From a shared standard to lasting change: Putting quality into practice

For more than a decade, I’ve watched the live-in treatment sector go through major shifts and changes, and I’ve seen firsthand how much work goes into creating better experiences and outcomes for young people and families. 

But I’ve also seen how different treatment can look from one program to the next. 

As a clinician, I’ve referred children and youth to programs across the province, each with its own approach, strengths and areas of focus. That diversity can be valuable. But it also raises an important question: What should every young person and family be able to count on, no matter where they receive treatment? 

That’s why I believe the new Live-in treatment quality standard represents an important step forward for our sector. 

But a standard is only as valuable as its implementation. The real opportunity now is to take what we’ve built together and make sure it becomes part of how we deliver treatment every day. 

Creating a shared foundation for quality treatment

At its core, a quality standard should give us a shared understanding of what good treatment looks like. Not every program needs to look the same. But there are fundamental elements of “quality” that should always be present. 

I think of it like a car. There are many different makes and models, but each one needs certain essential components to function safely. The quality standard helps make sure those essential components are in place, wherever a young person receives live-in treatment. 

For me, the importance of that shared foundation comes back to the young people and families we serve. 

When a family is looking for support, they shouldn’t have to wonder whether the fundamentals of high-quality treatment will be there depending on which program they access. 

The standard helps establish a consistent foundation of safe, effective and person-centred care, while still allowing programs to build on their own strengths. 

That balance is important. We want to support high-quality treatment across the province without losing the expertise and approaches that make individual programs valuable.  

From alignment to action

As co-chair of the Quality Standard Advisory Committee, I was struck by the level of commitment people brought to this process. More than 50 people from across the sector came together to review, discuss and shape the standard. 

I’ve been part of many committees and initiatives throughout my career, but I’ve never experienced a process quite like this one — where such a broad group of people came together and collectively put their support behind a shared vision for quality treatment. 

The last thing we want is for this standard to sit on a shelf. We need to see it reflected in the way programs deliver care, make decisions and pursue quality improvement. 

Implementation is where the standard begins to shape the system. 

Making the “why” clear

As a sector, we have a responsibility to take these expectations and put them into practice. For me, that means asking: How do we make the standard part of the way we work, rather than something we simply refer to?

That starts with understanding the “why.” When people understand why a change matters and how it will benefit the young people and families they serve, meaningful buy-in becomes much easier. 

The standard also works hand in hand with the Ontario Intensive Treatment Pathway. Together, they can provide a stronger foundation for a coordinated, high-quality system for live-in treatment— from the broader pathway that helps young people access the right level of support to the standards that guide the quality of treatment they receive. 

The work ahead

After more than a decade of watching this sector evolve, I’m optimistic about what this moment represents. 

We have an opportunity to reduce variation where it matters, strengthen consistency in the fundamentals of treatment and make sure the voices of young people and families continue to shape how services are delivered. 

The sector has already done the hard work of coming together to define a shared foundation for quality. Now, we have to take that work with us into our organizations, our programs and our day-to-day decisions. 

As a leader in the sector, I see implementation as part of our responsibility. At Compass, we’ve been entrusted with helping ensure children and youth in our communities have access to high-quality services. The quality standard gives us another tool to help make that happen.