Wednesday 9 April 2014

Choice, Equality and Good Lives in Inclusive Communities



A Roadmap for Transforming the Nova Scotia Services to Persons with Disabilities Program 





This is the document that the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services put out in June 2013.  It's a good document.  You should read it.


The NDP government started this process. When the Liberal government came into power, DCS Minister Joanne Bernard @JoanneDNLIB made a commitment to follow through on these changes.  Every plan takes time to implement.... we all know that.  The only way for people in Nova Scotia affected by this document to see change is to GET STARTED!


Goal I: SelfDirection, Choice and Control p.7
 At the end of the explanation for this goal is: Proposed Actions 


  1. 1)  As of April 1, 2014, implement an 18month pilot initiative on persondirected planning and navigation in order to determine most effective and efficient delivery mechanism:
    1. (a)  Central Region – Create and fund an independent planning support and navigation function that is by a communitybased agency (given numbers on waitlist in the Central Region, it seems most reasonable to add additional planning capacity here). Pilot agency to be secured via a RFP process.
    2. (b)  Region 2 Restructure role of departmental care coordinators to minimize administrative duties and enable greater emphasis on the planning function.
    3. (c)  Regions 3 and 4 – No change in delivery structure.
  2. 2)  Undertake evaluation of pilot initiatives and comparative analysis with current approach and consider implications for widerscale implementation of selected models.
  3. 3)  Develop training materials and resources related to principles, standards and practices for persondirected planning and navigation.
  4. 4)  Provide training and orientation in persondirected planning to care coordinators, independent planners/navigators, and residential and vocational providers.
  5. 5)  Develop an online system for access to information and planning resources – provided in plain language and accessible formats. Information would be developed for use by individuals, families and planners.
  6. 6)  Initiate person directed planning/navigation process starting with all people on the waiting list and persons currently residing in Residential Care Facilities (RCFs).

Rationale and Assumptions p.8
  • Persondirected planning/navigation accountable to the person and/or family will lead to innovation, use of nontraditional options and increased use of generic community supports.
  • Independent planners/navigators may require disabilityspecific training, taking account of distinct realities of people with intellectual, physical/sensory and mental health disabilities.
  • The SPD program should enable persondirected planning/navigation to be undertaken in a variety of ways – from individuals and families doing their own planning (with support from online and print resources), to accessing a community resource centre for necessary support, to having the assistance of an independent planner/navigator.
  • New mechanisms for delivering independent planning/navigation need to be tested in order to develop best approaches/models for Nova Scotia context.
  • Prioritization for delivery of persondirected planning:
    • −  Individuals currently on waiting list
    • −  Those residing in Residential Care Facilities (given recognition in the 2008 review of residential services of the need for alternate arrangements for those individuals residing in this option).
  • Persondirected planning/navigation should become the norm for all individuals and families accessing SPD services. 
I've highlighted a couple key points.  When will they get started?

Amanda Murphy is in an emergency living situation and the only option that DCS is giving her family is to institutionalize her.  Isn't the mandate to get people out of institutions starting April 1, 2014?


Her family was given only one option.  Why is DCS not working with the Murphy family to find a suitable solution?  Why would they put Iris and Victor's child somewhere that they so strongly oppose? What if this was your child?  It could be.  Not all people are born with a disadvantage.  Some people get an illness or brain injury and have to rely on the province for their care.  

 personal stories 




Department of Community Services
8th Floor, Nelson Place
5675 Spring Garden Road
P.O. Box 696
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 2T7
Phone: (902) 424-4304
Fax: (902) 424-3287
E-mail Minister Joanne Bernard

Let the Department of Community Services know that this excellent plan should not wait!

T.Haney

No comments:

Post a Comment