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Toby Harris -

Traverse Independence

 

1. Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your organization?

 

I am Toby Harris, CEO of Traverse Independence, and have been with the organization for over 20 years. Traverse recently marked its 50th year of operation, celebrating this milestone with a 50-year anniversary last year. 

Traverse began very small, originally focused on supporting adults with physical disabilities. Over time, the organization evolved to include services for people with acquired brain injuries. That growth has been significant. Today, Traverse employs approximately 150 staff and provides a wide range of services, including supportive housing, transitional living, a group home, two types of day programs, intensive case management, and clinical support through psychiatry. 

Traverse also operates a large outreach program and now serves approximately 700 to 800 clients annually. Services are provided across the Region of Waterloo and all of Wellington County, including Guelph and North Wellington. The organization’s history is one of revitalization, rebranding, growth, and making a meaningful difference in the community. 

 

2. How do your programs and services adapt to meet the diverse needs of individuals and families in our community?

The program that has adapted and evolved the most is the outreach program. Historically, outreach involved staff visiting people in their homes for a few hours per week to support tasks such as banking, grocery shopping, and daily living skills for individuals with acquired brain injuries who were living somewhat independently. 

That model has evolved into ABI in the Streets, a low barrier outreach program supporting individuals who have screened positive using the HELPS screening tool and are homeless or precariously housed. While brain injury is common among people with mental health and substance use challenges, it is apparent that people experiencing homelessness are impacted at an even higher rate due to their circumstances. 

ABI in the Streets workers are embedded across multiple locations and services throughout the Region of Waterloo, including shelters, drop-in spaces, and community programs where people experiencing homelessness are already accessing support. The program brings a brain injury lens into these settings. 

When someone screens positive using the HELPS tool, a Traverse worker who is specialized in brain injury is assigned. That worker teams up with other community providers to offer direct support to the client, information and guidance to other workers, and access to training and the Traverse clinical team. Services are intentionally designed to be low barrier, with simple referral processes and rapid access to support, rather than lengthy applications. 

 

3. Can you share a story that highlights the impact of your services?

A client was identified through the HELPS screener at a shelter partner approximately two years ago. At that time, the individual was experiencing homelessness, living with an acquired brain injury, and facing significant substance use challenges. 

Traverse assigned a specialized brain injury worker who collaborated closely with other community partners as the individual moved through different stages of support. Over time, the individual engaged in addiction treatment, completed a rehabilitation program, and has now been sober for more than one year. 

In addition to housing instability and addiction, the individual was completely illiterate. Over a two-year period, the Traverse worker provided consistent literacy support, and the individual now reads at a Grade 6 level. This progress has enabled greater independence in daily life, including banking, grocery shopping, and navigating community services, while also significantly improving confidence and self-worth. 

A fully integrated support team was involved, including shelter staff, housing workers, mental health and addiction providers, a sobriety sponsor, and Traverse brain injury services. The individual has recently secured permanent housing and continues to receive ongoing support. Traverse remains involved after housing is achieved, ensuring continuity of care and long-term stability. 

 

4. What are the key challenges in providing rehabilitation, recovery, and disability support services?

One of the greatest challenges is recognition and understanding of brain injury. Brain injury exists everywhere across the community, yet it is often not recognized as a contributing factor, especially among individuals with complex needs. 

There is a need for broader acceptance of brain injury as a core issue within mental health and addiction services. Advocacy cannot rest with one organization alone. More system-wide champions are needed to integrate a brain injury perspective across sectors. 

Building and sustaining integrated care teams is ongoing work. While Traverse is now embedded in 16 different locations, reaching this level of integration required years of advocacy and education. Continued effort is required to ensure brain injury remains part of system-level conversations and service planning. 

 

5. How does your organization align with the values and goals of the OHT?

 

Traverse aligns strongly with OHT priorities related to prevention, early intervention, and addressing social determinants of health. Screening initiatives, including community-based screening blitzes, are used to identify brain injury early and connect people to appropriate supports. 

All services focus on housing stability, food security, and attachment to primary care, as well as access to mental health and addiction services. This work fits closely with integrated, community-based models of care. 

Traverse also aligns with system integration goals through collaboration across health, housing, and social services. The ABI in the Streets program is a unique model in Ontario and has been recognized through significant Ministry of Health expansion funding. The program is innovative, low barrier, and deeply embedded within homelessness and community support systems. 

Traverse is an organization that frequently says yes to partnerships. When service gaps emerge due to funding or system changes, Traverse has embedded workers within partner organizations to maintain continuity of care and support system stability. 

 

6. What do you hope to see in the near future with your continued partnership with the OHT?

There is strong optimism about the continued partnership with the OHT and the opportunity to further strengthen system collaboration. The OHT plays an important role in connecting partners across the region, and there is excitement about building on this by highlighting grassroots initiatives and integrated models of care already happening in the community. Creating more opportunities for shared discussion, brainstorming, and learning across partners will help further strengthen these connections and advance collective impact across the system.