Urgent Response Services

The Urgent Response Service (URS) provides time-limited (up to 12 weeks) services and supports intended to respond rapidly to a specific need for children and youth up to 18 years of age to prevent further escalation of risk of harm to self, others and/or property. You must be registered with the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) to access URS.

This service is delivered in partnership with Dufferin Child and Family Services (Dufferin and Wellington region), Reach Out Centre for Kids (Halton region) and Sunbeam Community & Developmental Services (Waterloo region).

info

Please note: this is not a crisis service. If you feel that you need immediate emergency services please call 911 or visit your closest emergency room. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call a crisis helpline.

URS does not provide 24/7 support or replace emergency or crisis supports.

Accessing the Program

Eligibility

To be eligible for URS, you/your child must be:

registered with the OAP
experiencing one or more key high-risk factors that:
- have started or worsened in the last 14 days
- can be supported by OAP urgent response services (you will learn more about these through a standard intake process)

High-risk factors include:

aggression
property destruction
violent thinking
fire setting
harm to animals
risk of exploitation
self-injurious behaviour
suicidal thoughts or behaviour
inappropriate sexual behaviour
flight risk

Steps To Accessing URS

Step 1

Contact ErinoakKids Intake Services at 905-855-2690 extension 6 or use our online referral portal.

Our Intake Service hours of operation are:
Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Step 2

Once a referral is made, an assessment will be done to determine service eligibility.

Step 3

ErinoakKids (or our partner agency in your region) will create an Urgent Response Services plan based on your and/or your child’s needs. Families accepted into the service will be assigned to a clinician who will assess the severity of the risk and work internally and with partner agencies to ensure that the child’s specific needs are addressed.

Urgent Response Services do not provide funding to purchase supports. Children and youth registered with the OAP can access Urgent Response Services while receiving other OAP services and supports.

For more details and information on eligibility, visit the Ontario Autism Program website.