Ongwanada

at 191 Portsmouth Ave., Kingston , K7M 8A6 Canada

1. Other
2. Community Organization
3. Non-Profit Organization

Non-profit organization supporting individuals with developmental disabilities Our History: Ongwanada has been a member of the community for over 60 years fulfilling a variety of needs. Founded in 1948 as a tuberculosis sanatorium, it evolved into a chronic care hospital, a facility for children and adults with developmental disabilities and most recently, as a non-profit organization providing community-based support to approximately 600 individuals and their families in Kingston and eastern Ontario. How did this transformation come about? How did Ongwanada shed its original role and the buildings associated with it, and yet still retain a recognizable identity? The answer lies in the current of caring that flows through Ongwanada's story like a river, uniting all the different landmarks. Ongwanada has always been a place where people - patients, residents, board members, volunteers, and staff - stayed a long time. "We're like a family," is a sentiment authentically expressed time and again. Ongwanada was founded on August 8, 1948 by Dr. Bruce Holmes Hopkins, a persevering and dedicated physician who campaigned for over twenty years to establish a Kingston sanatorium. The building had been constructed in 1942 as a hostel for women working at Alcan during World War Two, and in 1946 was converted into a veterans hospital. Dr. Hopkins went to great lengths to transform the makeshift structure into "Ongwanada," the Ojibwa word for "our home." The 1950s were peak years for Ongwanada Sanatorium, with an array of new programs, a steady demand for beds, and a facility so picturesque that newlyweds posed for pictures on the grounds. Towards the end of the decade, however, as improved drug treatments made months and years of bed rest unnecessary, Ongwanada experienced a crisis of empty beds. In the face of government plans to shut Ongwanada down, Dr. Hopkins and members of the board fought tenaciously for its future. A new direction emerged in 1967 with the gradual transfer of 100 children with severe developmental disabilities from large and overcrowded facilities. In April 1968 Ongwanada further extended its services to chronic care patients with the opening of a thirty-bed unit. The tuberculosis work continued through a combined TB and respiratory disease unit. In keeping with its broader mandate the sanatorium was renamed Ongwanada Hospital in 1971, the same year Dr. Hopkins died. In the 1970s, in response to parental demands, the children's unit experienced a shift from custodial nursing care to developmental programming. This thrust gained momentum in 1974 with the transfer of developmental services in Ontario from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Community and Social Services. People with developmental disabilities were no longer to be considered patients requiring medical care, but as individuals capable of living in the community with support. In April 1977, Ongwanada merged with the L.S. Penrose Centre, a King Street facility housing 120 adults with developmental disabilities. The two buildings were renamed the Hopkins and Penrose divisions of Ongwanada, under a new executive director, Robert Seaby. With the merger came a period of intense public controversy over Ongwanada's future role. The debate resulted in a positive plan for "redevelopment," which involved the creation of a range of community services and the eventual closing of both facilities. In the 1980s all the children living at the Hopkins site were transferred to communities near their families or relocated to seventeen new community residences operated by Ongwanada in the Kingston area. The chronic care and respiratory disease units were transferred in November 1990 to Providence Manor under the administration of St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital. Professional and administrative staff moved from Hopkins to the newly constructed Ongwanada Resource Centre on Portsmouth Avenue, and the Hopkins building was demolished. During the late 1990's redevelopment focused on the adults living at Penrose, a heritage building constructed in the 1860's as a Crown asylum for the mentally ill. The majority of adults chose, in consultation with their families and staff, to move into eleven new community residences located along the Napanee-Gananoque corridor. The Home Share program, in which individuals live with a family other than their own with support from Ongwanada staff, was also greatly expanded. Penrose closed in April 1997, and the site is now the responsibility of the Ontario Realty Corporation. The last few years has brought more change to Ongwanada. We have been working closely with the Ministry of Community and Social Services to transform developmental services. As a co-lead agency with the Community Networks of Specialized Care, Ongwanada is working to ensure that all people with developmental disabilities, mental health issues and challenging behaviour can access the help they need in their communities no matter where they live. Technology has become a new and exciting frontier for our organization. With Ongwanada's leadership, the Community Network has launched videoconferencing sites across Ontario which can be used to deliver training and expertise province wide. We are no longer confined by geography, we can help provide the best care and training, be it in an urban or rural setting. As you can see the past 60 years has brought a number of significant changes for Ongwanada but the journey has just begun. Ongwanada will continue to evolve in response to the changing needs and goals of individuals and their families.

Description

Who we are: Ongwanada has been a member of the community for more than 60 years. Our name, an Ojibwa term for "our home", is a fitting symbol for our vision, mission and values. We support people with developmental disabilities and their families, respecting their rights, increasing their opportunities to make choices and decisions about the quality of their lives and responding to their changing needs. A non-profit, accredited organization, Ongwanada offers a wide range of individualized services and community supports to approximately 600 people with developmental disabilities and their families in Kingston and Eastern Ontario. Our funding comes primarily from the provincial Ministry of Community and Social Services and we are managed by a volunteer Board of Governors. Our programs and services are delivered at three main sites in Kingston, more than 20 community residences as well as other homes and offices in the region. In addition to residential options, some services include Day Support, Vocational and Life Skills Training, Medical Services, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Respite Care, Community Behavioural Services and Adult Protective Services. Research is also important to Ongwanada. We are affiliated with Queen's University and collaborate internationally in research to enhance the understanding and improve the quality of life of individuals with developmental disabilities. Ongwanada is dedicated to supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families, responding to their evolving needs, respecting and advocating for their rights, and increasing their opportunities to have choices and make decisions. For individuals with developmental disabilities, Ongwanada is committed to: • Individualized approaches to meeting their needs; • Facilitating involvement, social inclusion, and active participation in community life; • Supporting and encouraging continual growth and self-expression; • Fostering positive and productive relationships with others; and, • Responding to both individual and community needs. As an organization, Ongwanada is committed to: • Supporting, developing, and recognizing its skilled and caring staff; • Supporting educational efforts through university partnerships and teaching agreements with educational institutions; • Fostering and applying innovative approaches in service, research, and teaching; • Providing the highest quality of care in a safe environment; and, • Pursuing flexible and collaborative initiatives with community partners and government.

Opening time

• Mondays: 09:00- 17:00
• Tuesdays: 09:00- 17:00
• Wednesdays: 09:00- 17:00
• Thursdays: 09:00- 17:00
• Fridays: 09:00- 17:00

Company Rating

576 FB users likes Ongwanada, set it to 12 position in Likes Rating for Kingston, Ontario in Community Organization category

Summary

Ongwanada is Kingston based place and this enity listed in Other category. Located at 191 Portsmouth Ave. ON K7M 8A6. Contact phone number of Ongwanada: 613.548.4417