dsto Council is made up of adults with a developmental disability, family members, board members from developmental services agencies, community members, representatives from the Service Provider Committee, and representatives from the Ministry. It is supported by a Consumer Engagement Facilitator who links the Council to individuals, families and the groups and organizations that support them. The Council meets monthly other than during the summer months.

The functions of dsto Council include:

• Providing the communication link with consumers and consumer groups/organizations
  
• Collecting information on the experiences and views of individuals with developmental challenges and their families, particularly in relation to the services provided through the Toronto collaboration
  
• Contributing to sector-wide planning and priority-setting
  
• Contributing to continuous quality improvement of the Toronto Partnerships and the service supports.
  
• Providing advice to the service community and the Ministry on matters related to its mandate

The Council and its service community equivalent—the Service Provider Committee— are working together to develop a more effective service system. Members of Council are encouraged to participate on the three joint sub-committees with the Service Provider Committee: Communications, Information Collection and Planning, and Improving Quality. These sub-committees also include people from the community with expertise in the area of focus of the sub-committee. The membership of these sub-committees is reviewed annually at year-end.

There are a number of opportunities to participate in the activities of the Council. Individuals can request to be considered for membership on Council or on one of the sub-committees. In both cases, members serve a three-year term, which may be renewed only once. Terms coincide with the calendar year.

In addition, individuals may request to be included in one or more of the many activities of the Council related to consumer engagement, planning and quality improvement.

Developmental Services Toronto Council Members List
(As of January 31, 2010)

Self-Advocates:

Kelly MacDougall
Peter Marrese
Sean Rowley
Ryan Zanette

Family Members:

Jim Berry
John Mohler
Renee Kwan
Nancy Aideira

Board Members:

Chris Beesley (Chair)
Barbara Johnson
Peter Wright

Community Members:

Alexander Clarkson Lee
Jasmin Earle (Vice Chair)

Service Provider Representatives:

Paul Bruce
Ana Vicente

Ministry Representative

Karen Meehan

Consumer Engagement Facilitator

Carol Krause

System Planner

Craig Shields