The Lawrence East Partnership (LEP)
in fiscal year 2018-2019, cota provided case management services to
101 residents
of the 1,786 resident interactions
The Lawrence East Partnership Program provides on-site support services to tenants of two Toronto Community Housing buildings located at 4175 and 4205 Lawrence Avenue East, in Scarborough. The program aims to support vulnerable tenants with complex needs to maintain housing stability and improve their physical and mental health status. The program is delivered by a multiservice team comprised of mental health case managers, a registered nurse, a housing worker, a peer support worker and a personal support worker. Cota provides a mental health case manager to the program. The partners are Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities (lead agency), Fred Victor and Cota.
Community Paramedic Led Clinic (CPLC)
in fiscal year 2018-2019, cota provided geriatric mh case management services to
381 residents
of the 5,000 resident interactions
The Community Paramedic Led Clinic (CPLC) is a program that seeks to serve vulnerable and at risk tenants in five Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) buildings in Scarborough. Each of these sites have experienced historically high volumes of 911 calls. This initiative is a collaboration between Toronto Paramedic Services (TPS), Hong Fook and Cota. Community paramedics from TPS, a mental health and addictions outreach worker from Hong Fook, and a geriatric mental health case manager from Cota work together to provide clinics that rotate across the five buildings each week and follow-up case management support to individuals requiring it.
“Tenants visiting the on-site clinic have their blood pressure checked and receive medical and mobility assessments,” said Michael Roffey (Superintendent, Community Paramedic Unit - TPS). “There is also a follow-up home visit to the tenants who are calling 911.” When it is identified that a tenant may benefit from further follow-up services, a direct referral is made to a case manager within the team. “This program allows clients to access a case manager immediately,” says Sheila McGregor (Community Service Coordinator Access & Support, TCHC). “TCHC is so grateful to have Cota here because of their hands on approach. They actually go into the units and talk with tenants.” says Sheila.
Hong Fook, the administrative lead for this program sees great value in the collaboration. “With the expertise that each partner agency brings to the program, multiple needs of a client can be attended to in a timely manner – improving their overall health condition,” (Doris Yang, Lead Clinical Services and Intake).
initial survey (before clinic began)
Health Status and Quality of Life (%)
Sarah (Geriatric Mental Health Case Manager, Cota) primarily works with clients over 65 with signs or a diagnosis of dementia.
SARAH (GM MH CM, COTA) WITH JESSE AND MICHAEL (TPS) | CPLC
“It has been great to interact with and support residents in all five of the buildings. Clients are often excited to see us, and one resident mentioned that the clinic is the ‘highlight’ of her week! It isn’t always easy to access beneficial services, but it is very rewarding when we can connect with them to provide the help they need.”
Since the programs inception, residents of the five TCHC buildings have been asked to provide feedback in order to track the effectiveness of the program.