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Who is CLBC? Chris chats with Lisa Bourget.
By Chris Horrocks.
December 18, 2012I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Lisa Bourget, Community Planning and Development Manager for the Central and South Okanagan with Community Living BC (CLBC). Lisa talked about what services CLBC offers eligible individuals and families and explained CLBC’s role in the transition planning process. CLBC is a key partner in the Cross Ministry Transition Planning Protocol.
Lisa talks about two funding streams:
1) Adults with developmental disabilities who are 19 or over.
2) Adults with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who are 19 or over (personalized supports initiative).
CLBC provides funding to support a variety of areas to eligible adults:
1) Respite for families
2) Community inclusion programs and supports
3) Supported living and other residential services
4) Supported employment
5) Professional support ( behaviour consultant, variety of therapies)
The funding can come in one of two ways:
1) Individualized funding is used to purchase supports and services for the individual . The family can manage the funding or this can be taken on by a host agency.
2) CLBC simply funds a day service for the person with the disability that exists with a contracted service provider and the adult and parents do not see the money.
Contact can be made with CLBC after the 16th birthday and families can go straight to their local CLBC office to receive full orientation and to arrange for initial planning.
If families have received assistance from the Ministry of Child and Family Development an MCFD child and youth with special needs social worker will assist in arranging a meeting with CLBC before the 17th birthday.
Parents and youth with disabilities are encouraged to have thought through some of the future plans before arriving at the initial planning meeting. Lisa points out that a simple entry into a program is not the kind of future she supports. She has more success with families who have a comprehensive broad future plan. The first meeting will be conducted with a CLBC facilitator who will help set the vision, write and submit a plan for funding if required.
This same facilitator will phone the family back and inform them what bits and pieces of the plan can be funded and will check back in to make sure the planning is still on track. This should be taking place while the student is in their last two years of high school.
4 Comments
Faith
Jan 1, 2013
Well done Lisa Bourget. This is an excellent piece explaning of the role of CLBC for families, agaencies and self advocates. Thanks.
Heather Simpson
Jan 1, 2013
Thank you to Chris and Lisa for providing this excellent resource of rich information for families with son’s and daughter’s approaching adulthood.
My question relates to partnerships that exist, as reaffirmed by the Cross Ministry Transition Planning Protocol. CLBC is a partner in the transition process but as I gathered from this video interview, it is parents and individuals themselves taking the initiative to contact CLBC and begin introductions, not an employee of the school district he or she attends. Is this a correct observation? Are there any points in the process where school officials and CLBC staff work together directly in transition planning? Same question as it relates to other partners of the protocol- Ministry of Social Development, representation from Mental Health, etc. I am curious how these separate service entities are working together for families and individuals. Or, as this video led me to believe, are parents playing the key role in facilitating the transition process? Thank you!
cyrus
Jan 1, 2013
good to hear individualized funding is getting some discussion, not all people benefit from the same services and structures. being able to have some control over where and how your funding is spent can be empowering. i was also pleased to hear Lisa talking encouraging early planning, building relationships and informal support networks is very important.
thanks.
Lori
Feb 2, 2013
So good to see and hear Lisa again. It has been my pleasure to work with her in her “Lower Mainland” days! An excellent description of CLBC services, although there are numerous challenges in providing that high quality service that people deserve.
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