BCACL presents to Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services

BCACL presentation to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Taken from the REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS (Hansard Blues)

• View the entire transcript here.
• View our background information sheet here. (if you have also booked a presentation to the Standing Committee, please feel free to use/edit this sheet to inform your presentation. Also visit the Community Living Crisis section of this website for more information.)
  

Annette Delaplace, President, BCACL
Faith Bodnar, Executive Director, BCACL
Kathleen Moore, parent and advocate
Bryce Schaufelberger, advocate and Vice President of the Mission Self Advocacy Group

A. Delaplace: Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity to present to you today. My name is Annette Delaplace, and I am the president of the B.C. Association for Community Living. I'm here with Faith Bodnar, our executive director, and Kathleen Moore and Bryce Schaufelberger.

The B.C. Association for Community Living is a provincial non-profit federation that was founded in 1955 by a small group of families wanting a better life for their children living with developmental disabilities. Our federation now includes thousands of individuals, families, volunteers and over 70 community-based agencies dedicated to making sure that people with developmental disabilities are able to enjoy their right to lead active, productive lives, participating as full citizens

now includes thousands of individuals, families, volunteers and over 70 community-based agencies dedicated to making sure that people with developmental disabilities are able to enjoy their right to lead active, productive lives participating as full citizens in their communities.

We are all aware of the announcement yesterday that the provincial government and CLBC will be investing an additional $6 million to help provide priority services to adults with developmental disabilities and their families. We thank you for this investment in services to individuals, many of whom are facing health and safety issues, and to the many youth who are transitioning out of children's services, who are faced with absolutely no services or supports.

My daughter Emily was three months old when we came to understand that her path in life would be living a life with multiple disabilities. We were very fortunate to be supported by a wonderful social worker who was very good at explaining the system within which we would have to navigate — the various programs for early intervention, the supports for individuals with developmental disabilities, government funding, Community Living. But what he also told us was that we would be faced with wait-lists. That was 15 years ago. Families have been living in fear for many years — fearful of not receiving services and supports they often desperately need for their loved ones, other families living in fear of losing the services and supports that they may have.

Our member agencies, which provide services for families and individuals, have responded to the government's requests to reduce spending. By being innovative in their service plans, they have reduced their expenses while increasing the number of people they are serving. They have reviewed every line item, every program, every service provided. There are no more places to save. There are only families waiting for service, waiting for support.

We are here today to urge you to look further, to truly understand that while $6 million helps some families and individuals, there are still so many who will not feel the impact of this investment, as budget cuts have resulted in an erosion of services and supports that is moving us towards an unprecedented crisis in Community Living.

F. Bodnar: Thanks, Annette. I'm here to give you some figures and to provide some context for the announcement yesterday — the $6 million of new money, which Annette has appropriately and rightly thanked our government in our province for, and the reallocation of $2.9 million. I'm here to put the numbers in context, to put the estimates and the rhetoric in context. Let's make sure all of our numbers add up and are consistent. Let's put $8.9 million in context and shine some light.

The B.C. Association for Community Living, along with other community partners, estimated and asked for a $70 million immediate investment into community living services for adults with developmental disabilities in B.C. This represents a $35 million investment last year and this year that has yet to be forthcoming. This figure comes from CLBC's service plan, based on an estimate that between 600 and 800 people will become newly eligible for adult services within CLBC. This is a 5 to 6 percent increase in eligible adults.

These figures are conservative. Currently there are around 14,000 adults being served in the province of B.C. I'll say again: $30 million to $35 million is required just to keep up. It is a responsible investment and will stave off what is no longer a looming crisis but a growing crisis, and an expensive one.

The average costs, as stated in CLBC's service plan, per person for supports in adult services range between $45,000 and $50,000 per year. This is an average, simply an average, and includes people living in everything from their family home to accessing the supports of an independent living program, to living in a home share, to a staffed resource or what is commonly known as a group home, to participating in a day program and to accessing respite. Again, the average cost represents a wide range of services and support.

