About Options
The Options Program at Family Service Toronto is dedicated to creating welcoming, inclusive communities where everyone can contribute their skills and talents. We work city-wide, supporting individuals and families, adults and children, couples and communities. We work with community organizations, developmental service agencies, generic agencies, family and neighbourhood associations, schools, libraries and wherever else we can create connections in the City of Toronto. Our focus on equity and inclusion guided by a person-directed approach, puts us wherever individuals and families need us.
We work in partnership with individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, friends and communities.
We provide tools for individuals to empower themselves and to imagine possibilities and create innovative solutions to achieve their potential through person-directed planning, service coordination, circles of support, self advocacy and mutual support groups.
We connect people to opportunities for employment, recreation, living arrangements and opportunities to develop, nurture and maintain new relationships in the community.
Who we are
- Community Resource Facilitators
Working closely with Options clients and the important people in their lives, our Community Resource Facilitators provide service coordination (generally known as case management) and supports, and help people connect to services and supports in their communities. - Community Network Facilitators
Our Community Network Facilitators work within the communities and neighbourhoods where people live to build and support potential and existing connections. We spend time with people and work together to explore their talents and interests, as well as focusing on the ways in which they do and can contribute. We seek to facilitate a change in our communities so that the participation and contributions of all are valued. - Operations Team
Our Operations Team administers direct funding on behalf of individuals and families, and helps them to manage their budgets and to pay for the services and supports they have in place.
The Options Approach – Ideas, frameworks and lenses
Options employs a variety of frameworks and approaches grounded in person-directed, goal oriented services and supports, counselling and community development models. Our work is about resources facilitation not case management.
We have been influenced by the work of many great people. Below are a few stories and quotations that have inspired some of our work.
- Patrick Worth’s story
- Judith Snow’s piece on the 2005 Throne Speech
- John McKnight on Community Building
