About Services

What services are there?

A range of services is available to support people with intellectual disabilities and their family. Several government agencies fund the services and, as a result, there are differences in how to access each service.

Ministry of Health (MoH)

The Ministry of Health funds most disability support services. These include environmental support services, home support, respite care, day activity services, supported living and residential support services, such as group home living or foster care and contract board.

Ministry of Social Development (MSD)

The Ministry of Social Development funds a range of vocational services for people aged between 16 and 65 years that aim to:

• increase the participation of people with disabilities in employment

• increase the participation of people with disabilities in communities.

There are about 180 service providers across the country. Some providers, such as Workbridge, CCS and IDEA Services are national organisations, most are local, community-based providers.

MSD contracts Workbridge to administer Support Funds to assist people with disabilities into paid employment. As well, MSD provides a higher level of funding for people who have been assessed as having Very High Needs through the Ongoing Renewable Resource Scheme (ORRS) for the person’s vocational service provision.

MSD also funds a number of initiatives to assist school leavers to make the transition from school to work.

Click here for the contact details of Ministry of Social Development for details of providers.

Children, Youth and Family Services (CYF)

CYF provides funding for children and young people who require disability support services as a consequence of care and protection issues.