Minutes - Community Living Coalition

March 15, 2006 - 1pm

1. Participants were welcomed by the Meeting Chair.
2. Family Net representatives attended: Dawn Steele and Karen Phillipchuk - Expressed interest in working together on issues where there is common ground.
3. Joanne Taylor - Representation Agreement Resource Centre - Provided update on how healthcare decisions are made. 
   1. Representation Agreement Act in force since February 2000. 
   2. Health care system has not done much training with their care providers on how Representation Agreements work. 
   3. New proposal for Advanced Directives legislation provides an old-fashioned, static method of determining a person's wishes regarding their health care. 
   4. Families and organizations need to continue to educate their MLA's on the benefits of the Representation Agreement benefits and the risks of the Advanced Care Directives process.
   5. How are community living agencies supporting the implementation of representation agreements for folks and their families?  Agencies sometimes need to provide information and assistance to folks and their families to help them get their decision making agreement in place - also to ensure that the agreement is registered with the Nidus registry.
   6. For more information or questions, you can visit the Representation Agreement Resource Centre website at www.rarc.ca
4. Updating the Mission and Actions of the Community Living Coalition:
   1. Two committees needed:
      1. Goals: Liz Hollist, Karen DeLong, Carol Stinson, Gerry Juzenas, Paul Wheeler
      2. Communications: Carol Stinson, Helen Olson, Ernie Baatz
   2. Carol will communicate with the committees before the next CLC Meeting.
5. Correspondence:
   1. Letter addressing the CLBC / MCF Budget - decided to wait for this meeting to hear Rick's information.
   2. Letter to Carol Taylor, Minister of Finance - response to her shuffling of our letter.
   3. Letter regarding Roeher Institute - has been sent.
6. Updates: Has Disability Benefits increase been afforded to all those folk who didn't get the benefit of the $70 increase of January 2005?  There still seems to be a big problem in getting those folks currently on comforts to receive the $70 increase.
7. Preparation for Rick Mowles - CEO, CLBC
   1. What is CLBC doing to assist MEIA in ensuring folks get the increase.
   2. How is family support fund to be administered?
   3. How much did CLBC ask for from Treasury Board?
   4. How will CLBC hire the Self-Advocate Adviser?
8. Rick Mowles' Presentation:
   1. Everyone introduced themselves.
   2. Budget:
      1. We didn't get everything we asked for but significant funds did go to MCF Children's Services.  This will help community living and families. One request of Treasury Board was to baseline the April 2006 budget - to fully fund the current budget rather than have to fund last year's deficit.
      2. We received about 3% increase as our target for growth from Treasury Board
      3. Family Independence Fund - $30 Million for children and adults - will be administered by the Vancouver Foundation - arms length from CLBC - there will be an advisory committee with self advocates and family members.  Focus will be primarily on keeping sons and daughters at home.  Request was for $10 Million per year, so funding is intended to cover three years.  Rick promised to ensure lots of publicity and information about the fund so that families are aware of the option.  $10 Million was also provided to MCF for a similar fund focused on children with special needs. 
      4. Waitlist Information was developed for Treasury Board by CLBC, but Treasury Board is not happy yet with content and quality of the information provided.  No funding was provided specifically to address the waitlist, but the funding that was provided will provide new services and some people waiting for services will get access to those services.
      5. Question: The announcement said that 2000 new people will be receiving services.  Are those all people on waitlists?  Answer: The number was provided by Treasury Board based on average number of people served and average cost of service. There isn't a specific commitment to serve 2000 more people.
      6. Question: How much funding was requested by CLBC.  Answer: I don't have that answer.  I don't remember any specific numbers.
      7. Funding Decisions need to be made based on regional plans for services.  Funding needs to be prioritized based on needs.
   3. Children's Services: Long process of negotiation to get to an agreement on how to divide the services between CLBC and MCFD.  Intention is to complete the information gathering  required in the agreement by June 30, 2006. 
