Community Leadership is shaping the next CLBC Strategic Plan
Aspire Richmond self advocacy group hosting an engagement session in Richmond, B.C.
As Community Living BC (CLBC) develops its new Strategic Plan to guide our work from 2026-2029, we want to thank the incredible community‑led leadership that made our recent engagement efforts so meaningful.
CLBC is extremely grateful for the work of leaders from self-advocacy groups, our 12 Community Councils, the Indigenous Advisory Committee and community and Indigenous partners who led engagement sessions.
Because of this collective effort, more than 1,100 people across British Columbia provided feedback.
There were 71-community led engagement sessions across BC, a public survey and targeted reach outs. More than 350 self-advocates and nearly 350 family members took part in these sessions.
What We Learned: Strategic Plan Engagement Report now available
The What We Learned report collects and shares back everything we learned through our engagement process.
During the engagement there were seven themes that emerged. These themes are helping to inform CLBC’s new strategic plan and will guide how the organization sets priorities for the next three years.
- Communication was the most important issue raised. Across all groups, people said information from CLBC is sometimes hard to access, unclear, or not in plain language. People want proactive, consistent communication, provided in different ways.
- People want to understand decision-making that affects them. Clear, plain‑language explanations about eligibility and decision‑making help people understand who qualifies for services, why decisions are made, and why services are approved. This information supports informed choice, trust, and a stronger sense of fairness.
- People want to feel seen and heard. Relationships and presence matter. People want CLBC staff to know them and ask questions to better understand their situation.
- A lack of role clarity creates confusion. This includes CLBC’s role as an organization and the facilitator’s role as a main point of contact. People recognize that facilitators manage large and complex workloads but are often unclear about what facilitators can and cannot do.
- Cultural supports are essential to health and wellbeing. Indigenous participants and others emphasized that cultural identity and connection to culture helps people to feel a sense of belonging, safety, and healing. People called for Indigenous-led, culturally grounded supports to be built into services so the whole person is supported. They want CLBC to build connections with more Indigenous organizations and Nations and provide training to staff to advance culturally safe spaces.
- The transition from youth to adulthood is especially challenging. Families and people who receive CLBC services described this period of time as stressful and confusing, with major changes in support offered, system processes, and language used by different agencies. People want earlier, clearer, and more coordinated planning for this transition.
- Stronger coordination and liaison across government systems is needed. Many people experience gaps between CLBC, health, housing, and other government services. Challenges include inconsistent language, limited plain‑language materials, and difficulty navigating multiple systems.
What’s next?
All of this learning will inform a draft strategic plan, which will be brought to the CLBC Board for direction and approval. The final 2026–2029 Strategic Plan will be published late fall of 2026.
Visit this page for updates, including the upcoming publication of the 2026-2029 Strategic Plan. The plan will also be shared on CLBC’s social media channels (Facebook, Blue Sky, Instagram) and in the CLBC Update for Individuals and Families.
We are proud of the collaboration that led to such strong participation and thoughtful contributions. It tells us that people care deeply about CLBC’s work and want to be part of strengthening how we learn, grow, and make a difference for the people we serve.
Do you have further questions? Email: CLBC.StrategicPlan@gov.bc.ca