Issues & Trends from the Executive Director
In December 2012, Community Living Victoria celebrated its 57th year. There have been many challenges and opportunities since 1955 and today we are a vibrant not for profit agency that provides an array of services to children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities. Here are some highlights since my last report:
On October 25th, the Foundation hosted a successful fundraising concert featuring the fabulous Kuba Oms and Alex Cuba. We raised $44,000 that will be directed to Employment Services and needed repair and furniture for our homes and programs. Coming in June are the BC Ferries Media Golf Tournament and the Vipond Golf Classic, for which we are the charity of choice.
Our Foundation’s recent Reach for the Stars campaign raised more than $5300. This money goes directly to the people we support so they can enjoy some seasonal activities and other much needed items over the holidays. Thanks to our donors; you have made a difference!
CLV’s Host Agency works in partnership with individuals and families to ensure that services are based on the needs and preferences of the person. We currently support 50 people in individual home share arrangements and host supports for 30 Individuals. We are pleased to be hosting the next InclusionWorks! group which began in September of 2012.
Our newest program, Autism Services, is growing and we are now supporting more than 50 youth and their families. They come to us for a range of supports including 1:1, summer day camps and social groups. We have added the expertise of Behaviour Consultants that families can access with their funding. We were pleased to receive a United Way grant this year that allows us to provide Family Support, organize a series of workshops, help facilitate transition planning and build parent to parent support networks.
Our family support program has been busy and offered a number of key workshops for families this fall. They included: transition planning, a parent partnership retreat weekend, computer camps for children and a Registered Disability Savings Plan presentation..
As the people we support are aging, we face challenges around increased funding needs and accessibility issues that render some of our homes no longer suitable. In January the individuals supported at the Maplewood home will move to their new rancher on Tyndall Avenue.
The individuals in our community Inclusion programs enjoy a wide range of activities and opportunities throughout their day. As many of the participants are aging and their support needs are increasing, we continue to strategize new ways to provide services that are right for each individual.
In 2012 we implemented ShareVision. This is a highly functional and accessible database that allows CLV to capture and meaningful use information about the people we support and our programs. It helps us to gather and complete analysis of all aspects of service delivery and can provide immediate snapshots of how people are doing in meeting their goals, maintaining overall wellbeing as well as our organizational functioning. It is an extremely efficient and comprehensive system that provides an invaluable source of both person centered and operational information.
The Collective Agreement which governs the working conditions and compensation of our unionized workforce expired on March 31, 2012. A new agreement has not been reached and we have experienced some job action. I am hopeful that an agreement will be reached soon.
With a provincial election coming in May, we will collectively need to ensure that children with special needs, people with developmental disabilities and their families remain on the agenda of the government. Although the crisis in community living and the negative publicity for our funder, Community Living BC was challenging, it did effectively inform more British Columbians and they responded by demanding that Government provides the funding so that people have the supports that they require. Please make sure your voice is heard. Together we do make a difference!
