Additional Resources
The following are some examples of tools and resources related to the Information and Referral Service that were of interest to LBS practitioners interviewed during the development of this module. This is not intended as an exhaustive list and we encourage you to explore the resources available on the Internet or through Ontario’s provincial literacy support organizations and regional literacy networks.
In CLO’s most recent publication, we researched and wrote eight success stories on effective partnerships between Literacy and Basic Skills agencies and Ontario Works. From these stories, we created our “Partnership Success Stories: Literacy and Basic Skills Agencies and Ontario Works” newsletter. This newsletter will increase practitioners’ knowledge and understanding of the many creative ways in which LBS agencies across the province are working with Ontario Works to provide support to adult learners.
CLO’s “Recipes for Success: OW and ODSP Best Practices” webinar – Almost 40% of adult learners in Ontario’s LBS programs receive income through Ontario Works (OW) or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). We recognize these clients often have additional or more complex needs, and we want to help you meet them.In this 54-minute webinar, Summer Burton, of Literacy Link South Central presents resources to help you engage vulnerable OW and ODSP clients in LBS programming. The webinar will provide strategies to cultivate effective partnerships to support your OW and ODSP clients.
Service Co-Ordination in Literacy and Basic Skills —Trials and Tribulations – Let’s Talk webinar – Service co-ordination is a top priority for LBS agencies to help meet the varied needs of the learners in your programs. And based on the needs of individual learners and the make-up of your communities, service co-ordination can be very different from learner to learner, and from community to community. In this interactive one-hour webinar, CLO discussed challenges, successes and best practices related to this important function. Real-life examples were shared to showcase agency struggles and agency successes.
Marketing Ourselves: A Resource for Ontario’s Community Literacy Agencies (2008) This resource from Community Literacy of Ontario is a guide on marketing strategies that literacy organizations can use to improve outreach to adult learners, community stakeholders, partners, and referral organizations.
Approaches to Service Coordination This report from the Ontario Literacy Coalition (Essential Skills Ontario) looks at how services among different providers might be coordinated so that learners will have access to the supports they require. It discusses four possible approaches to service coordination: case management; inter-agency cooperation; integrated programming; and community-wide planning. The study finds a consensus that a case management approach positively influences the success of harder‐to‐serve learners and those likely to benefit from additional supports.
Tips for Success 2016 (Ontario Works and Ontario Disabilities Support Program in LBS Programs In 2015-2016, through Tweet Chats, webinars and social media sharing, Community Literacy of Ontario collected information about effective resources, strategies, and partnerships to engage Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) clients in Literacy and Basic Skills programming. This guide lists and annotates 40 helpful resources.
EO Leadership Summit – Strengthening Connections between LBS and Employment Services Workshop These presentation slides from a workshop provide many successful examples of partnering for the benefit of learners and programs. Some slides could also be copied for presentations to potential partners.
Toolkit of Resources to Support Service Delivery for Hard-to-Serve Clients in LBS Agencies This resource is full of resources, tips and sample tools gathered from many LBS who have found them helpful when delivering services to clients facing a multitude of challenges. Consider adapting and using the sample tools to make them work to your clients’ advantage.
Capacity Builders’ Collaboration Coach is a website created to help nonprofit boards, staff and volunteers build and nurture effective collaborations. The site offers access to practical tools and examples of collaboration for sharing information, building partnerships, integrating services and forming alliances.
The Learning Networks of Ontario (LNO) is made up of 16 learning networks from across Ontario. On their joint webpage, there are numerous resources that have been developed to assist Ontario’s LBS community. Two sections in the Resources drop-down menu that are worth checking out are Marketing and Resources for Community Partners with a variety of tools to help with your Information and Referral process.
