Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) provides behavioural health care services for older adults in Ontario with, or at risk of, responsive behaviours/personal expressions associated with dementia, complex mental health, substance use and/or other neurological conditions.
Supporting Individuals with or at Risk of Responsive Behaviours/Personal Expressions
The provision of behavioural support from BSO includes, but is not limited to the following activities:
- Assessment and documentation of an individual’s responsive behaviours/personal expressions;
- Development or modification of a tailored behavioural support plan aimed at reducing the incidence and prevalence of responsive behaviours/personal expressions;
- Implementation of the new behavioural support plan in collaboration with key clinical partners;
- Ongoing monitoring of the behavioural support plan with necessary modifications being made based on the person’s response to BSO team-implemented approaches/strategies;
- Provision of coaching and training to other staff in order to maintain the new plan; and
- Implementation of strategies to ensure adherence to the new plan.
Supporting Family Care Partners
BSO also provides support to family care partners of individuals referred to BSO in the community, in long-term care (LTC) or wherever the person and/or family care partner(s) reside.
This provision of support can include a number of activities such as:
- Delivering information about responsive behaviours/personal expressions, dementia, complex mental health, substance use and/or other neurological conditions;
- Coaching on approaches, strategies and techniques for preventing or responding to responsive behaviours/personal expressions;
- Information about other available supports, services and resources.
Facilitating Transitions across Sectors
BSO is also available to support individuals presenting with, or at risk of, responsive behaviours/personal expression with support to move from one place to another. BSO Teams facilitate transitions in many ways, including:
- Supporting persons and families to prepare for the move through the development and sharing of relevant information and resources;
- Organizing/taking part in behavioural care conferences to develop and implement a transitional care plan;
- Sharing existing behavioural support relevant plans, assessments and other documentation to the team on the receiving end;
- Supporting the person and family on the day of the move; and
- Coaching/training the receiving team regarding strategies to best support the person.
For more details consult the
BSO Transitions Pathway.
Knowledgeable Care Teams & Capacity Building
BSO is committed to enhancing the knowledge and skillset of care teams through the provision of education, training and support with the implementation of emerging and best practices. Psychogeriatric Resource Consultants (PRCs) and other BSO-aligned Educators facilitate the provision of formal educational opportunities (e.g., P.I.E.C.E.S.™, U-FIRST, Gentle Persuasive Approach (GPA), DementiAbility, etc.) and informal learning opportunities. Recognizing that education is only one aspect of the overall process of building knowledgeable care teams, individuals in these roles also provide in-the-moment coaching and case-based discussion. PRCs and other BSO-aligned educators unite through Communities of Practice (CoPs) at a regional and provincial level. Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) provides behavioural health care services for older adults in Ontario with, or at risk of, responsive behaviours/personal expressions associated with dementia, complex mental health, substance use and/or other neurological conditions.