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Present:
Gordon Blackwell Step-by-Step Child Development Society stepbystep_ed@telus.net John Maddalozzo Ridge Meadows Child Development Centre johnmad@rmcdc.com Jule Hopkins BC Centre for Ability jhopkins@centreforability.bc.ca Jordan Thurston Mainstream Association for Proactive Community Living tarl@uniserve.com Cathy Crouse North Shore Disability Resource Centre jdcasey@direct.ca Doug Walls Parent walls@telus.net Ernie Baatz Spectrum Society for Community Living ernie@spectrumsociety.org Bill Fildes Prince George Association for Community Living (AiMHi) bill.fildes@aimhi.carenetbc.com Melinda Heidsma Prince George Association for Community Living (AiMHi) melinda.heidsm@aimhi.carenetbc.com Jack Sytan Burnaby Association for the Mentally Handicapped jstyan@bamh.org Doug Woollard Delta Community Living Society dwoollard@dccnet.com Pat Tesan Parent patesan@shaw.com Bruce Sandy BC Association of Child Development & Rehabilitation bsandy@direct.ca Jerry Tickner BC Association of Child Development & Rehabilitation jtickner@sd27.bc.ca Linda Perry Vela Microboard Association lindaperry@microboard.org Maria Glaze Parent mariaglaze@heartsandsoul.org Ellen Tarshis Victoria Association for Community Living etarshis@communityliving.bc.ca Pat Feindel BC Association for Community Living pfeindel@bcacl.org Laney Bryenton BC Association for Community Living lbryenton@bcacl.org Cindy Chapman BC Association for Community Living cchapman@bcacl.org Bob Keill Parent Mildred DeHaan Parent
The Meeting was chaired by Doug Woollard.
BCACL & Joint Committee Membership
Laney Bryenton reported that both the BCACL Board of Directors and the Joint Committee met on November 5th. Both groups agree that the best thing to do is to move forward in a collective, unified voice to deliver a common message to government.BCACL and the Joint Committee support the creation of the Community Living Coalition and will be active participants.
Position of the Community Living Coalition
Doug Woollard reviewed the position of the Community Living Coalition as outlined and distributed. The CL Coalition’s position is that:
1. The present range of services should stay as core services 2. There is a need for provincial policy & standards 3. Government must be responsible for providing adequate funding 4. Individualized funding should be an option 5. The role and function of the social worker needs to change 6. There is a need for some form of independent service planning 7. There is a need for cross-ministerial cooperation 8. A total government commitment to Community Living is required (not just MCFD) 9. Vision and social policy must be established 10. There is a need for an appeal process 11. Families must be involved in whatever governance model evolves 12. Efficiency gained cannot be from direct service cuts 13. There should be no decrease in community living funding 14. Any governance model must come with not only the responsibility but the authority 15. Children and adults community living services must stay together The CL Coalition supports the idea that one governance entity needs to be created for children with special needs and adults with developmental disabilities. The coalition will propose to government that all funding and existing government staff and resources currently associated with community living for adults and children be transferred to the single governance entity. In turn the governance entity would affect savings, which would be used to deal with the waitlists. The founding members of the CL Coalition include the IF Family Coalition, the Service Providers Group, BCACL and the Joint Committee. Other Issues / Concerns RaisedMembers of the coalition shared information: Ø BCACDR is concerned that all children’s services will be moved to child protection; some members pushing for move to health. Ø Levels of care being determined internally by MCFD with rumors of a $33,000 cap on individualized funding Ø Families receiving a survey from a union re their family involvement in support Ø Concern re Minister quoting incorrect information in the media and suggesting congregate care – this needs to be addressed Ø BCACL aware of the need to address other ministries especially Education and Human Resources as they play a vital role in supporting people with developmental disabilities and are undergoing the same budget cut guidelines. Impacts within these ministries are expected to be significant. Ø Need to invite others to the coalition (ie. DDA) Immediate Strategy – Next Two WeeksØ Provide individuals, families, volunteers and service providers with the background information and key messages they need Ø Focus the messages primarily on the impacts budget cuts will have on people’s lives Ø Need to educate some MLAs on what community living is about – history etc. Ø Encourage as many people as possible to meet with their MLAs Ø Phone, fax, email, mail MLAs to tell them about community living and what the impact of budget cuts will be in their riding Key MessagesØ Budget cuts to community living services will destroy people’s lives. Ø Community living services for children with special needs and adults with developmental disabilities must stay together at all costs. Other Brainstormed Messages1. The kind of budget cuts the Minister is talking about will destroy community living / people’s lives/ families 2. We are prepared to make change and must be involved in the decision-making 3. Any savings that are found must be realized as far away as possible from the individual or family receiving the service and must be reinvested into community living to address the waitlists. 4. Government is declaring war on people with developmental disabilities. 5. We must protect the most vulnerable people and provide solutions to ensure that the individuals with the most complex needs are supported in community. People with complex needs who require a high level of support have, for the most part, come from congregate care settings where they were unsuccessful. (institutions). 6. The coalition can present a positive alternative for governance 7. If you let people choose, you can reduce costs 8. Children’s services can not be moved to child protection and separated from adult services – emphasis on lifelong need 9. Society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens 10. Children with special needs, adults with developmental disabilities and their families are on huge waitlists for community living services in communities throughout the province 11. Idea of the “Perfect Storm” coming at us – 3 different fronts coming at us at the same time from budget cuts, core services review and governance (or MCFD, Education, and Disability Benefits) 12. If agencies are amalgamated or forced to dissolve, think of the thousands of volunteers and their fundraised dollars that will disappear Messages to Deliver to the Premier’s OfficeØ Must be solution focused Ø This will happen later in the strategy (target 3rd week in November?) Messages to Deliver to the MinisterØ As soon as possible by everyone Ø All messages noted above Ø Add personal stories Ø Add history of Woodlands, Glendale, Tranquille – government has invested a great deal in building community capacity – cuts will destroy it Ø From as many people as possible Ø Through meetings if possible, mail, email, phone, fax Messages to Deliver to the MLAs Ø As soon as possible by everyone with a particular emphasis on families and individuals telling their stories directly to the MLA’s Ø The kind of cuts the Minister is talking about will destroy people’s lives Ø Huge waitlists exist throughout the province Ø Savings must be found as far away from the individual as possible and reinvested into community living services to address the waitlists Ø Add personal stories about how individuals will suffer and which programs will cease to exist from within the riding Government Timelines to Keep in MindNovember 14, 2001 MCFD presentation to Government Caucus Committee (GCC) on Health & Social Services December 7, 2001 MCFD Recommendation re Governance to the Premier’s Office February 12, 2001 Throne Speech February 19, 2001 Budget Tabled Establishment of Working GroupsPolitical Strategy will be addressed by the entire coalition.
Communications and OutreachCo-Chairs: Maria Glaze and Linda Perry Members: Pat Tesan, Patty Gibson, Pat Feindel, Ernie Baatz
Operating Model Development Chair: Doug Woollard Members: Ernie Baatz, Liz Barnette, Bill Fildes, Melinda Heidsma, Dale Alexander *This group will also address labour relations and savings.
Governance / Management / Structure Chair: Al Etmanski Members: Bruce Sandy, Laney Bryenton, Alanna Hendren?, Jordan Thurston
Transition Chair: Doug Walls
Next Meeting: Thursday November 15, 2001 9:30 am until 2:00 pm BCACL, 300 – 30 East 6th Ave. 604-875-1119 Information sharing from 9:30 – 10:00 All working groups will meet from 10:00am – 11:30am and the entire group will meet from 11:30am - 2pm.
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