Message from the CEO
By Rick Mowles, CEO
This month, The Citizen focuses on exploring CLBC’s work to strengthen quality of life and informal safeguards, the lens that is used in the work we do to help people feel safe and welcome in their communities. We also profile a recent meeting where families had the opportunity to share their experiences and stories directly with the CLBC Board.
The Quality of Life demonstration project currently underway in the Fraser Region is part of our commitment to continuous quality improvement. Developed by international expert Dr. Robert Schalock, the Quality Of Life framework includes the following eight areas that provide an indication of an individual’s quality of life: well-being; interpersonal relations; material well-being; personal development; physical well-being; self-determination; social inclusion; and rights. The demonstration project will provide CLBC with a picture of how self-advocates view their own quality of life. Over time, the quality of life framework will impact our overall monitoring framework and how we measure outcomes. To find out more, I invite you to read the quality of life article in this edition.
CLBC supports informal safeguards in community that rely on the interest and goodwill of citizens and organizations and is committed to providing education, support and leadership to encourage these kinds of safeguards. CLBC’s focus on informal safeguards includes the Start with Hi initiative, the Belonging and Support Network guides, and on-going work with self-advocates and families to help them build more informal networks of people in community. CLBC has created tools, like the self-advocate and family Facebook sites, to help people connect, and resources, including “Support Networks: A Guide for Self-Advocates”, to help people build their own personal connections. You can find out more about support networks in the You Asked Us column, and in the article about a recent self-advocate workshop held in Victoria.
April is Autism Awareness Month in British Columbia, a time to recognize the individuals and families among us who live with a disability that may not be visible to most people and to honour the many achievements made by the autistic community. In this edition we feature the story of a young man in Langley who is using his time and effort to help support cancer research and awareness.
Enhancing quality of life and aiming to reduce vulnerability are also helping to determine the path we take with the new group of adults supported through CLBC’s Personalized Supports Initiative. CLBC participated on March 2, 2011 in the 4th annual International Conference on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in Vancouver. At the conference, CLBC introduced its new resource, “Supporting Success for Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder”, to help service providers, families, communities, educators and others to better understand FASD and how to support and strengthen quality of life and safeguards for adults diagnosed with FASD.
CLBC is committed to making sure the voices and ideas of the people it supports are heard, and that they continue to have more opportunities for “good lives in welcoming communities.” I hope you enjoy reading this month’s edition of The Citizen, and we look forward to keeping you updated on our work.
