The Community Living Coalition is an open and inclusive gathering of people and organizations dedicated to empowering individuals and families to make decisions about how they lead their lives in the community.  To achieve this vision, the coalition is moving forward with the provincial government to develop a new governance structure for community living services for children with special needs and adults with developmental disabilities.  Individualized Funding (IF) will be a key mechanism to ensure families and individuals control the funding for their supports. 

In an attempt to organize a response to the policy direction of the Ministry of Children and Family Development to move community living services for adults with developmental disabilities and services to children with special needs to a new community-based governance structure, approximately 50 representatives of family groups, family and advocacy organizations and service providers met on a weeks’ notice in mid-August, 2001.  Out of this meeting, the Individualized Funding Family Coalition was formed to organize a province-wide meeting of family leaders interested in working with government to develop a policy on IF as an option for families and to incorporate it within any new governance structure.

 On September 22, 2001 over 75 family leaders from across BC met in Vancouver to discuss how IF and a new model for community governance could be implemented provincially.  Families shared stories about the empowering role of IF, and discussed the government's new interest in supporting both IF and a governance model that would move decision-making closer to the community.  Families also approved the Policy Framework to Guide the Implementation of IF that had been developed by a diverse group of parents and self-advocates over the summer.  At the core of this framework document was a shared vision that children and adults with developmental disabilities have the same rights as other citizens to freedom, equality, and self-determination, and a belief that IF should be an option to enable people with disabilities and families to exercise real choices over the kinds of services and supports they might access to meet their needs. 

 Then, on September 27^th 2001, the Premier of the Province announced massive cuts to all provincial ministries except Education, Advanced Education and Health – the cuts were to vary from 20% to 50%, with the average at 35%.  For approximately a month and a half, the Individualized Funding Family Coalition worked to coordinate efforts of families to increase awareness of the cuts, and to educate their MLA’s on the devastation that budget reductions of this magnitude would have on people with disabilities, their families and communities.

 On a parallel track, by early October, several groups had worked to respond to the ministry by submitting recommendations on new governance alternatives and other policy considerations.  These included a group of nonprofit service provider associations under the name Vision for Community Living, the BC Association for Community Living (BCACL) and the Joint Committee of BCACL.    At the same time, driven as much by the announced service cuts as any interest in new governance models, efforts began from within all the major groups of parents, service providers, self advocates and advocacy organizations to develop a comprehensive community approach on governance and a united front on the budget reductions.

 By October 26, 2001 these efforts led to the coming together of several groups and individuals at the invitation of BCACL’s Executive Director Network to discuss a unified approach and response.  It was decided to pursue two avenues with a common theme and purpose – first, the development of a coalition to respond to the provincial government's Core Review of Services and Programs and second, the launching of a series of province wide meetings bringing together families and service providers to discuss the key elements of the response within the context of the looming service cuts. 

 Ultimately, the various groups agreed to unite loosely as a Community Living Coalition to present a strong, united voice to government.  On November 1^st the Coalition was created and began meeting twice weekly to refine the work of the various groups, and develop a single community-driven, family-led response to government.  The Coalition’s immediate goals were to:

 ¨       address threatened cutbacks to community living services and supports;

¨       develop a new governance structure for community living;

¨       promote Individualized Funding as an option for individuals and families.

On November 5, the BCACL Board of Directors met to discuss participation in the Coalition and agreed to support its efforts, emphasizing the importance of a new governance model ensuring that services for children and adults stay together, and that current funding levels for community living supports and services remain intact.  

The first major issue the new Coalition addressed was the threat of severe cutbacks to community living services.  During the next few weeks a media campaign was carried out to alert the public, politicians, families, self-advocates and other stakeholders about the potentially devastating impact of such cuts.  During November and December, individuals and families across the province visited, wrote, telephoned, emailed and faxed their member of the legislature and Cabinet members to tell them how they felt about cutbacks. Feedback from that campaign indicated that many MLAs were deeply affected by those efforts, becoming more aware of the realities faced by families and individuals and the serious impact that budget cuts would have.  

During a series of November, 2001 meetings (8, 15 & 29), and after a great deal of hard work by participants, the Community Living Coalition developed and accepted a proposal based on the families’ Policy Framework.  Then, on November 30, 2001, Coalition representatives presented the Community Governance Proposal to Minister Gordon Hogg.  The proposal, which responded to the government's interest in a change in governance, and to Treasury Board's demands for significant budget cuts, identified ways to preserve the many gains made for people with developmental disabilities and their families over the past four decades.  The intent of the proposal (in which both IF and community governance are central features) was very clear: 1) to make system-wide changes in the way services and supports are delivered to the community, and 2) to reduce the costs associated with delivering those services, but to apply savings - not to general revenue as the government has proposed - but to support individuals and families now waitlisted for services.  

From December 4^th to 7^th, the Coalition brought Eddie Bartnik, Director of the Disability Services Commission in Western Australia, to Vancouver to discuss the Commission’s 12-year experience in implementing individualized funding through a community-based, family-driven governance model.  As part of this visit, the Coalition arranged for a private meeting between Eddie Bartnik and Minister Gordon Hogg so that perspectives on system change, and the success of Western Australia, could be considered in a BC context.  This was very helpful to the process underway in BC as some of the initial thoughts on governance in BC were influenced by developments in Western Australia.  Several public meetings were also held where participants had opportunities to hear about the Western Australian experience, and to ask a variety of practical questions. 

The Coalition represents an unprecedented coming together of families, self-advocates, service providers and advocacy organizations.  Since the presentation of the governance proposal to the Minister and the Deputy on November 30^th, the Coalition’s focus has turned to expanding representation at the table by reaching out regionally, and to smaller groups of parents and service providers.   Since that time, meetings of the Community Living Coalition have grown to regularly include family representatives from the interior, Vancouver Island and the north, non-profit service providers from across the province and representatives of private family care model homes and other private providers.  Most recently, the Coalition has met formally on January 18^th, January 31^st, February 4^th and February 15^th to develop and refine a transition framework to recommend to government.   

Although a great deal of progress has been made to date in terms of including more people as part of a broad-based community Coalition, and the Minister and government have responded favorably to the governance proposal, it is critical that the Coalition continues to strive to be as inclusive as possible. To find out more, or to get involved, please: 
¨       contact any of the contact people listed on this website
¨       come to the next Coalition meeting (http://www.communitylivingcoalition.bc.ca/)
¨       sign up to be on the email or mailing list