INTEGRATED SERVICE TEAMS
In 2015 Cota reorganized our various case management services into four Integrated Service Teams (ISTs). Our IST approach to community health care is unique to Cota, and allows us to build locally integrated “one team” service responses at a LHIN sub-region level. Each IST works together and benefits from the combined knowledge and expertise that each team member has to offer.
THE BORDERS WE SERVICE
The four quadrants:
We have ISTs in North York, Scarborough, Toronto West and Toronto East. The map below shows our IST divisions for Mental Health services by Access Point zones.
OUR TEAMS
Each team is comprised of:
Acquired Brain Injury Case Managers
Addictions Case Managers
Dual Diagnosis
Geriatric Mental Health Case Managers
Mental Health Case Managers
Nurse Case Managers
Consulting Psychiatry
ACTIVITY TO DATE
We are developing rapid-response short-term support and step-up/step-down capacity within each IST to assist with system flow through for individuals with a variety of needs. In addition to that, we are striving to add complementary expertise of other disciplines to Cota’s ISTs through partnerships or other means. An exciting example of a Cota IST partnership is between the Toronto West Integrated Service Team and St. Joseph's Health Centre ACT team. Together we are working to create a Stepped-Care model of service in order to better meet our clients' needs. Read about that story here.
ADDING VALUE TO OUR ISTs in 2016
In fiscal year 2016-2017, we added a nurse to each of our IST teams. Having a nurse on the team gives us the flexibility to meet all of our clients’ needs (for example administering injections) within the community. Further, having a nurse in each IST helps to create system flow through for individuals who no longer/or may not require the intensive supports of an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. These individuals can be better served by our IST, which provides non-crisis community support.