ABOUT COMMUNICARE

Our Story…

CommuniCare Therapy was founded in 1992 by two Speech Language Pathologists, Cindy Harrison and Yvonne Bateman and their partners. Their passion for helping children and adults with developmental delays and communication disorders formed the foundation of the organization.

CommuniCare has grown to provide rehabilitation healthcare in Speech Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Social Work and Dietetics. Services are provided to children and adults, in school, home or work settings. We have a large clinical team with a range of experience and unique skills that work all across Eastern Ontario.

CommuniCare has maintained an accreditation status since 2007. Most recently being granted Exemplary Status by Accreditation Canada in January 2017.

CommuniCare Therapy is committed to the provision of high-quality rehabilitation services.

Our Vision

All clients and their families who receive our services will be supported in achieving their full rehabilitation potential according to their individual choices, preferences and needs so that they may participate in life as fully as possible.

Our Mission

To recognize each client as an individual while providing consistent, high quality rehabilitation services that will assess and help address the impact of rehabilitative disorders or disabilities on daily living. The services are provided in the client’s most important setting, their home, school or work and are respectful of client, caregiver and family choices and include education on risks and benefits.

Our Values

The care we provide is guided by our key values.

Inclusivity and a recognition of the rights of all individuals to mutual respect and acceptance
Recognition of a client’s individuality through client centred care
The importance of service provision in both official languages
Working together with a multidisciplinary approach
Client and family engagement at all levels of the organization

Commitment to quality, innovation and safety
Commitment to safe and high-quality care through continuous assessment and monitoring
Establishing and maintaining partnerships with clinicians and staff that encourage trust and open communication
Recognition of the flexibility required to balance work, life and family
Engaging and cooperating with contracting partners to focus on system wide quality care

Equity Diversity Inclusion Anti-Racism Commitment

At CommuniCare, we recognize and celebrate the unique backgrounds, identities, and experiences of our patients, families, and team members. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, prioritizing their safety and well-being. Fostering a culture of belonging and empowerment for everyone we serve.

Our statement is founded on three pillars:

Recognition: Valuing diversity and the contributions of individuals from various backgrounds, including different perspectives, experiences, and identities.
Inclusivity: Creating an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and included, through policies and practices that embraces diversity and equal opportunities.
Commitment to Safety: Ensuring physical and psychological safety of all individuals by implementing and enforcing policies and processes that are free from bias, align with EDI-AR core principles and aim to prevent discrimination and harassment as well as offer support to those affected.

These pillars provide the foundation for the organization’s Values, Mission, and Vision and support the development of our internal EDI-AR framework.

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT US

Cindy is the President and CEO of CommuniCare Therapy. Cindy’s area of clinical focus is the provision of assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with autism, disorders of relating and communicating, global developmental delays and their families. Cindy is on the Faculty and Advisory Board of Profectum, a New Jersey-based organization that provides training and education to professionals in North America and abroad. She is currently the only Master Trainer for the Play Project in Canada and is a well-known public speaker in Canada and abroad.

Cindy holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Western University, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Vermont and a post-graduate certificate in DIR®/Floortime™. She is very active in her community and currently sits on the board of the Ottawa Community Foundation and the College of Early Childhood Educators. Cindy lives in Ottawa with her husband Don and their two disobedient Bernedoodles.

Yvonne is the Vice-President of CommuniCare Therapy. Yvonne’s area of clinical focus is the provision of assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults with severe developmental delays. Yvonne has developed an interest in feeding and swallowing along with assistive and augmentative communication. Yvonne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psych/Linguistics from Carleton University and a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Vermont. Yvonne is married to Robert Bateman and is the parent to three delightful children Kayleigh, Danica and Logan.

STRATEGIC PLAN 2022 – 2026

The 2022-2026 strategic plan reflects the targeting of our focus to the needs of our clients and our team members.

Strengthening our Team

Efforts will be focused on developing strategies for clinician and employee retention. Mental health, new hire orientation, ongoing support, clinical best practice and access to information will be priority considerations in these efforts.

Focusing on Clients

Continue to put our clients and their families at the center of our care by treating them with respect and dignity. Focus on improving the care experience by sourcing meaningful contributions about a client’s care experience. Building knowledge and resources to support care provision in a culturally sensitive manner and providing opportunities for clients and families to collaborate in the organizational decision-making process will be key priorities.

Building Capacity

Efforts will be focused on addressing the current health human resource challenges that are present across the health care industry. Recruitment strategies, compensation and models of care provision will be priority considerations in these efforts. Additionally CommuniCare will remain involved in the local Ontario Health Teams to be able to adapt to the changing landscape of health care in Ontario.

ACCREDITATION

CommuniCare has maintained an Accredited status from Accreditation Canada status since 2007.

2022: Accreditation with Exemplary Status. Highlighted the strong bond to the communities we serve and emphasized our ability to pivot services without major disruptions in response to COVID pandemic.

2017: Accreditation with Exemplary Status. Highlights were the expansion of the patient engagement framework by involving a small number of patients/caregivers in several projects and policy reviews. Satisfaction survey results demonstrated that satisfaction with In Home services provided was at 94% and 93% of respondents reported benefiting from the services.

2013: Accreditation with Exemplary Status. Highlighted our commitment to the accreditation process and embrace of continuous learning and improvement.

This post is also available in: French