CONNECT

What CONNECT does

CONNECT Communities, founded in 1993 in Langley, British Columbia, is a private Canadian provider of specialized residential rehabilitation services for adults living with acquired brain injury (ABI) and stroke. The company operates 168 licensed bedrooms across six purpose-built, non-institutional homes in British Columbia and Ontario — Langley, Lake Country, Richmond, Saanich Peninsula, Parksville (opening Fall 2026), and Hamilton (Stoney Creek). At each site, a 24/7 multi-disciplinary Coaching Resource Team (Independence, Physical, Play, Health & Wellness, Communication, Social Wellness, Mental Wellness, Active Living, and Nutrition Coaches) embeds rehabilitation into real-life activities such as cooking, shopping, and community outings, rather than delivering it in clinical therapy rooms. The proprietary Life Redesign Model™ — trademarked, Accreditation Canada Leading-Practice-designated, and operationalized through standardized coaching nomenclature and a "doing-with" coaching philosophy — is the company's central technology and operational framework, leveraging neuroplasticity through repeated, meaningful activity in everyday environments.

Revenue is generated through two principal streams: (1) publicly funded bedrooms allocated by provincial health authorities (Island Health, Interior Health, Hamilton Health Sciences, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health) for residents meeting public criteria; and (2) individualized contract placements funded by third-party payers including MVA/auto insurance (SABS), WSIB, ICBC, WorkSafeBC, long-term disability insurers, Veterans Affairs Canada, and litigation/settlement proceeds. Service is delivered in structured 3-month funding cycles with detailed functional progress reports and cost-of-care documentation directly usable by insurers and legal partners. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is exclusively through owned residential homes and direct enterprise/field sales to referral partners (brain injury and personal injury lawyers, insurance adjusters, case managers, discharge planners, occupational therapists), supplemented by health-system referrals routed through Brain Injury Program Community Access Lines. CONNECT is co-founded and family-owned (John Sherwood as Owner/CFO, Janet Sherwood as co-founder); CEO Patti Flaherty leads operations alongside a distributed Site Leader and Service Access and Transitions Leader structure across each location. Notable outcome data from the Hamilton Service Evaluation (2024) include a 682% return on investment versus the status quo, an estimated $16.7M in annual cost avoidance, and a 70% rate of residents moving home or to less dependent environments.

Name

CONNECT

Legal name

CONNECT Communities

Website

https://connectcommunities.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CONNECT Communities is a private Canadian provider of specialized residential rehabilitation for adults with acquired brain injury and stroke, operating 168 bedrooms across six non-institutional homes in BC and Ontario. Its trademarked Life Redesign Model™ delivers 24/7 multi-disciplinary coaching in real-life settings, funded by provincial health authorities and third-party insurers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Brain Injury & Stroke Rehabilitation

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Neurological Rehabilitation Therapy In-Home (e.g., Stroke, Parkinson’s) (HSABADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Recreational Outings, Community Participation & Mobility Support (Non-Clinical) (HSABAAAI)

Keywords

• Brain injury rehabilitation
• Residential rehabilitation care
• Stroke recovery services
• Neuroplasticity rehabilitation
• Community reintegration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Langley

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Funded residential rehabilitation (health authority funded bedrooms): Bedrooms funded by provincial health authorities (e.g., Island Health, Interior Health, HHS, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health) for residents meeting public criteria. Allocated through Brain Injury Program referrals. Examples: CONNECT Saanich Peninsula supports 26 funded bedrooms; CONNECT Hamilton is a 42-bedroom facility partnered with HHS.
2. Individualized contract / private-pay residential placements: Individualized contract bedrooms funded by third-party payers including MVA/auto insurance (SABS), WSIB, ICBC, WorkSafeBC, long-term disability, Veterans Affairs Canada, litigation/settlement proceeds, and private/family resources. CONNECT develops tailored cost proposals for submission to insurers or funders. CONNECT Parksville has 26 bedrooms across four houses, partially funded by Island Health with individualized contract options.
3. 3-month funding cycle rehabilitation services: Rehabilitation is delivered in 3-month funding cycles with regular progress reporting and detailed cost reporting, directly usable in care cost claims and legal proceedings. Single integrated daily rate model simplifies cost-of-care calculations versus itemized piecemeal services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CONNECT provides residential rehabilitation services for people living with acquired brain injury (ABI), stroke, and complex disabilities through its proprietary Life Redesign Model™, which embeds rehabilitation into real-life, non-institutional activities (cooking, shopping, household management, community outings) rather than clinical therapy rooms. Service is delivered by a 24/7 multi-disciplinary Coaching Resource Team across six owned residential locations in British Columbia and Ontario (with a seventh opening in Parksville in Fall 2026). Funding flows from provincial health authorities, auto and workers' compensation insurers, Veterans Affairs Canada, long-term disability carriers, litigation settlements, and private or family resources, with each placement structured as a quote-based, 3-month funding cycle delivered through a single integrated daily rate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Life Redesign Model: Trademarked, proprietary rehabilitation and service-delivery model (Life Redesign Model™) developed and deployed by CONNECT Communities; designated a Leading Practice by Accreditation Canada in client and family-centered care for Acquired Brain Injury services.

