Deadline: 26-Oct-23
Applications are now open for the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) Workforce Capacity Fund to support capacity building projects led by children’s service providers and their partners.
The vision of the fund is to grow and develop the autism workforce delivering OAP services so that families in the OAP can access and/or purchase the services they need, where and when they need them.
The OAP is changing the way many autism services are delivered in Ontario. With all elements of the program now implemented and more funding going directly to families for OAP core clinical services, the demand for qualified clinicians is rising, and the sector is adapting to offer a broader range of flexible and individualized services in an open market.
This transition poses unique challenges for providers across Ontario, particularly those serving Northern, rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, as well as francophone families. To respond to these challenges, in 2021/22 the ministry launched the OAP Workforce Capacity Fund (“the Fund”), a time-limited grant program for children’s service providers and their community partners.
Fund Objectives
- Staff: build, retain and grow the OAP clinical workforce
- Organizations: increase the skills and knowledge of service provider organizations to deliver OAP services, including core clinical services, and/or to operate within a fee-for-service market
- Delivery models: strengthen service delivery models and approaches to improve service access for families
OAP Core Clinical Services
Core clinical services are a key service pathway in the OAP. They include:
- applied behaviour analysis
- speech-language pathology
- occupational therapy
- mental health services, including counselling and/or psychotherapy
- technology, program materials and/or therapy equipment at the recommendation of a regulated health professional or Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
Grant Streams
- Expansion Stream: supports children’s service providers to expand their internal capacity to deliver core clinical services in the OAP to more children and youth
- Innovation Stream: supports capacity-building projects that can lead to system-wide change and innovation at the community, regional or provincial level
Funding Amount
- The fund provides 12-month grants through the following streams:
- Expansion Stream: Minimum: $25,000 and Maximum: $200,000
- Innovation Stream: Minimum: $25,000 and Maximum: $300,000
- For 2023 applicants, grant funding will be provided from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
Ineligible Activities
- Activities that do not directly support the delivery of OAP services
- Activities that focus on other special needs programs outside of the OAP
- Activities that focus on client groups outside of the OAP (e.g., adults on the autism spectrum; children who do not have a diagnosis or who are not registered for the OAP)
- The creation and/or delivery of new clinical service programs that are outside of the existing OAP service pathways
- Costs associated with training on specific intervention programs offered through other OAP service pathways (e.g., Caregiver-mediated early year programs)
- Wage enhancements, bonuses, honoraria, stipends, new benefits, or other compensation increases for existing staff members.
Eligibility Criteria
- Expansion Stream
- The ministry will consider applications from children’s service providers (public and private) who are seeking to build their capacity to deliver OAP core clinical services (e.g., applied behaviour analysis, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and/or mental health services) during the grant period.
- The ministry will accept applications from single organizations, as well as joint applications from organizations that wish to partner in order to maximize the impact of the grant funding (e.g., organizations may wish to partner to purchase training).
- Innovation Stream
- For the Innovation Stream, the ministry will consider applications from groups of organizations/ collaboratives. Individual organizations may not submit an application to the Innovation Stream without a broader group of partner organizations.
- One organization must be named as the ‘lead organization’ for the collaborative/consortium. The lead organization will prepare the application form and, if successful, will manage all aspects of the grant, including responsibility for the funding agreement and reporting.
- The following organizations are eligible to serve as the lead organization:
- Children’s service providers (public and private)
- Indigenous-led organizations including, but not limited to:
- not-for-profit and for-profit corporations, registered charities, and other public bodies that are Indigenous-led; and
- Indigenous communities (inclusive of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities)
- Post-secondary institutions, in partnership with children’s service providers
- Professional associations and regulatory colleges, in partnership with children’s service providers; and
- Not-for-profit organizations and community groups, in partnership with children’s service providers
Additional Eligibility Requirements
- Be Ontario-based (e.g., main operations occur, and services are provided, in Ontario)
- Have legal status (e.g., organizations established by or under legislation; federally or provincially incorporated; band councils established under the Indian Act; or other Indigenous-led organizations that are incorporated)
Priority Applications
- The ministry recognizes that there are capacity needs across Ontario and will accept applications focused on any region or sociodemographic group. However, given the unique challenges faced in some communities, the ministry will prioritize applications that are:
- focused on building core clinical service capacity in Northern, rural, and remote communities; and/or
- focused on increasing capacity to serve Indigenous and/or francophone families in the OAP.
- As the number of applications received for each consecutive round of the Fund increases, it is anticipated that demand for the Fund will continue to grow year over year. In response, the ministry will fund as many capacity-building projects as possible within the available funding allotment.
For more information, visit Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
