Research Questions:

The main research question for this project is:

1. What are the best practices in the design and implementation of an integrated referral pathway for families with young children (0-6) requiring services related to children’s developmental issues?

Secondary questions include:

1. What models for integrated referrals currently exist in Ontario and comparable jurisdictions, and what do evaluations of these models reveal about effectiveness, equity, and implementation challenges?
2. What system features (e.g., centralized intake, single point of access, multidisciplinary teams, digital tools) contribute to equitable and streamlined service navigation?
3. What are the key barriers that families encounter when accessing or navigating early intervention services, and how can an integrated service design mitigate barriers?

Research Activities:

The research will involve a review of both academic and grey literature:

• Academic literature:Peer-reviewed publications and published program evaluations examining integrated referral and intake models in early childhood developmental services (or in social services more broadly if there’s a paucity of literature on the former).
• Grey literature:Reports, toolkits, and materials from programs and jurisdictions recognized as doing this work particularly well, helping to identify what high-functioning integrated referral systems look like in practice.

The scope of the literature review will be refined in collaboration with the community partner at project outset, with attention to which dimensions of “best practice” are most relevant to OKN and the Co-Chairs of the Early Intervention and Support Working Group.

Research Questions:

The main research question for this project is:

1. What does existing research reveal about access barriers/facilitators to anti-gang/violence reduction programs and re-entry services, the quality of those services, and service utilization among justice-involved Black young adults (ages 18-30) in Canada and the U.S., particularly those with histories of gun and/or group violence involvement?

Secondary questions include:

1. Where are kids now/ access to services?
2. What does the literature and data say to us?
3. Are they screened out?
4. Re-entry meaning/ what services could it include?

Research Activities:

The HUB Hamilton will actively collaborate with the student team throughout the project. This includes participating in team meetings as needed, maintaining regular email communication, facilitating connections with potential external advisors/consultants on the research, and assisting with all aspects of the research approach, including the interpretation and presentation of findings.

Additional research activities include:

• A scoping review using the literature review question as guidance.
• Working closely with the community partner to define initial inclusion and exclusion criteria and adapt as necessary.

The research will be used to develop an internal document to support service delivery and as an advocacy tool to support policy change at all levels of government.

Research Questions:

There are four major questions being considered:

1. What barriers do queer Muslims in Hamilton face when accessing social and community services, including services designed for Muslim communities, newcomers, or LGBTQ+ populations?
2. How do experiences of Islamophobia and queerphobia shape queer Muslims’ sense of belonging and willingness to access Hamilton services?
3. What types of services, spaces, and supports, if any, are currently designed for or accessible to queer Muslims in Hamilton?
4. What strategies could improve inclusion, safety, and access to services for this population?

Research Activities:

The project will involve a rapid environmental scan approach of existing social and community services in Hamilton, examining which services are available to Muslims, which are available to LGBTQ+ individuals, and which meaningfully serve those at the intersection of both identities. The scan will identify gaps in current service provision for advocacy purposes.

Additional research activities include:

A series of qualitative focus groups with queer Muslim community members in Hamilton.

• The partner will assist with outreach, providing space for focus groups, and, given the vulnerability of participants and the sensitive nature of the subject matter, facilitate the focus groups with participants.
• The student team will co-develop the focus group questions and lead on the thematic analysis of the data, working closely with the Queer Halal community throughout to ensure participant confidentiality and safety.

This research will be used to develop a plain language report detailing the project context, methods, findings, and recommendations.

Research Questions: 

There are four major questions being considered:

1. What are the demographics?
2. How familiar are they, if at all, with FC’s existing programs and services?
3. How satisfied are they, if at all, with FC’s existing programs and services?
4. What direction should FC move in the community? What role do clients believe FC should play?

Research Activities:

The project will involve a quantitative survey study approach. FC will be available as needed to help with project scoping, onboarding, and troubleshooting. As well as, compiling a list of contactable clients and supporters for the survey and actively collaborating with the project team as needed.

Additional research activities includes:

• A filtering approach to accommodate respondents who may be both clients and supporters, while capturing segment-specific feedback where appropriate.
• The research will involve surveying FC’s clients and supporters, including volunteers, donors, and holiday gift program participants, through email and/or telephone.
• Analyze responses to identify demographic patterns, satisfaction levels, program awareness, and strategic priorities for organizational growth and development.

This research will be used internally to support strategic planning efforts and help FC better understand and serve their community programming and services.

Research Questions:

There are three major questions being considered:

1. What is the current landscape of palliative and end-of-life care service providers in Hamilton?
2. • What organizations, programs, and initiatives currently exist?
   • What populations do they serve and what services do they provide?
   • What populations do they serve and what services do they provide?

2. How do these organizations currently collaborate with one another?

3. What barriers exist to effective collaboration between palliative care agencies?

Research Activities: 

Compassionate Hamilton will actively collaborate with the project team throughout the project. This includes assisting with all aspects of the approach, facilitating connections with relevant stakeholders, and contributing to the interpretation and presentation of findings.

Additional research activities will include:

• Conducting an environmental scan of Hamilton’s palliative care service providers, including healthcare organizations, community agencies, faith-based groups, and volunteer networks.
• Conduct key informant interviews to assess the comprehensiveness of the mapping and fill in any gaps.

• Survey organizational representatives to understand collaboration patterns, resource flows, and identified gaps.

The project results will support Compassionate Hamilton in understanding the structure and gaps within Hamilton’s palliative care ecosystem. The findings will inform the organization’s role as a connector and facilitator, guide the development of their annual event and ongoing programming, and identify opportunities for strengthening collaboration among service providers.

Research Questions:

There are five major questions being considered:

1. Do taxi-based and/or other on-demand specialized transit models exist in other jurisdictions? Where have they been implemented (Ontario, Canada, internationally), what are their key design features and implementation considerations?
2. What does published literature (e.g., evaluations) reveal about the comparative performance of different specialized transit models in terms of cost-effectiveness, service quality, passenger satisfaction, and accessibility?
3. How do different specialized transit delivery models align (or not) with legislative requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and Ontario Human Rights Code, particularly regarding on-demand service, passenger-facing policies, and service equity?
4. Based on existing City of Hamilton data (ATS quarterly/annual reports, DARTS budgets, trip data), what are the actual operational costs of the current shared-ride system broken down by trip type, contractor, and service component?
5. Using cost modeling informed by Phase 1 findings and best practices from other jurisdictions, what would be the projected costs of implementing a taxi-based on-demand model in Hamilton.

Research Activities: 

Accessibility Hamilton Alliance will be:

• Sharing relevant background materials, including historical correspondence with City Council and previous advocacy materials.
• Assisting with identification and potential access to key data sources, particularly ATS reports and DARTS operational data.
• Providing expertise on the history of specialized transit in Hamilton and the disability community’s experiences.
• Reviewing and providing feedback on interim findings and draft deliverables
• Supporting interpretation of results in the context of Hamilton’s specific political and operational environment.

The student team will be:

• Conducting a comprehensive environmental scan of specialized transit delivery models with a particular focus on taxi-based and on-demand systems prioritizing Ontario jurisdictions, then expand to other Canadian provinces, and finally examine prominent international examples if needed.
• Reviewing both published academic research and grey literature (government reports, transit agency evaluations, policy documents) to identify information relevant to the phase 1 questions.
• Synthesizing findings to map the landscape of alternative models, identify transferable lessons for Hamilton, and assess alignment with AODA requirements and OHRC obligations.

The combined findings will provide an internal resource to support Accessibility Hamilton Alliance in building an evidence-based advocacy case for specialized transit reform.