Products and services

• Life Redesign Model™ Residential Brain Injury & Stroke Rehabilitation Long-stay residential rehabilitation for adults with acquired brain injury (ABI), stroke, and complex disabilities, delivered 24/7 in owned, multi-bedroom residences using the proprietary Life Redesign Model™. Rehabilitation is embedded into real-life activities (cooking, shopping, household management, community outings) by a multi-disciplinary Coaching Resource Team using the Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System (RTSS). Funded through provincial health authorities (e.g., Island Health, Interior Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health, Hamilton Health Sciences), auto and workers' compensation insurers (MVA/SABS, WSIB, ICBC, WorkSafeBC), Veterans Affairs Canada, long-term disability carriers, litigation settlements, and private or family resources; each placement is quote-based, billed through a single integrated daily rate on a 3-month funding cycle.
• Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Residential Support (CONNECT Richmond pilot) Residential recovery support for adults living with mental health challenges and addiction, delivered through CONNECT's owned 5-bedroom Richmond residence using a version of the Life Redesign Model™ adapted from the brain injury framework. The service is targeted at a distinct clinical population from CONNECT's flagship ABI and stroke residences and is positioned as an expansion of CONNECT's residential rehabilitation offering rather than a separate brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of people supported move home or to less dependent environments (CONNECT Hamilton)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Island HealthflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Island Health is the BC health authority partner for both CONNECT Saanich Peninsula (opened 2025) and CONNECT Parksville (opening Fall 2026). Island Health funds bedrooms that are accessed via the Brain Injury Program (BIP) Community Access Lines. Island Health Board Chair Leah Hollins and Manager of Specialized Populations Alison Gaul attended the Saanich Peninsula grand opening.
• International Brain Injury Association (IBIA)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025CONNECT was invited to present four abstracts at the 2025 IBIA World Congress on Brain Injury in Montreal. The IBIA is a global platform where CONNECT showcases its Life Redesign Model research to an international audience of brain injury researchers and clinicians.
• Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019HHS is CONNECT's Ontario health system partner, responsible for helping bring CONNECT to Ontario and powering the 42-bedroom CONNECT Hamilton residence. The HHS Acquired Brain Injury Program at the Regional Rehabilitation Centre provides clinical referrals, co-presents at conferences (e.g., 2023 IBIA World Congress in Dublin) and collaborates on case consultations. Rebecca Bond (Community Intervention Coordinator) and John Zsofcsin (Clinical Manager) are key HHS contacts.
• Interior HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior Health is the BC health authority partner at CONNECT Lake Country's 42-bedroom, 6-home condo-style residence, integrating acute care and community services.
• Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCONNECT Richmond is licensed under Community Care Facilities Licensing with Vancouver Coastal Health. Michael Garing (Resource Coach, Facility Manager) is the licensing contact for the Richmond site.
• Fraser HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCONNECT Langley's residences are licensed under Community Care Facilities Licensing with Fraser Health. Ashley Scott-Dey is the Facility Manager for the Langley locations.
• Classic LifeCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClassic LifeCare is CONNECT's sister company. CONNECT Richmond is described as a joint project with Classic LifeCare, applying the Life Redesign Model to a population battling mental health and addiction as a three-year pilot project.
• Pacific Coast Brain Injury Conference SocietycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCONNECT CEO Patti Flaherty served as chair for the Pacific Coast Brain Injury Conference Society from 2009 and was on the steering committee from 1996–2005, providing deep governance ties to this regional brain injury conference network.
• Canadian College of Health Services Executives (CCHSE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCONNECT CEO Patti Flaherty has been an active member of the Canadian College of Health Services Executives since 2005 and a mentor in its Executive Mentoring Program. Director of Culture, People and Services Jamie Curran is also involved.
• Interdependence NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCONNECT CEO Patti Flaherty and Director of Culture, People and Services Jamie Curran are founding members of the Interdependence Network, a professional network that aligns with CONNECT's values.
• British Columbia Brain Injury Association (BCBIA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCONNECT CEO Patti Flaherty is a former chair of the British Columbia Brain Injury Association. CONNECT has IBIA poster presentation materials published on its website.
• CRIS AdaptiveminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCRIS Adaptive is an adaptive sports organization that supports participants in the Loop the Lake event at CONNECT Lake Country. CONNECT and CRIS Adaptive plan to deepen involvement in future editions of the event.
• Work BCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWork BC is assisting CONNECT Lake Country resident Hope with the recruitment process for her barista employment goal, supporting her transition from CONNECT to community employment.
• March of DimesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMarch of Dimes Canada provides post-discharge community support to former CONNECT residents (e.g., Peter, who moved into his own apartment downtown after CONNECT).
• Mohawk CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFormer CONNECT resident Michael is studying library tech at Mohawk College after moving into his own apartment. CONNECT supports residents transitioning to post-secondary education.
• IndeedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCONNECT careers page links to its Indeed job board ("View Opportunities") to drive Life Redesign Coach, Professional Coach and Support Coach applications.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Peel Halton Acquired Brain Injury Services: Ontario-based ABI service provider offering residential, day programs, and community reintegration. Comparable in target population (ABI survivors), service mix (residential + community), and funding dependence on provincial health system.
• Community Head Injury Resource Services (CHIRS): Toronto-based charitable organization providing residential and community-based services for people with acquired brain injury. Directly comparable to CONNECT in population served, residential model, and Ontario geography, though delivered through a not-for-profit funding structure.
• Brain Injury Services (Hamilton/Niagara): Provides community-based rehabilitation and residential support for ABI survivors in the same Hamilton, Ontario catchment where CONNECT Hamilton operates. Direct regional peer with overlapping referral sources through Hamilton Health Sciences.

