As news filters down of the provincial government's plans to cut $42 million from community access programs within the Ministry of Human Services over the coming year, politicians and members of the public have begun to weigh in on the possible effects the cuts could have on Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) services.
Although the province has vowed there are no fixed cuts surrounding PDD funding, there will be changes made to the funding system to ensure individuals receive only the necessary help they require, according to MLA Genia Leskiw.
She said the issue has gained attention over the last few weeks and she insists the ministry is doing its best to ensure all those in need of government assistance will receive it.
“Although there are some changes on the horizon I'd like to see that we fully support PDD individuals,” Leskiw said. “All those people who need services will get services, but we cannot continue to provide services beyond each individuals needs.”
Leskiw referred to an assessment carried out by the government that looked at the funding PDD individuals receive across the province. Human Services Associate Minister Frank Oberle presented to the Legislature on May 14 two specific examples of misappropriated funding. The examples highlighted two category one individuals – the province assesses all PDD individuals by needs ranging from one to seven – receiving funding on the extreme ends of the funding scale. The first individual received $114 per year from the province, while the second received just under $300,000 per year.
Individuals in Alberta receive support based upon the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS), with their needs identified on a scale of one to seven. Individuals identified as falling under ‘category one' have low support needs, while individuals placed under ‘category seven' require extraordinary behavioural supports.
“I'm very much in favour of these changes and I back the minister 100 percent,” Leskiw said. “The program has been the same for decades and the budget has continued to grow, often at unsustainable levels. So we will have to distribute our money accordingly. We want to support these people so they can be involved in the community at whatever level the individual is comfortable with.”
Late last week, after outcries from the public and opposition party members, it appeared the PC government was rethinking its planned cuts. However, as of Monday, according to the PC Party, the cuts to the Ministry of Human Services and PDD funding will go ahead as planned.
Wildrose MLA for St. Paul, Lac La Biche and Two Hills Shayne Saskiw said he feels the province is making a big mistake by pushing through the cuts to community access programs.
“The way one should measure their society is on how they treat their most vulnerable,” Saskiw said. “Front line funding for individuals in need is the last place the government should be looking for cuts. Every individual should be provided all the support they need and require.”
While Saskiw agreed with Leskiw that reform was required, he said he would much rather it be done by way of a controlled, well-planned process that provided guarantees that individuals in need wouldn't be negatively impacted moving forward.
“Yes, I agree with Ms. Leskiw that reform has to occur, but it shouldn't happen in a haphazard way without consultation with families and front line service providers,” Saskiw said. “These changes are effective July 1 and there is so much confusion regarding what is actually going to happen. Some of these service providers don't even have contracts lined up beyond these changes.”
“I'd just like to see a thoughtful, deliberate process that doesn't just throw changes together. We also need to ensure that people who need help aren't negatively impacted by these changes and if there are any concerns that that could happen, the province should immediately halt these changes.”
One local organization that could be impacted by the changes is the Dove Centre in Bonnyville, which provides services to persons with developmental disabilities. The centre services roughly 50 PDD individuals and the organization's CEO Christi Neahr said he's hoping they aren't hit too hard by the impending funding changes.
Despite already having three members of the staff quit, citing the stress of knowing these changes are imminent, Neahr said he agrees that reform is needed, he's just concerned with the way the province is going about implementing the changes.
“These changes will see the province move away from service based needs to outcome based needs,” Neahr said. “Part of the reason they're looking into this and want the changes is because some people are getting too much, which in the end makes it un-fundable over the long haul. So, while I agree that change was necessary, I think it should have been done with true change management practices over time.”
Neahr pointed out that it's a well-known fact that individuals with developmental disabilities prefer consistency, so it could be a big challenge for both service providers and the government to find a way to support the needs of individuals with what he describes as “huge adjustments”.
One thing Neahr strongly suggested the government look at is introducing people with disabilities to natural support, presenting them with a chance to create connections between themselves and the community. He said that this would not only lessen the burden on the province, but it would also provide the individual with an added comfort level dealing with people in the community.
Neahr said he's just hoping the reform doesn't have too drastic of an effect on the Dove Centre, as he has big plans both for the organization and the individuals involved.
“Hopefully I can get my staff through these changes as easily as possible,” Neahr said. “I really want to build the Dove up bigger and integrate it even more into this community and help the PDD individuals we employ to get out there and do whatever it is they want to do.”
For more information on the changes being made to the PDD program visit humanservices.alberta.ca/disability-services/pdd.html. For more information on the Dove Centre visit www.dovecentre.ca
