Province to proclaim Community Inclusion Month
CLBC is preparing to help B.C. celebrate what is now being called Community Inclusion Month in October. The government has changed the name from Community Living Month to Community Inclusion Month to more clearly reflect the vision for inclusion of those we serve throughout the province.
This is the 20th year that we are recognizing the contributions of people with diverse abilities in our communities in October. It is also a chance to celebrate the families, friends, caregivers, volunteers, community groups and employers who enhance the quality of life for people in your community.
Events are being held throughout October. If you would like to have your event listed on CLBC’s web site and promoted on CLBC’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, please send them to Christopher.Rae@gov.bc.ca. Keep an eye on the CLBC events calendar.
New CLBC welcome workshops launched across province
People new to CLBC can now register for a new series of four CLBC Welcome Workshops as part of a revamped welcome and planning process that individuals and families helped design.
People told CLBC that they feel alone and worried about the future when they seek supports. The new workshops bring individuals and families together to learn from each other, providing them with new options to plan for adulthood and giving them a behind-the-scenes look into how CLBC makes decisions. You can learn more about the new welcome workshops here.
Each new workshop is led by someone currently receiving CLBC supports, a family member and a staff person. Workshop exercises help families share information with each other about their own community, including welcoming local businesses and accessible social activities. In a partnership with the Family Support Institute, new community resources identified in the workshops will be added to an online database called www.FindSupportBC.com so that everyone can benefit.
Contact our local CLBC office to register. You can find your nearest office by using the office locator feature on www.communitylivingbc.ca or by calling 1-877-660-2522.
Councils help find and share welcoming places in their communities
This fall, CLBC’s Vancouver Community Council and Thompson Cariboo Community Council have partnered with their local libraries to co-host a series of ‘themed mapping’ and ‘visioning’ sessions to engage citizens about where they feel welcome, connected and included in their community. The information gathered at these mapping events will be displayed in their area library as a resource for other people.
CLBC Community Councils from around the province are learning how to facilitate community asset mapping workshops as a way to strengthen connections and inclusion in their region and local neighbourhoods. Together they have formed British Columbia Community Asset Mapping Network (BCCAMN) and share the vision: Welcoming, kind and inclusive communities where all people know how and where to connect in their community.
An on-line platform to gather and share community gifts and assets is under development in partnership with the Family Support Institute, also scheduled to be launched this fall. For more information on mapping events, or to join the network, please contact CLBC’s Self Advocate Advisor at Jessica.Humphrey@gov.bc.ca.
Explore new L.I.F.E.-based service at Transforming Day Services – Take 3 event
The BC Employment Network is hosting a two-day event on October 24 and 25 called Transforming Day Services – Take 3 that will explore CLBC’s new L.I.F.E.-based service. This event will be guided by people who were involved in the design and testing of the new service. To learn more about the event and to register, click here.
CLBC is preparing to pilot the new L.I.F.E.-based service through a small-scale launch with one service provider in each CLBC region. A procurement process is underway to select five agencies by the end of October. Once agencies have been selected, there will be a development phase before the pilot launches in March and runs until November 2019. The new service will then be broadly implemented across the province in early 2020.
L.I.F.E. stands for Learning, Inclusion, Friendships and Employment. It was developed in consultation with hundreds of individuals, families, service providers and CLBC staff through a user-design process. The new service will support individuals to find a job and also to make friends, learn skills that build confidence and independence, and find new opportunities in community. You can read a story about one family that participated in the trials here.
Inclusive housing sessions at November 18-20 Housing Central conference
Once again, there will be several inclusive housing sessions at the BC Non-Profit Housing Association’s Housing Central conference in Vancouver from November 18 to 20. We hope to see you there.
Education sessions will include:
- Inclusive Housing Benefits Everyone (S03-Nov. 18) – presented by Jack Styan, CLBC VP Strategic Initiatives; and Karla Verschoor, Inclusion BC Acting Executive Director
- Community Living CEO Dialogue (M35-Nov. 19) – presented by Seonag Macrae, CLBC CEO; and Shayne Ramsay, BC Housing CEO
- Building Social Community Through Collective Impact (T17-Nov. 20) – presented by Catriona Johnson, CLBC Research and Innovation Lead; Karla Verschoor, Inclusion BC Acting Executive Director; Jack Styan, CLBC VP Strategic Initiatives; Ross Chilton, Community Living Society CEO; and Doug Tennant, Uniti CEO.
Representatives from BC People First will present at an education session called Our Home – Our Way: BC People First (S32-Nov. 18), for a discussion on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – The Right to Live in the Community.
RDSP Awareness Month: Spread the word
CLBC is joining others in October, which is also RDSP Awareness Month, to encourage every family to open a Registered Disability Savings Plan. This Canada-wide program can make a huge difference for the future of someone with a developmental disability.
CLBC has launched a new page on our website here to help build awareness about the RDSP for individuals we serve. On it, you will find stories from families about why it is so important to open an RDSP as early as possible, as well as their tips. We will be sharing information about the page on the CLBC Facebook and Twitter pages in October.
You can get help to open an RDSP right away from organizations like the Plan Institute (www.rdsp.com), Disability Alliance BC, and BCANDS, which has RDSP Navigators to provide support for people in the indigenous community.
