Community Living Coalition - September 25, 2002

1. Introductions: 14 families, 7 service providers 1 self-advocate
2. Agenda was reviewed
3. Minutes of last meeting reviewed - available at the meeting and on website - Questions and Answers:
   1. How many recommendations will be in the final report? Over 200 recommendations from the working groups will consolidated to about 60 recommendations to the Minister.
   2. When will the community see the report?  The Minister will receive the report on September 30, 02 and the report will be formally presented / released a short time later - within a week or so.
   3. Why is there a split between Planning and the Authority? Planners have more ability to plan independently if they are not also required to provide funding (or deny funding). Planners will have the flexibility to develop a plan based on the family's unique strengths and needs.  Planners will focus on a holistic look at the family and their community and not just on a menu of funded services.
   4. Where will families go who have been waiting on waitlists? There will not be more funding in the short-term.  People will still have to advocate in as many ways as they currently do.  Savings from streamlined bureaucracy will occur over a longer term and savings will be applied to more services.
   5. What is happening with income-testing? There is already income testing in Adult Services through the disability benefits administration of MHR.  A recommendation of the HR & Finance Group asks for ways to recognize family contributions to services and remove penalties for these contributions.  In Children's services, there exists a patchwork of income-tested programs with varying methods of application.  The recommendation is to review all programs, establish a system that applies more fairly to families, and is revenue neutral.  The cost to families should never be more than it costs to raise a typical child.
   6. Why is there a Commissioner position on the Planning Commission?  Shouldn't the commission be directly connected to the community planning & support centres?  The Commissioner will be responsible for creating a new culture across the province for independent planning - providing training for planners and helping communities develop their resources.
   7. How will eligibility for planning services be determined?  People currently eligible for services will be eligible for planning.  Eligibility guidelines have not changed.  Children receiving special needs supports, who are becoming adults and will not be eligible for adult services, will still receive planning services for a transition plan.
4. Communications Bulletin: Communications committee developed a draft bulletin that was reviewed.  Much discussion focused on building regional participation.  Suggestions included regional contact numbers on the bulletin; regional meetings throughout the Province to explain the proposal and the need for community support for the proposal.  If TSC members of the coalition could be present at regional meetings, people could then develop regional coalition networks.  People asked about making the bulletin focus more on the TSC Recommendations - telling people where to get them, and how to support them.  Families also focus on the details: how will their family access services? Where will they receive respite?  These questions are not answered by the TSC proposal.
5. Draft Schematic of Authority Structure: Laney reviewed the handout - add link -
   1. Government is the sole member of the Authority.  There is a 13 member board of directors - 7 are families and self-advocates.  The minister appoints the board.  The Board hires a Chief Executive Officer and there are authority staff - some provincially based.  The regional and local tasks have been identified, but the method of providing people to do those tasks has not been finalized.
   2. Planning & Support Commission: 5 members appointed to Commission - at least 3 of which are family members - and they will hire a Provincial Planning Commissioner.  Planners will provide families and individuals with information and planning support.  Communities will decide how they want planning support provided - either through staff planners (large communities or covering regions) or contracted planners (eg. 4 hours a month for a small community)
6. Meeting with the Minister - Sept 24, 02: Meeting with Coalition members who met with the Minister last November 30, 01.  Laney, Doug Walls, Klaus, Jordan, Maria, Mildred, Cathy Grant and the Minister Gordon Hogg, Chris Haynes, Elaine Murray and Ed Masters.  People shared their impressions of the meeting. Klaus said he realized the Minister needs are help in powerful way... the Treasury Board and Cabinet must be convinced, through community pressure, to realize the budget targets need to be changed.  Maria said she felt the Minister was still genuinely concerned for community living.  Mildred says she realized he was under a lot of pressure from all sides, and he has an overwhelming task.  She told him about the fears senior parents are experiencing with the uncertainty of not knowing the future of community living services.  Jordan thought the Minister has gained a lot of knowledge of the sector in the past year and he had good ideas for improving communications with Ministry staff and families.  Doug Walls said he was interested in the Minister's discussion of organic change, allowing lots of input and conflicting ideas to be expressed, and allowing a consensus to build, recognizing that there will never be a time when everyone is happy.  Doug thought Maria's closing comments about Families being on a very thin thread, strung between Hope and War.  Families need to have hope that things will get better, even slowly, but if they feel there is no hope, families will go to War. A family member asked "What about the possibility that Gordon Hogg is shuffled out of Ministry for Children and Family Development?"  The Minister has suggested we get the Premier more involved to ensure there is a greater government commitment to the process.  As well, the Coalition and families must work to inform all MLAs of the benefit of community governance and the transfer to a new authority.
7. Strategy Discussion: The TSC submits its final report on September 30th, and then the community no longer has a role in the transition.
   1. Co-Management Plan:  The Minister has offered a co-management process for the interim period, between September 30 and the appointment of an Interim Board. The TSC will review and approve a Memorandum of Agreement on the co-management Plan.  The Minister will outline the Co-Management plan in the next few days.
   2. Budget Strategy Group: At the last TSC meeting, a Budget Strategy Group was struck that includes Ministry staff to negotiate towards a budget plan for April 2003.  There are two reasonableness tests:
      1. Budget plans must be supported by the community
      2. Budget plans must not jeopardize a successful transition to new Authority
   3. Motion: Recognizing the TSC's resolution on principles for a savings plan as passed at the TSC Meeting on May 17, 2002
      1. No reduction in service quality
      2. No changes in eligibility;
      3. Increased capacity to respond to new service pressures; and
      4. Elimination of infrastructure barriers.

      and Subject to the Minister's written confirmation that he accepts the two reasonableness tests, (1. Budget plans must be supported by the community, and 2. Budget plans must not put individuals and families at risk by jeopardizing a successful transition to new Authority,) the Coalition supports the community participation in the process to assist the Ministry to meet their service and financial objectives. Moved by Doug Walls, seconded by Klaus.  CARRIED Unanimously

   4. The TSC had an international experts panel review the proposal.  They all were very supportive of the proposal, but were unanimous that the transition would be put at serious jeopardy if budget cuts occurred at the same time as the transition.
   5. What about PLAN B?  The Ministry has staff working on a PLAN B (and PLAN C) if the TSC Process fails.  These plans are methods for the Ministry to achieve its service and budget targets as established by Treasury Board, and some of their strategies might include across the board contract decreases for April 2003, and retendering of existing contracts.
   6. For the Coalition to move forward and build support, we must have the report and its recommendations to share with communities.  TSC Members will ask the Minister for a very short turnaround time for the public release of the report.  Communities want to see the report and want public presentations to give overviews and answer questions.
8. Next Meeting: October 10th, 9:30am - Noon - Burnaby Association, 2702 Norland Ave.