Links And resources

Community Living Links
Community Living Resources
Message From the Executive Director

Community Living Victoria

3861 Cedar Hill Cross Road
Victoria, BC V8P 2M7
Phone: (250) 477-7231
Fax: (250) 477-6944

From Our executive director

Community Living Victoria’s (CLV) Annual General Meeting was held on September 16th and three new members were elected to the board of directors. A highlight was the presentation of our employee recognition awards. This year we recognized 15 staff for 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service to our organization and the people we support. It is through the dedication and commitment of our staff that we are able to accomplish so much. Our guest speaker, BCACL Executive Director, Faith Bodnar, also shared some of the key areas of focus for our provincial advocacy organization.

CLVs active participation in advocacy issues is reflected in the provision of advocacy support and information to more than 400 families and individuals. The ongoing funding cuts by government to core programs, including autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), mental health, infant development, supported child development and Aboriginal programs continues to concern all of us. Specialized staff is being lost and front-line children’s agencies have been forced to cut more than $3.6 million. . A further $32 million is being cut from essential Ministry roles for monitoring, oversight and support to assure children’s welfare and safety. CLV brought to the attention of provincial advocacy groups that, some educators in BC were distributing a disclaimer form to parents saying that their child’s needs may not be met as the classroom has more than three students with special needs. The BCTF (having distributed the form to teachers) claims that the intent of the letter was to let parents know that their child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) requires resources that are not being provided by the school system. All children have the right to be included in the classroom and have their education needs met.

There has been a lot of focus this year on Real Work for Real Pay for people with disabilities. CLV has a long standing supported employment program and want to ensure that everyone who wants to work has the opportunity. To further this agenda, we have been actively participating in the CLBC Provincial Employment Advisory Committee and we are a partner in the BC Employment Strategy Network. This work has included organizing events and training opportunities such as: The Learning Tour on Employment; Re-Inventing Day Supports, and Customized Employment with Cary Griffin. Future goals include bringing more training in Victoria and trying to secure additional funds to provide customized employment to individuals for whom traditional supported employment is not adequate.

Affordable housing continues to be a priority for CLV. We are a partner in an apartment building owned by BC Housing on Queens Avenue. There are now four people renting subsidized apartments who are paying only the shelter portion of their Disability Benefits. In addition, we manage a total of 35 subsidies for BC Housing located throughout Victoria. There are many more individuals who desire and need affordable housing in order to enjoy a reasonable quality of life. Our efforts to raise awareness about this need and connect with housing service providers was further enhanced by participating in a provincial housing committee which researched and produced a report entitled, Housing Options for People with Developmental Disabilities ; we also were able to participate in the BC Non Profit Housing Association conference in November.

Our communication campaign, spearheaded by the foundation, has brought greater awareness of Community Living Victoria, our values and the issues that people with developmental disabilities face in our own community. The “I’m Community Living” campaign has included print, radio, TV and bus applications. In addition, we have redesigned our website and included videos that have really made our site come to life with the voices of the people we support, their families, and our staff and volunteers.

The Community Living Foundation has held two successful fundraising events this fall. The Canada/USA Women’s hockey game netted over $65,000 and our recent benefit concert which featured local singing sensation, tenor Ken Lavigne is estimated to have raised just under $30,000. Since the establishment of the Foundation in 1995, they have consistently provided the means for priority items for the people we support.

Our 3rd CARF survey is scheduled for June 2010 as we will have completed our second 3-year accreditation cycle. Our systems are in place, we are a strong organization and I fully expect that we will have another successful survey. CLV is made up of an amazing group of people - from the people we support and their families, to our staff, leaders, and volunteers.. Thank you for your role in keeping this a vital and vibrant organization!