Policies
Interim Policy Guidance during COVID-19: To respond to changing needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, CLBC has developed interim guidance documents for temporary exceptions or updates to a number of policies for CLBC staff, individuals, families and service providers to follow. Click here to find all interim guidance documents. (The guidance documents are also posted with the relevant policies below).
CLBC policies guide our operations and provide information about how CLBC supports eligible individuals and families.
CLBC is accountable to the Province of BC, and our policies are directed and developed in accordance with both legislation and government expectations. The Community Living Authority Act sets out CLBC’s mandate and its accountability to government.
Our policies reflect broad service standards and policy direction set by the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction through an annual Letter of Expectations. CLBC develops and implements policy in accordance with this direction.
CLBC policies are built on five key foundations:
- Citizenship in community
- Individuals come first
- Working together to build capacity
- A culture of change and learning
- Accountability
Read the CLBC’s Policy Foundations document.
In this section of the website you can read policies that explain how CLBC and its staff work with individuals and families to provide supports.
Read other relevant policies here, including Quality Assurance, Privacy and Organizational policies.
Behaviour Support and Safety Planning
The Behaviour Support and Safety Planning policy outlines requirements for service providers who support individuals with challenging behaviours in CLBC-funded services.
It reflects a positive approach to behaviour supports for adults and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and understanding behaviours as a form of communication.
The policy clarifies that a ‘Safety Plan’ is required whenever a restrictive practice, such as the use of restraints, is being considered. It is accompanied by the “Guide for Service Providers” that provides more detail and best practice guidance on the expectations outlined in the policy.
CLBC is embarking on a Behaviour Support and Safety Planning project that will enhance the quality of the system and clarify roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders.
While CLBC is initiating this project, we have updated our current materials for service providers so they are more relevant and will help clarify how to apply the policy.
Find the materials here.
CLBC-Contracted Home Sharing Providers Policies
CLBC has two policies related to contracted home sharing providers.
Monitoring of CLBC-Contracted Home Sharing Providers provides guidance to analysts who monitor home sharing contracts.
Respite Guidelines, covers respite which, when used effectively, promotes stability and reduces stress within home sharing arrangements. This policy also provides guidance to analysts who monitor home sharing contracts.
Click the links below to view and download the policies.
Community Supports Policy
CLBC’s vision is one of full citizenship in which people with developmental disabilities lead good lives, have rich relationships with friends and family, financial security, choices in how they live their lives, employment opportunities and are accepted and valued as citizens.
This policy outlines two methods of putting this vision into practice through the use of generic services and informal supports.
Core and Enhanced Individual and Family Support Policy
This policy explains Core and Enhanced Individual and Family Support and how it can be used for supports to individuals and families.
Core support is the standard amount of funding offered to people who have no other CLBC funded services while CLBC works to fulfill their service requests.
People with high needs who have no other CLBC services may receive Enhanced funding while CLBC works to fulfill their service requests.
The policy also connects Core and Enhanced Individual and Family Support to other CLBC policies, which helps explain how the funding can be used.
Eligibility Policy
The purpose of this policy is to provide clarification on the criteria and process used by CLBC to determine eligibility for its direct or funded supports and services. In addition, this policy addresses the need for consistency and equity in determining access to services.
Note: the CLBC Eligibility Policy and Eligibility Form were updated in April 2018 to reflect the language (“intellectual disabilities”) and criteria used in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) that practitioners use to assess individuals to determine eligibility for CLBC services. There are no significant changes to CLBC’s eligibility criteria.
Learn if you may be eligible for CLBC supports and services.
Employment Policy
This policy brings focus to the importance and value of employment in the lives of individuals supported by CLBC. The policy orients staff to the emphasis on employment and provides general guidance for integrating it into their work.
Click here to learn more about CLBC Employment Supports.
