“They are geared to moving the system,” says Coristine. “They are a way to develop capacity, to talk across sectors, and to solve problems.”

The workshops take place in eight different regions within Ontario that have been established by OPADD (see here: http://www.opadd.on.ca/), and workshop content, explains Coristine, reflects the concerns of administrators, academics, and front-line workers in those regions.

Planning partnerships – such as the Peel Long Term Care Residential Services Partnership – are also a key consequence of OPADD, developed in 1999 to support the arrival of a unique, baby-boom demographic.

“This is a brand new phenomenon – having a large population of older people with disabilities,” explains Coristine. “We’re building capacity across sectors to support them.”

At an upcoming two-day conference in Sudbury on September 28 (North East Region 2), participants will meet informally on day one, greeting each other at a wine and cheese and listening to Gerry Lougheed, an orator and humorist.

Day two features presentations by Dr. Jack Diamond, Scientific Director of the Alzheimer Society of Canada, and Donna Messer, a trainer for Connect Us Communications Canada, a networking consultancy group.

In Ottawa (Ottawa/Champlain Region 8), participant organizations – which include Community Living Dundas, Royal Ottawa Hospital, and the University of Ottawa – meet next on Oct. 5, for a one-day conference.

Coristine explains that although the focus of the workshops change according to region, a central thread across the province is service integration.

“The key players are trying to harness their skills,” he says.

For more information on the Sudbury conference, call: Jacinte Martin at 705-674-1451 ext. 237

For information on the Ottawa event, call: Anne Amore at 905-889-2690 ext. 2204