Things We Do - CONTACT NIAGARA

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PASSPORT

CONTACT NIAGARA provides access to and delivers Passport in the Niagara Region.

The Ontario government created the Passport initiative to provide opportunities for individuals who have a developmental disability and who have left school to find more ways to participate in their communities.

Through Passport, participants can receive funding for activities that encourage their personal development and help them achieve their potential. Passport also helps to:

Improve the quality of participation in the community by providing supports that focus on individual goals, work activities and community participation
Smooth the transition from school to life as an adult in the community
Promote independence
Foster social, emotional and community participation skills
Promote continuing education and personal development.

The Passport initiative is intended for residents of Ontario who have a developmental disability and who:

Have left school and would benefit from community participation supports; or
Have been waiting for service and are in need of community participation supports; and
Are not eligible for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) employment supports.

Participants in Passport can live independently or in supportive living. Priority will be given to applicants who are living at home with their families.

Funding and Application

**** Please Note: THE DEADLINE FOR THIS YEARS FUNDING ALLOCATION WAS June 15, 2007. Applications received after this date will be considered for future funding allocations.****

Individuals and families have the option of receiving Passport funding directly and making their own arrangements to purchase supports and services or choosing to access services through community-based agencies.

To apply for Passport, individuals and their families are encouraged to submit a plan with their completed application form that outlines the type of community participation supports they require and the goals and objectives they expect to accomplish. Plans should be developed in partnership with educators and/or community-based organizations and, if possible, should build on transition plans that have already been developed by an individual’s local school board.

Some funding is available to assist with the creation of personalized plans for individuals who are not already connected to community-based organizations.

A planning guide entitled “Creating a Good Life in Community: A Guide on Person-Directed Planning” is also available to help individuals and families through the process of creating a plan for community participation.

If you could benefit from the Passport Initiative, a Resource Coordinator will complete the Passport Application and related documentation with you. This is typically done over the phone, but arrangements can be made to have this done in person. You can also complete and submit a Passport Application to Contact Niagara and a Resource Coordinator will contact you to collect additional information.

Please click here to obtain the Passport Information Package, including the: Passport Guide, Passport Application Form, Person - Directed Planning Guide, Person - Directed Planning Guide - Plain Language, and a Verification of Developmental Disability Form. You can also obtain the guides and forms separately:

Passport Guide

Person - Directed Planning Guide

Person - Directed Planning Guide - Plain Language

Passport Application Form

Verification of Developmental Disability Form

Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to access the Passport documents. If you do not have that program you can download it for free from Adobe.com.

To obtain more information about Passport, please contact us during business hours.