Community Living Crisis

In 2010, BC Coalition of People with Disabilities, the Developmental Disabilities Association, BC FamilyNet, Moms on the Move, the BC Government Employees Union, Michael Prince of the University of Victoria, and other service proviers came together to form the BC Community Living Action Group (BC-CLAG). We formed in response to community concerns about Community Living BC.

Please go to the BC-CLAG website for the most current coverage of this important community issue.

Reaching Out, Weighing In: New Report Available

Community-based report describes cuts in services to adults with developmental disabilities and includes recommendations for change

April 27, 2011: Download the BC-CLAG Report here: "Reaching Out, Weighing In"

At a press conference today, BC-CLAG released its report Reaching Out, Weighing In which is the result of broad based community discussions, including two major public forums hosted in Victoria and Vancouver in the fall of 2010. 

The BC-CLAG initiative was sparked by growing alarm over a "service redesign" launched by Community Living BC in 2010, with a stated goal of reducing costs by $22 million. Thirty-three group homes were closed in Victoria, Maple Ridge, Chilliwack, Surrey, Kamloops, Williams Lake, and Terrace between March 31 and December 31, 2010.

Reaching Out, Weighing In reflects an unprecedented consensus among major partners in the community: agencies, families, self-advocates, and employee groups. It warns that sweeping cuts to residential and other supports are violating the fundamental rights of people with disabilities to autonomy, independence, choice, and support. They also impose a crushing lifetime burden on families. Adults and their families are being denied a voice in individual and system redesign decisions that have major consequences, including potential safety risks.

The report also includes recommendations that emerged from the community dialogue last CLAG launched last fall:

1. Increase provincial funding to meet the support needs of adults with developmental disabilities and their families, and allocate funding equitably and strategically.
2. Create an independent advocate with a broad legislated mandate to improve supports and outcomes for adults with developmental disabilities by providing oversight, monitoring and public reporting.
3. Include individuals and families in decision making by listening, by offering meaningful choices and by respecting their diverse and changing needs.
4. Consult and collaborate with service agencies, front-line workers, disability advocat;es, and other stakeholders with key knowledge and expertise.
5. Introduce provincial legislation setting out the inclusion rights and support entitlements of adults with developmental disabilities.

Please visit the website of CLAG, our community partnership: www.communitylivingaction.org

photo: Anita Davidson of BC Family Net speaking at the BC-CLAG press conference.

Background

BCACL Reiterates Concerns about CLBC Funding in Letter to Minister of Social Development

May 3rd, 2011: The BC Association of Community Living (BCACL) has written to the Minister of Social Development, Hon. Harry Bloy, in response to his comments in the Legislature on May 3rd, 2011. BCACL representatives met with Minister Bloy in April to express concerns with insufficient funding for Community Living BC (CLBC). The BCACL letter below clarifies and reiterates the concerns about CLBC funding.

Read the letter and find background information here.

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British Columbians Recommend Solutions to Community Living Crisis

NEWS RELEASE December 2, 2010

See backgrounder below.

VANCOUVER -- A network of self-advocates, families, support workers, service providers, and community groups are marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities - December 3 - by releasing a number of preliminary recommendations for addressing the current crisis in the community living sector. 

"These recommendations emerged through open dialogue between self-advocates, families, support workers and other key stakeholders in two major BC communities," said Jane Dyson, executive director of the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities.  "Political leaders and decision-makers should be paying attention, and must act quickly to protect and improve supports for adults with developmental disabilities."

Dyson was one of several panelists who made presentations at recent community meetings in Vancouver and Victoria that brought together approximately 330 people to discuss issues and concerns relating to provincial government supports for adults with developmental disabilities.  Other panelists included representatives from Moms on the Move, BC Government and Service Employees' Union, and BC Association for Community Living.

Despite projected increases in demand for supports provided by Community Living BC (CLBC), the Crown agency's provincial government funding is frozen until at least 2013.  As a result, CLBC is seeking millions of dollars in cost savings by requiring its contracted agencies to reduce and redesign services, with a focus on reducing staffed residential resources ("group homes") and expanding other lower-cost options, including home sharing placements.  Choice in support options is being eroded, and many individuals and families are not being consulted.

In response to these developments, community members attended the Vancouver and Victoria meetings to voice their concerns and develop recommendations for ensuring that adults with developmental disabilities have the options, services and supports they need in British Columbia.

A number of recommendations emerged during the meetings, including calls for increased funding for the community living sector, an independent advocate for adults with developmental disabilities, and stronger legislation governing community living supports.  In addition, meeting participants called for an end to cost-driven group home closures and service reductions, better safeguards and monitoring for home sharing, and more consultation, transparency and accountability in the sector.

A list of many of the preliminary recommendations follows.  A full report on the Vancouver and Victoria meetings will be released in early 2011.

Backgrounder

Recommended Solutions to Community Living Crisis

December 2, 2010: At recent meetings in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbians have put forward various recommendations for addressing the current crisis in the community living sector, including the following:

• INCREASE FUNDING: Increase provincial government funding to meet the support needs of adults with developmental disabilities, and allocate the funding equitably and strategically.
• CREATE AN INDEPENDENT ADVOCATE: Establish an Independent Officer of the Legislature with a broad legislated mandate to improve supports and outcomes for adults with developmental disabilities through oversight, advocacy, accountability, and review.
• LISTEN TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES: Re-centre the community living support system around adults with developmental disabilities and their families by promoting choice in service options and inclusion in planning processes.
• CONSULT AND COLLABORATE: Expand the range of participants in decision-making and planning processes to meaningfully include service agencies, front-line workers, disability advocates, and other stakeholders with key knowledge and expertise.
• INTRODUCE LEGISLATION: Establish a new statutory framework setting out the inclusion rights and support entitlements of adults with developmental disabilities.
• IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY: Ensure that decision-making and planning processes in the community living sector are open and transparent, and implement measures to ensure the government's system of community living supports is held to account.
• REGULATE HOME SHARING: Develop and implement a statutory framework for home sharing, covering matters such as service standards, training, and oversight.
• PROTECT GROUP HOMES: Stop cost-driven group home closures and service reductions.

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BC Coalition of People with Disabilities • Moms on the Move • BC Government and Service Employees' Union • BC FamilyNet Developmental Disabilities Association • BC Association for Community Living • Health Sciences Association of BC • Hospital Employees' Union • Canadian Union of Public Employees

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October 2010: Public Forum on BC's Community Living Sector

Public forum on provincial budget cuts & service redesign in BC's community living sector. Panel presentations and small group dialogue for families, self-advocates, support workers, and concerned citizens.  

• Date/Time: Monday, October 25, 2010, 7-9pm  
• Location: Ukrainian Orthodox Centre (Auditorium),  154 East 10^th Avenue (between Main & Quebec Streets)  

Co-presented by: British Columbia Association for Community Living (BCACL); BC Coalition of People With Disabilities (BCCPD); BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU); Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA); Moms on the Move (MOMS); United Community Services Co-op, BC FamilyNet  

Moderator: Tim Beachy, United Community Services Co-op 

Panelists:

• Jane Dyson, BC Coalition for People with Disabilities
• Faith Bodnar, BC Association for Community Living 
• Alanna Hendren, Developmental Disabilities Association
• Dawn Steele, Moms on the Move
• James Cavalluzzo, BC Government and Service Employees' Unions

Credit: Moms on the Move for the text above.