Let's look at what $8.9 million buys. It's a good start, as we said before, but let's break it down: $8.9 million, as quoted in the news release yesterday, will support 540 people with the new money. That's an average of $16,700 per person annually. Again, these are average numbers, but let's look deeper. Who are these 540 people? What is their service profile? When CLBC was asked that question yesterday, no information was forthcoming.

The B.C. Association for Community Living went on record six months ago, asking for similar data, and were told that we couldn't have it. We're not asking for identifying information. We're asking for aggregate numbers.

There was no answer given yesterday. These are simply average costs.

we couldn't have it. We're not asking for identifying information; we're asking for aggregate numbers.

There was no answer given yesterday. These are simply average costs. There was no reasonable explanation provided. It is simply a number based on something we have no idea about at this point, at least not beyond the press conference. What I know is when we compare these numbers to the CLBC service plan, it does not add up. I am mystified. We also heard with this announcement of $8.9 million, $6 million of which is new money, that it is based on the principles "of equity, fairness, consistent standards, managing expectations, and meeting health and safety needs."

What really are the expectations of families? Are they that their sons and daughters move out suddenly at the age of 19 when they become eligible for CLBC services? The answer is absolutely no. Their expectations are that some help and support should be provided so that they can know their sons and daughters are safe while they are at work, earning money, so that they can pay their taxes and can support our social programs and our infrastructure. They expect to continue to do what they had done for the previous 19 years: care for and love their children until they are ready to move into homes of their own and enter day programs.

They expect some support to augment what they already lovingly do, and in financial terms this translates into millions and millions and millions of dollars, which are cost savings to the public purse if we recognize and invest now.

I want to go back to the numbers: $16,000 versus $45,000 to $50,000 per person per year. Again, I am mystified how this relates to any sense of real equity, fairness or standards. We heard yesterday that funding to Community Living is based on nothing other than "the ability to negotiate" — the ability of families, of service providers and individuals with disabilities, and the agencies to support them to negotiate. This is simply an outrageous assertion and at its very least is an admission that CLBC has not maintained standards.

I must take great exception to this statement on behalf of the families, persons with developmental disabilities, the staff and the agencies around B.C. that for over 60 years have supported them. There are some 130 community agencies who have over decades set standards, set new ways of supporting people and have been innovative, and who have no interest in merely negotiating contracts for the richest deal. These agencies are about trying to meet the needs of families, people with developmental disabilities, in a fair, responsible, cost-effective and equitable manner. At its core, these agencies, along with the families and advocates, are credited with setting the standards and the new standards and the best practice efficiently, fairly and equitably.

Let's get back to the numbers. Thirty million dollars is not a dream or a figure pulled out of the air. It is not excessive. It represents just keeping up — barely — so that we don't create crisis, so that we don't create health and safety issues by our lack of investment. Thirty million dollars is a solid number based on what we know, what is defendable, what is transparent, what is rational. And $8.9 million is a short-term measure, not a solution. If we don't re-examine our priorities and understand that by not providing adequate investment and funding to support people with developmental disabilities and their families, we are in fact creating health and safety issues.

Is $8.9 million a good start? Absolutely. But if we don't take further steps, it is merely a band-aid that will fall off very quickly to expose a gaping wound. The intervention to repair will be far more costly than if we invest today.

In all of my conversation with you today, I haven't talked about the human cost, and I'm going to turn that over to Kathleen and Bryce.

R. Howard (Chair): Okay. Excellent. Just so we know, we're at about ten minutes, so we've got five to go.

K. Moore: My name is Kathleen. My daughter has over 14 different multi-medical issues, and she requires in-home supports. When she turned 19, she fell into a black hole, and that black hole meant that she was provided with an employment program with no means of access to that program. She requires in-home health supports, which she is currently being denied.

