| Dear BC Self Advocacy Community and Supporters,
On behalf of everyone here at CLBC, we hope you are all having a happy and healthy start to Spring time. We are pleased to send this message as an update on some of the projects we have been working on since our last update.
In this message, you will read about:
- CLBC Budget for 2018/2019
- CLBC Editorial Board
- Inclusive Housing Task Force
- WOW award winners
- Advancing New Support Options project
- Self Advocate Net shares stories
CLBC Budget 2018/2019
The government has announced that CLBC’s budget for 2018/19 will be $1.02 billion. This includes an additional $61 million in provincial funding. CLBC has posted this information here on our web site.
The additional money from government will help CLBC continue providing services that people already have, as well as provide new and increased services to others.
To understand how CLBC makes funding decisions for individual and families, please read this backgrounder.
CLBC Editorial Board asks agencies to include self advocates at all levels
The CLBC Editorial Board, made up of individuals served by CLBC from around the province, has expressed their concern that one section of the BC Societies Act may be misinterpreted by providers and non-profit agencies, causing them to prevent self advocates from serving on their boards.
The concern has been summarized in a Community Alert issued by Nidus Personal Planning and Resource Center which you can read here.
CLBC’s Editorial Board wants to ensure all providers continue to appoint individuals who have a developmental disability to their boards and include them at all levels of their organizations. Self Advocate Net has also posted information regarding this issue which you can read here.
If you are interested in learning more about the CLBC Editorial Board, or applying to be a member, you can click here.
Inclusive housing task force works on three-year plan
CLBC has been working closely with BC Housing, the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA) and service providers on housing for people with diverse abilities.
CLBC has now also partnered with Inclusion BC to create an Inclusive Housing Task Force, which includes service providers, self-advocates and families from around BC.
The Inclusive Housing Task Force is meeting monthly and consulting with developers, city planners, individuals, families and others to create a three-year strategy by this Spring.
CLBC has also developed resources on its web site here to help groups who want to work with their towns and cities to create more inclusive housing.
B.C. communities recognize WOW inclusion award recipients
This year CLBC received 47 nominations for the Widening our World (WOW) inclusion awards and announced the following four recipients on our web site here. This year’s winners are:
- South Surrey – Alexander Magnussen, self-advocate
- Langley – Nick Nuraney and John Archibald, inclusive A & W employers
- Esquimalt – Peggy Nancarrow, music teacher volunteer
- Nanaimo – Eve Reinarz, service provider
Advancing New Support Options (ANSO) project update
The design process for a NEW CLBC service completed in November 2017. This is a service that will combine support for employment, community connection, relationships and learning.
The next step is to further test out the new service this Spring before it is available across the province in 2019.
On behalf of CLBC and the ANSO design team, we want to thank the individuals, families and service providers who provided input and helped test the initial designs of this new service.
Self Advocate Net shares stories
Please visit the links below to read some great recent articles from self advocates across B.C. on www.SelfAdvocateNet.com and remember that you can submit your own story by clicking here.
Thank you again for your leadership as we work together to assist people with diverse abilities to live ‘lives filled with possibilities in welcoming communities’.
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We hope you found these updates useful. Please feel free to contact Jessica directly at Jessica.Humphrey@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions or comments about this message.
Thank-you to all of you who have helped us with our projects this year! We want to acknowledge your leadership and expertise as we work together for more inclusive communities for all.
Sincerely,
Seonag Macrae
CEO
Community Living BC
Jessica Humphrey
Self Advocate Advisor
Community Living BC |