   4. Contract Renewals:
      1. New contracts beginning April 1, 2006 are for varying lengths with agencies - some for one year, some for 18 months - to get the contract renewal process spread out over the year rather than forcing all the work across the Province to happen in one month of the year.
      2. Contracts included the names of the folks served to begin the process of unbundling - allowing funds to be separated if people want to move.  Not ready to unbundle yet, but this is another step in getting it started.
   5. 3 Year Strategic Plan posted on the website
      1. Link to CLBC Strategic Plan: http://www.communitylivingbc.ca/pdfs/clbc_strategicplan_dec2005_v2.pdf
      2. Operational Plan to be posted on the website on March 15, 06:
      3. http://www.communitylivingbc.ca/pdfs/CLBC_Operational-Plan_06-09.pdf
   6. Pilot Site:
      1. Testing new processes in Abbotsford Region - learned lots in the implementation.  Will assist with the next implementations in Victoria (April).
      2. New technology systems rolled out for staff - training required.
      3. New office space required at last minute when old office lease was given notice.
      4. There will be a report coming out on consumer evaluation of their interactions with the test site.
      5. One of the biggest challenges over the past twelve months has been staff resistance to the model as they understood it a year ago.  He feels that people are now in the range of 60% - 80% support from the staff. 
      6. Question: Do the facilitators understand that they are not the "planner"?  The person and their family create the plan with the assistance of the facilitator when needed?  Answer:  Their training has focused on the revised work for the facilitator - where previously everything was tied to funding, now they are focused on supporting plans and planning, and only 10% of that plan might relate to funding.  Lots of training has taken place with the staff.
      7. Question: Does the family need to have a plan before they meet with a facilitator?  Answer: The facilitator will provide whatever the family wants in the way of developing a plan - Families can develop their own plan or the Facilitator can assist.  The facilitator can come to  the family home to discuss how to create or revise a plan.
   7. Labour Relations:
      1. CSSEA and Unions are negotiating in the social service sector.  If an agreement is reached by March 31, 2006, then employees will get a signing bonus.  
      2. CLBC staff have "me too" clause so that they will get similar increase to those negotiated with Government Employees.
      3. CLBC has made a submission to Treasury Board regarding wage increases for non-union employees and family care providers.
   8. Community Councils:
      1. Consultation occurred over past two months. 
      2. Board of CLBC has reviewed and approved feedback.
      3. Community Councils will begin to be developed in the fall of 2006.
      4. Question: Is there a review policy?  Answer: CLBC has a "Complaints Policy" that allows anyone unhappy with a decision to appeal that decision.
      5. Question: Can there be a further opportunity to provide feedback to CLBC on the councils?  Answer:  The questions were posted for a number of months.  The answers were summarized.  If people would like to provide further input, Rick would be happy to receive further submissions.
      6. Question: How complicated / efficient will the appointment process be for councils? Answer: The nomination process has not been finalized yet.
   9. Group Home Review:
      1. We are not focused on closing group homes.  We will have a group of staff visit every group home in the Province to ensure that everyone living in a group knows they have other choices. They would  like to identify situations where people are mismatched.  Identify homes where people were placed out of institutions without much consultation on the appropriate community and roommates.
      2. Question: How long will it take?  Answer: A two to three year budget.
      3. Question: How do you reconcile your message with what regional managers say? ("CLBC policy is that group homes will be closed by attrition.  No vacancies will be filled").  Answer: There is no secret policy on closing group homes.  The policy of CLBC is to ensure people know they have choices.  We will maintain vacancies in group homes while people receive information to ensure they understand that they have choices.  The old system was "fill the empty beds" and this forced people into homes based on vacancies. 
      4. Question: How will you support folks in group homes who have no families? Answer: Most folks labelled as "having no families" actually do have family and friends that may need some support to be involved.  If there is no family involved, then support will be ensured around receiving information and planning - either through the agency or with community partners.
      5. Question: Group home participants left behind when someone moves out need some security and options as well. How will you protect
      6. People with complex care needs or those who have lived together for a long time may be best served in their group home setting.  Group homes are the most expensive service option.  People need to be clear that they have choices - options that are better than living in group home.
