2026-2027 Services delivered: Transition Supports (Student Links)

Component: Adults' DS Community Support Services

Services Delivered: Transition Supports (Student Links)

Legislation: Ministry of Community and Social Services Act(MCSSA)

Service description

Transition supports (Student Links)

Student Links (formally Passport Mentoring Services) transfer payment agencies provide transition supports (Student Links) for students between the ages of 14 and 21, who have a developmental disability and are at the secondary school level.

Note: This service is only to be used by the designated Transition Supports agency (Community Living Ontario) to administer the Student Links program.

People served

Under the MCSS Act, transition supports (Student Links) are for students between the ages of 14 and 21, who have a developmental disability and are at the secondary school level.

For transition supports (student links): The process for Individual Support Plan (ISP) is through consultations with students, families and schools. Students will self-identify areas of interest and opportunities that they want to explore and experience and/or link to. An individualized Mentor Plan will be developed and agreed upon by the student.

Service features

Transition supports (student links) include

• Coordination of Student Links
• This includes recruitment and linking of adult mentors who actively participate in their community to mentor students who have a developmental disability at a secondary school level
• Mentors provide students with direct exposure to career shadowing, interaction in meaningful community activities, volunteer options and the exploration of alternate post-school opportunities
• Opportunities to learn in both group and individual settings
• Opportunities to participate in the development of social relationships
• Opportunities for family participation
• Community-based learning
• Exposure to an array of activities and experiences
• Includes exposure to innovative community participation supports and opportunities.
• Work training and volunteer involvement
• Self-directed planning with links to Individual Education Plan (IEP) and student transitional plans
• Development of community linkages and partnerships
• Focus on independence, participation, and inclusion
• Involvement of experienced adults who have a developmental disability in the design, development, and mentoring role for this initiative.

Specific service provided

Transition supports (student links) description

Is an "in-school" opportunity to expose students, who have a developmental disability, at the secondary school level, to post-school experiences and options. It is intended to enhance their capacity to make informed post-school decisions prior to leaving school and is available to students between the ages of 14 and 21. This is achieved through adult mentors, and Mentor Coordinators, in concert with school personnel, parents, and community and support providers (where applicable).

Student Links is an opportunity for students to explore and experience a link with various options and opportunities that they may want to pursue upon leaving high school. Student Links will provide expertise to students, mentors, educators' community members and families.

Students will be better equipped to participate in planning for their future and will have had an opportunity to connect with people who have knowledge or experience in the students' identified area of interest. Mentor Coordinators will facilitate the engagement of students to mentors who can offer expertise and support to the development of capacity within students around a specific interest. The intention will be to expose them to roles that they may want to consider for their future once they have graduated. These roles would create opportunities for them to pursue in the future and that would enhance their participation in community life.

Experienced adult mentors work with the Mentor Coordinators to provide direct exposure to career shadowing, interaction in meaningful community activities, volunteer options and the exploration of alternate post-school opportunities.

Additional in-school support includes exposure to and training in social interaction, relationship building, post-school transition adjustments, decision-making approaches and exploration. Mentoring approaches are individualized for each student with a Mentor plan.

The process for ISP is through consultations with students, families and schools. Students will self-identify areas of interest and opportunities that they want to explore and experience and/or link to. An individualized Mentor Plan will be developed and agreed upon by the student before proceeding.

Community linkages and service collaboration (if applicable) will be achieved through the identified actions contained within the students' Mentor Plans. Student Links is delivered by Community Living Ontario in partnership with People First of Ontario and/or other self-advocacy organizations in the community. Evaluations and feedback from all stakeholders involved (i.e. students, families, schools, community linkage) will also take place to determine the effectiveness of the mentor plan.

Role of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services

• Community Living Ontario (CLO) to design and implement Student Links
• Negotiate and monitor the agreement with Student Links agencies to assure compliance with Student Links guidelines, MCCSS policies/procedures and quality assurance and evaluation procedures

Role of student links agencies

Student Links agencies will work in partnership with self-advocacy organizations in the community to

• Administer and deliver Student Links
• Introduce and provide the initiative to willing school boards and schools
• Determine access to mentoring in consultation with mentoring teams, which includes students, families, educators, mentor coordinators, self-advocacy groups, and other relevant stakeholders
• Gather all necessary information to determine outcome measures and quality assurance
• Match students with mentors and provide the required support and training to ensure a successful match. Ongoing monitoring of the matches and progress checkpoints (and re-matching if required) would be strongly encouraged
• Meet the implementation requirements within the capacity and resources that are available
• Oversee spending of all allocated funds by the end of the fiscal year, and ensure that they are managed within spending guidelines
• Develop and conduct an evaluation of the initiative
• Adhere to all government program standards, including compliance with any quality assurance procedures and random spot audit checks

Service goals

• Designed to address the needs of the individual
• Respectful of the social, linguistic and cultural diversity of individuals, families and communities
• Staffed by individuals with the appropriate training and range of skills necessary to respond effectively to the needs of individuals

Ministry expectations

• Service agencies will comply with all relevant legislation, regulations, policy directives, program guidelines, funding agreement(s), accountability and reporting requirements.
• Service agency is responsible for updating all site-specific information in Transfer Payment Ontario (TPON) as changes occur.

Reporting requirements

Please complete the table below for all Service Outputs your program is tracking. Ensure alignment with the Transfer Payment Performance Measurement Framework.