External Reviews Policy
An External Review is a neutral third-party investigation of a situation, incident or service, that results in recommendations and possible action. This policy sets out the requirements for External Reviews to ensure that they are conducted in a consistent and transparent way.
This policy applies to CLBC Quality Service Managers, quality service analysts, and the Director of Quality Assurance.
Family Respite Policy
This policy explains CLBC’s respite services for families. Respite services help families get a break from supporting their family member and helps keep families strong and together.
The policy explains the two types of respite funding:
- Direct-funded respite goes directly to the family to hire their own respite workers.
- Contracted respite goes to a service provider that helps with respite for the family.
The policy gives information on how families can and cannot use their direct-funded respite funding.
Individual and Family Preference in Procurement
Individual preference is a way for an individual and/or their family to take an active role in expressing preference for the service provider that best meets their needs.
CLBC works with many different service providers to arrange for services for people who are eligible for funded supports. We pay individuals, private companies and non-profit societies to provide approved residential, community inclusion and family support services. The process of finding the right service provider for an individual and then negotiating what they will provide and how much CLBC will pay them, is called procurement and contracting.
Our goal is to ensure that contracted services are the best possible match for the disability-related needs of each individual and that we are responsive to each person’s unique goals, dreams, and choices.
To learn more about Individual Preference, please click the links below:
Individual Financial Payment Policy: Residential Services
The Individual Financial Payment Policy: Residential Services clarifies how individuals contribute towards their shelter and support costs for CLBC-funded residential services and describes CLBC staff and service provider responsibilities.
Interim Guidance on Individual Financial Payments for Residential Services during COVID-19
The COVID-19 crisis is affecting some individuals’ residential services in the following ways:
- Individuals are receiving supplemental funds or alternate payments from government for April, May and June to assist with additional expenses or lost income.
- Some individuals are choosing to temporarily leave staffed residential or home sharing resources to live with their families during this health emergency.
As these temporary measures are not considered in CLBC’s existing policy, the document below provides guidance on the payment, allocation and amounts of individual financial contribution for residential services during the emergency funding period.
Individualized Funding Policies and Supporting Documents
Individualized Funding (IF) provides individuals and families with flexible, person-centred, self-directed payment options for arranging, managing, and paying for supports and services.
For more information, please see the following documents:
Individuals and families have two payment options through Individualized Funding: Direct Funding or Host Agency Funding.
Direct funding
Direct Funding is an IF payment option where funds allocated by CLBC are paid directly by CLBC to an individual or his/her agent (family member or representative) for the purchase of supports and services. For more information, please see the following documents:
For agents who have a Direct Funding Standard Agreement with CLBC, the Privacy Protection Schedule referred to in Section 7.7 of your agreement is available through this link:
If you have a Direct Funding Simplified Agreement and need a copy of the Compliance Report, please click on this link:
Host agency funding
With the Host Agency Funding payment option, the funds allocated by CLBC for the purchase of individualized supports and services are paid by CLBC to a Host Agency that has been approved by CLBC and selected by the individual and family. The Host Agency administers the funds and works with the individual and family to arrange and manage the supports required. This option provides the benefits of Individualized Funding, but with less responsibility for paperwork and record-keeping.
To learn more, please see the following policy:
Legal Requirements Policy
This policy provides information and guidance to staff in responding to subpoenas, search warrants, summons, lawful investigations and other legal processes that are directly related to CLBC operations. It applies to all CLBC staff.
L.I.F.E.-based Policy
This policy explains how the L.I.F.E.-based Service supports individuals in the areas of Learning, Inclusion, Friendship, and Employment. The purpose of the L.I.F.E.-based Service is to help individuals who use CLBC services to get jobs and direct their supports to have full lives. The policy establishes a framework for how the service is planned, implemented, and monitored for service quality. It supports collaboration between individuals, families and support networks, service providers, and CLBC staff who play key roles in the service.
Policy Development and Implementation Policy
This policy outlines the development, implementation and evaluation procedures for all CLBC policies. It clarifies the roles of CLBC and the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction in the CLBC policy development process.
