you can help, please email foundation@grandviewkids.ca or call 905-728-1673 ex. 2370.
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How did you like this issue of Gather? Share your feedback and suggestions via this survey to help us make the newsletter better for everyone.
Content in Gather is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor. Views expressed in posts and resources listed do not signify endorsement by Grandview Kids.
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