She has the right to live safe and secure in her home with right of access to an employment program or other further education, together with supports that allow her to participate as a full citizen of our province and in an inclusive

safe and secure in her home with right of access to an employment program or other further education together with supports that allow her to participate as a full citizen of our province in an inclusive manner. To deny her this kind of funding is in violation of the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

It is also a violation of sections 7 and 15 of our Canadian Charter of Rights of Freedoms. And in that regard, if we have these sorts of legislation in place, then why is this being ignored? I don't understand that, you know, and I think that we need to take a look at that and make various policies in keeping with those particular pieces.

People need to be a priority in this province. The system as it pertains to Community Living B.C. is broken. I'm grateful to hear that money has been injected into Community Living B.C., but I can tell you it's not enough. It is simply just a band-aid.

I think that we as a society need to start thinking outside of the box. Since dating back to the report of Joyce Preston years ago, it's not good enough. Reports and recommendations have been made to government, and it's cost thousands of dollars to create those reports. And it seems that at the end of the day there's always a new report being prepared, and we're back to square one all over again.

We seriously need to take note of what is being recommended. These are the experts that are providing this information for government, and we all know it's a case of pay now or pay more later. That's the reality of it all. People who fall through the cracks are at risk of developing secondary disabilities at a cost far greater to the taxpayer, and they're at risk of coming into contact with other ministries at a cost far greater.

And, you know, I say to you on another front, I've often thought: "Since when did people not matter anymore?" People are important, and we need to come together as a community. Also, government needs to come together, and at the end of the day, in conclusion, what I have to say is: it's time for a change, and we need to stop the bullying and put families first. Thank you.

R. Howard (Chair): Thank you. Now, we have about two minutes.

B. Schaufelberger: My name is Bryce Schaufelberger. I'm from Mission, B.C. I'm the vice-president of Mission Self Advocacy Group. I'm here today because this is important to me. Self-advocates need these services to help us with everyday things like budgeting, working, having employment and living independently. We can have our own houses, places to live. And going to social events with our friends and whoever is there.

These help me to be included in community, keep me healthy and having a good life — right? — like anybody would like. It is important to have these services that work for me. We want to be consulted on what these services are, because we don't get that often. We're the last ones to know anything about this stuff, and it really hurts us. This is not happening. It never has like what it should be.

Choices are so important. If we only fund crises, people don't have choices and opportunities to achieve their goals and dreams. We have the right to equality. We don't want a handout. We have the right to receive these services. We just want the services to be there for us when we're in trouble or we need some sort of help.

Schooling is expensive. Rent is expensive. Food is costly. HST doesn't help us. I can go on. But it does not help us anywhere because we're already at a disadvantage. We've got a disability. We can't afford…. What we get on our disability benefits — it's not enough. We need to invest $70 million into the…. It helps everybody out.

I'm very scared of what's going to happen in the future with all this happening. We need this investment — and immediately. There's Maple Ridge recycling program getting cut. Those people work their butts off.

what's going to happen in the future, with all this happening. We need this investment, and immediately.

Like, there's Maple Ridge, the recycling program getting cut. Those people worked butts off to earn a living. You know what it's like to live on disability. They enjoyed their work. They never argue with employers. They enjoy what they get.

We're not taking advantage. We want to contribute to society. We don't want to be put away anywhere. We need to be in community. That's what everybody wants, and so do we — to be included in all this stuff, and including where the money goes so that things will work better. Without us, it doesn't work.

R. Howard (Chair): Okay, thank you, Bryce. Thank you, all, for your comments: Bryce, Kathleen, Faith and Annette. Thank you very much for making your comments. We look forward to the deliberations as we produce our report.

Next up we have the ADAV Society of B.C. — Mr. John Pranger.

Welcome, John. You've got 15 minutes in total. Often people use ten for comments and then five for questions, but it's up to you. If you want to go beyond ten, then you would use your time to speak, and there'd be no time for questions. I'll give you a warning if I can when we get to about ten minutes.