      7. Question: Strategy Document on the web also documents the strategy of keeping vacancies open when a person leaves with the long term strategy of closing the home. Is this your hope for this strategy - that group homes will be closed?  Answer: Group homes are the most expensive service option.  If those funds could be used for other service models, more people could be served. 
      8. Question: Many people did spend a lot of time consulting and talking with families about the choice of care for their family member when they moved out of institutions and into a particular group home.  Are you discounting that consultation?  Answer: Many organizations did provide consultation and well planned moves, but there are many people who did not get a well-organized move.
      9. Question: Is family care the only option? Answer: No, it is one option.
      10. Question: Will family members be informed before the consultation occurs? Will they be invited to attend the meeting?  Answer: Families will be informed before the consultation occurs and will be invited to the meetings with the group home residents.
      11. Question: What will CLBC or the Group Home team do when the family and the self-advocate have different ideas on what the ideal care situation is? The group home team must be aware that some self-advocates are easily swayed or convinced in meetings.   Answer: This is a very difficult situation and must be responded to according to the situation.  It will be a priority to ensure that the group home team is aware of the need to include the person's circle in the discussion.
      12. Question: Families are concerned that the process has too much emphasis on addressing cost pressures.  How will you ensure choice remains the priority for the individuals?  Answer: By separating the roles of planning and contracting, people's visions, hopes and dreams will not be compromised by the need to address cost pressures.
   10. Individualized Funding:
       1. Canada Revenue Agency Implications are one big challenge:
          1. Who is the employer?
          2. How do we ensure the receipt of the funding does not negatively impact the individual's / family's tax situation?
       2. There is not much funding available for new Individualized Funding (approximately $500,000 this year), but there will be some small services started in the fall of 2006.  Other existing funding could be transformed to Individualized Funding.
       3. Microboards should not be the only way for individuals or families to access individualized funding.
       4. Michael Kendrick also talked about Individualized Funding - not needing to necessarily provide funding directly to families - that services could be individualized with the funding provided for those services through an agency or bank acting as an intermediary.  People don't necessarily have to take on the role managing the money.
   11. Advisory Committee:
       1. Some discussion about the different advisory committees:
          1. Advisory Committee to the board is identified in the Legislation
          2. Community Councils will created around the Province.
          3. See the CLBC Glossary for more information: http://www.communitylivingbc.ca/glossary.htm
       2. Discussion paper was posted on the website.  Feedback is being gathered. 
       3. A position has been posted to hire a staff to provide support to self-advocates - both those on the advisory committee and on the CLBC board.
       4. Question: Self advocates would prefer to choose their own support and also feel that the position should be independent of CLBC.  Answer: CLBC has a union and work conducted by the organization must be posted and work within the union.  Self Advocates always have the right to have their own support present at meetings.  CLBC's hope is that the person they hire will understand the need to provide impartial advice and support to the self-advocates as they review and discuss issues.
   12. Disability Benefits:
       1. Question: Where is the process on ensuring all recipients of Disability Benefits receive the full $70 per month increase? Answer: There have been ongoing discussions but I am not sure where they are. 
       2. Question: What input does CLBC have in the process of applying for Disability Benefits?  Answer: CLBC has offered to provide input but has been told by Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance that their help is not required.
9. Review of CLBC Presentation:
   1. People appreciated CLBC / Rick Mowles coming to share some information.  People pointed out that CLBC has need of significant improvements in the area of communication.  There is much confusing information being spread in the community on the group home project by CLBC staff.  CLBC also needs to work at getting more information out to individuals and families.  Once there is an update or survey or report on the website, people need to be told that the new information exists.
   2. It was disappointing that only $500,000 has been allocated to new services through Individualized Funding.
10. Updates: BCACL has created a web survey to try to gauge people's satisfaction and measure progress towards increased satisfaction.  Watch for the announcement and share it with individuals and families. 
11. Date of Next Meeting: April 21, 2006  Noon to 2pm - BACI