Building a stronger and more vital community one child and one family at a time!

Celebrating the individuality.

Our Mission is to celebrate the individuality of children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities and complex mental health needs through the implementation of comprehensive innovative programs and services focused on improving quality of life.

We are dedicated to our Vision of meeting individual needs, community collectiveness and putting humanitarianism back into social services.

We are committed.

We are committed to creating an environment that encourages creativity and achievement. Our aim is to continuously be a leader in our field. The mainstay of our strategy will be to offer a level of client focus that is superior to that offered by our competitors.

Independence

To increase an individual’s personal self-determination and improve their own independence through person-centred planning.

Compassion

To embrace humanitarianism in all aspects of the business.

Individuality

To embrace the individual needs of families.

Dignity

To always respect the dignity of individuals.

Community

To honour individuals as valued members of their community.

Understanding

To recognize and respond to the goals and priorities of the individuals and families.

Creativity

To provide flexible and creative support that reflects changing goals and priorities.

Relationships

To provide programs that involve the individuals in their community networks and personal relationships.

Autonomy

To promote autonomy for people and families to make decisions that reflect their life situations, needs, and beliefs.

Diversity

To be culturally competent.

Transparency

To provide and maintain a transparent service.

“Main street takes a more compassionate approach to social services with a focus on relationships, individuality and dedication to humanitarianism.”

Main Street’s Journey

Main Street Community Services’ roots go back to 1997 when it operated under the services of Main Street Family Health Centre in the for-profit sector. Recognizing that conventional practices don’t often work for individuals with developmental disabilities, Main Street founder Shelley Steinburg sought to address that gap in the community while offering a more compassionate approach to social services.

With only two full-time employees at the time, the centre still managed to offer a variety of services including therapeutic skills developmental groups, individual and family counselling, as well as psycho-educational assessments. But the demand for Main Street’s services continued to grow, as the financial accessibility diminished. That combination led to the incorporation of a registered not-for-profit in 2004 and the creation of Main Street Community Services.

Today, Main Street prides itself on providing quality, research-based programming for individuals with developmental disabilities. What sets us apart is our emphasis on humanitarianism and total family involvement.

Of course, our story isn’t finished. There’s still much more we want to do to support individuals with a wide range of needs.

“Our philosophy being that no two individuals are alike so why should their plans of care be the same.”

Leadership

Shelley Steinburg

Executive Director

Shelley has always had a passion for making a difference in the lives of others. It was while working as a registered therapist that she saw the need for a different perspective and strategy to support children with developmental disabilities and envisioned providing a more humanitarian approach to social services. That vision led Shelley to establish Main Street Community Services in 2004, which has helped hundreds of families to date. With a philosophy that plans of care shouldn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach since no two children are alike, Shelley believes that focusing on individuality is invaluable for empowering children and youth and promoting social well-being.

Erica Mclean

Assistant Executive Director

Erica’s journey at Main Street Community Services began in the summer of 2006 when she joined the team as a frontline worker. With her enthusiasm and dedication to helping others, Erica was a natural fit at Main Street. Her unwavering commitment to Main Street’s Clients and their families eventually led her to the position of Assistant Executive Director. For Erica, her favourite part of working at Main Street is watching the individuals that the organization supports as they achieve their dreams and become active members of society.

Help us make a difference

You can help make our vision a reality. Every donation contributes to making a difference in the life of a person with a disability in our community.