Recent research indicates that, in Canada, approximately one in five children entering school are not meeting age appropriate milestones in physical, social, language, or cognitive development. Even where support services are available families often face barriers in accessing these. With the goals of improving access to programs, reducing barriers and increasing consistency and efficiency, a new Coordinated Intake Approach (CIA) was developed for families accessing Children’s Rehabilitation Services. It was expected that the CIA would result in 1) parents finding the intake process more satisfactory and easier to complete, 2) therapists feeling more supported and satisfied and 3) a decrease in wait times from the date referrals were received to initial contact with families. Initial data was collected prior to CIA implementation through parent telephone interviews and therapist surveys. This data was then compared with telephone interviews, therapist surveys and chart reviews completed following implementation. Results were consistent with expectations, suggesting that a family centered, CIA contributed to increased parent and therapist satisfaction as well as improved process efficiency. CIA successes and areas for improvement are identified. Possible directions for further process enhancements are also discussed.
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