Ontario Disability Support Program

Working at ODSP is very challenging.  You must be able to handle dealing with vulnerable persons.  On a daily basis clients are upset and escalated when they present to the office.  This job is very intense. You must have the willingness and ability to learn all about the ODSP guidelines, legislation and policies.  You need to be able to work in an extremely fast paced environment.  I enjoyed the job but the workload is overwhelming.  There is no time to waste.  There is no recognition for hard work.  The job can be very stressful due to its nature. Managers are overworked and have little time to devote to support staff. They hire young people and the overturn in staff is ridiculous.  If you are working on contract anything can happen.  There is no job security.

I worked as a case manager for 33 years.  A lot of changes took place over the years.  It can be disturbing at times, seeing clients that are very ill.  You must have a compassionate nature to work here.  You must be supportive of your clients and help them in any way you can.

When the new computer system came, everything got worse.  It was a complete chaos.  It went on for years, and I believe it still is.  Also, other offices paid their retirees, an extra 6 months salary when they left.  It seems they just chose who they wanted to give it to.. To me that wasn't fair.  A lot of people filed a grievance, but never won it.

The  money was good, and benefits.  There was very low staff morale.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Good pay and benefits package 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
It is very difficult to become permanent and you have to re-compete continuously (test/interview). 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Very high caseloads to try to manage; very little if any training; unresponsive management for the most part.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Answering client inquiries, issuing benefits, interviewing applicants and their spouses and dependent adults, referring clients to other services, attending meetings, etc.

A typical day at work would be interviewing applicants to determine if they were financially eligible for social services support.  Once an applicant came onto the program I would be their caseworker.  This involved monitoring income, assets and living arrangements.  I made appropriate referrals to the community based network i.e., housing, Family and Children Services, Ontario Works Program.  All the information I received would be captured on the Service Delivery Model Technology data base.  I enjoyed the personal contact with recipients and co-workers.

I enjoyed this job for it's clear expectations, opportunities for advancement and future career placements. The benefit and retirement plan was very beneficial to long term employees. The workplace culture was very political, but fine when one learned how to get along with different personalities.

It's an ok job. If you are a Social worker or Social Service Worker you rarely use the skills you were trained with. The job is to take information only, it no longer wants you to help the client only take the information.
Management in some local offices are in need of Management Skills.

People are constantly leaving and the ones who are left are expected to take up the slack to compensate for management's lack of foresight.  Unrealistic work expectations prove management's priority is not employee mental and physical wellbeing. 

Great place to work and the staff is incredible, your main job is to provide assistance to people with disabilities.  It is a fairly busy environment and you need to be able to handle a high demand work environment.

Very stressful, fast paced work.  It was a rewarding career and I loved helping people with disabilities succeed.  They lived in poverty but were some of the best people to meet and  always appreciated any help and guidance I could provide with additional community resources.

Great people and professional personnel. Work life balance is second to none. Most likely you will be working contract to contract indefinitely.  Over all very satisfying work experience.

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