Broad incumbents

• Bayshore HealthCare: One of Canada's largest home and community health services providers with personal care, nursing, and rehabilitation services. Comparable in Canadian healthcare delivery scale, provincial health system contracts, and complex-care patient populations, though primarily home-based rather than residential.
• CBI Health: One of Canada's largest community-based rehabilitation providers, offering physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and ABI/neurological rehabilitation across multiple provinces. Broader portfolio than CONNECT but directly overlapping in ABI rehabilitation services and Canadian payer relationships.
• SE Health (Saint Elizabeth Health Care): National Canadian home and community care provider with rehabilitation, nursing, and personal support services. Overlaps with CONNECT on complex-care rehabilitation, government-funded service delivery, and multi-province Canadian operations.
• Lifemark Health Group: National Canadian rehabilitation provider with clinics delivering physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and vestibular/neurological rehab. Comparable in Canadian rehabilitation services breadth and payer mix, though delivered via outpatient clinics rather than residential model.

Emerging players

• March of Dimes Canada: National non-profit providing post-discharge community support, attendant services, and ABI programs including acquired brain injury services. CONNECT residents (e.g., Peter) transition into March of Dimes support after discharge, making it both a partner and adjacent-step-down provider in the same care continuum.
• NeuPath Centres for Pain & Spine: Canadian provider of pain, musculoskeletal, and neurological rehabilitation services. Comparable in addressing neurological/functional rehabilitation populations and Canadian payer mix, though predominantly clinic-based rather than residential.

Others

• Classic LifeCare: CONNECT's sister company founded by the same Sherwood family, providing home care services. Joint partner on the CONNECT Richmond pilot. Operates as an adjacent enabling channel in the same care continuum but does not compete directly with CONNECT's residential rehabilitation model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/connectredesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CONNECT