Consulting Psychiatrists

Dr. Robert King MD, CCFP, FRCP(C),

Dr. Nadine Nyhus, MD, FRCPC,

Dr. Jones-Hiscock, MD, FRCP(C),

Consulting Psychologists

Dr. Soula Homatidis, Ph.D, C.Psych,

Dr. M. Mary Konstantareas, Ph.D., C.Psych,

Dr. Jessica Jones, PhD., C.Psych,

A Description Of Psychological Services and Family Support

The 2001 Strategic Plan objectives for Kerry's Place Autism Services call for the Kerry's Place organization to enhance service delivery (both individualized and community supports) as well as to become a recognized centre of expertise for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Current Service

As an internal resource, the Dept. of Psychological and Family Support Services is a support to staff and to the individuals we currently support through both community outreach and residential services. The service needs of staff will include training and education (e.g. applied behavioural techniques, behavioural/crisis interventions and standardization of documentation). The support needs of clients in our service may include strength-based assessments, treatment and intervention (e.g. family counselling, behaviour analysis and cognitive-behavioural recommendations).

Future Service

As an external resource that will become available in the not too distant future, the Department of Psychological and Family Support Services (along with other supports) will also be available to families and agencies that access through the intake process. Psychological and/or Family Support Services will be one of the support options that a family or agency may look to for their service needs. Although external access to the Department is not yet available, it will ultimately be available on a fee for service basis or through subsidies for those families unable to pay for these services.

Enhanced Supports

As individuals and families come through the intake process, they will become eligible for a variety of supports from Kerry's Place. With all the supports that we are able to provide, there still exists a growing number of families both within and outside of the four regions for which we are currently funded that continue to languish on waiting lists for years. This is a grim reality that is common to all service providers for persons with developmental disabilities.

The new "enhanced" support plan will allow families whose children meet the criteria of a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder to be "admitted" to a list that offers a range of services for both "hard" and "soft" supports. Families who reside outside of regions for which we are currently funded by the Ministry may be allowed to access certain supports through fee for service options (e.g. psychological and/or family support services, person centered planning and respite). Some services that are either not funded or are only partially funded by the government will be available at either minimal or at no cost to the family (e.g. resource information, our newsletter, presentations/workshops and links to other organizations). Of course, these and other supports and services can be provided only if they are funded through the following three sources: Ministry service contracts, fee for service basis directly to individuals and/or their support circles or through grant subsidies.