It emphasizes the importance of consultation about policies with individuals, families, our staff, community service providers and government ministries that are affected by the policy. This ensures accountability to, and collaboration with, the people we support and our community and government partners.
Positive Behaviour Support: A Conversation with Dr. Pat Mirenda (Video Series)
CLBC has a policy about Behaviour Support and Safety Planning that outlines requirements for service providers who support individuals with challenging behaviours in CLBC funded services. It reflects a positive approach to behaviour supports for adults and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and understanding behaviours as a form of communication. The policy clarifies that a ‘Safety Plan’ is required whenever a restrictive practice, such as the use of restraints, is being considered. The policy is accompanied by the “Behaviour Support and Safety Planning: A Guide for Service Providers” that provides more detail and best practice guidance on the expectations outlined in the policy.
The behaviour support and safety planning approach builds on successful person-centred practices in BC, and establishes CLBC and our contracted service providers as leaders in supporting people with developmental disabilities. This approach advances the evolution of community living supports in terms of values and the rights of the people being supported.
To learn more, please watch the following series of videos, “Positive Behaviour Support: A Conversation with Dr. Pat Mirenda”. Dr. Mirenda is a Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, University of British Columbia.
Privacy of Personal Information
Organizational Privacy Policy
The CLBC Organizational Privacy Policy describes CLBC’s approach to privacy of personal information as required by the B.C. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA). It complements the CLBC Privacy Guidelines that provide an overview of privacy legislation and best practices. The policy is supported by a suite of more detailed policies which address specific aspects of privacy.
Interim Guidance on use of video conferencing services during COVID-19
Given the importance of physical distancing, there has been significant work in the sector to identify virtual methods for staying connected, including through platforms such as Skype, Zoom and Facetime.
This Interim Guidance document was created to address concerns around how to use virtual platforms while also complying with the government’s privacy requirements.
Right to Access Personal Information Policy
The Right to Access Personal Information Policy describes how CLBC supports individuals to exercise their right to access their own personal information held by CLBC.
Access to Personal Information for Research Purposes Policy
The Access to Personal Information for Research Purposes Policy explains under what conditions individuals’ personal information may be accessed for research and statistical purposes.
Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy
The Confidentiality and Information Sharing Policy describes how CLBC staff maintain the rights of individuals to confidentiality and privacy of personal information and assists them to comply with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Request for Service Policy
This policy describes how requests for service are recorded and how decisions are made about their priority order for funding.
Resource Allocation Policy
Role of Formal and Informal Representatives
This policy clarifies the roles and responsibilities of legal decision makers in assisting individuals with developmental disabilities receiving CLBC supports and services.
Service Provision by Family Members Policy
This policy outlines the exceptional circumstances under which an immediate family member can be paid to provide service to a relative who is eligible for CLBC supports.
Standards for the Coordination of Home Sharing Policy
The policy supports the Standards for the Coordination of Home Sharing that provide requirements which guide service providers watching over the delivery of home sharing services and for CLBC staff responsible for watching over home sharing services that are delivered by service providers.
The standards can be found below, along with resources to support agencies with their learning and to support compliance:
Support and Planning Policy
Transition to Agency Coordinated Home Sharing Policy
This policy establishes that CLBC will no longer undertake direct contracted home sharing and that all existing home sharing services that CLBC directly contracts with will be transferred to the agency coordinated home sharing model.
Youth Transition Support Policy
CLBC works in collaboration with youth and their families and other government organizations and ministries to support youth transitioning to adulthood. Supporting a smooth transition for youth and their families is an important priority for CLBC.
This policy describes the role of CLBC facilitators for assisting youth and their families before a youth turns 19. The policy outlines processes that should be completed before a youth turns 19. It also includes a timeframe for completing required processes, based on a youth’s age.
Learn about the steps to prepare to access CLBC supports.
