We’re changing the way we talk about our services

In recent years, CLBC has received feedback about the way we talk about some of our services. CLBC hosted consultations and feedback sessions to hear about how we can improve the language we use. Each of the changes to language were made in response to feedback from the individuals we serve and also incorporated feedback and concerns raised by CLBC staff and service providers.

The changes we ​made will support two goals:

  1. To make the way we talk about our services clear and easy to understand, using plain language as much as possible, and
  2. To make sure the language we use is culturally safe and supports those we serve.

None of the support and service language changes will affect the types of services CLBC funds or how you can request services. This is simply how we communicate about them.

The changes are now reflected on our website. Most of the affected pages can be found in the What Support is Available? area. You can find an overview of all our supports in the Supports funded by CLBC handout here.

The reasoning behind the changes

To give context to why we’re making these changes, we’ve outlined the feedback we heard below.

When we are talking about the services as a whole, we are shifting from “Catalogue of Services” to “Supports Funded by CLBC”. We heard from people that the term ‘catalogue’ made it seem as if they could browse and choose whichever support they wanted, when in reality not all services are available in all communities.  ​

Supports for my and my family’s well-being

The new name for the support categories is in response to people CLBC serves asking for language that speaks directly to them, not solely about them.

There has been a reorganization of services under this support category and several language changes identified below.


Individual and Family Wellness (previously ‘Direct-Funded Respite’)

Over the past few years, supports that have fallen under the category of ‘respite’ have extended beyond the meaning of ‘respite’ to encompass a range of individual and family supports. Individuals and families use funding from the family respite policy to take courses, pay for mental health supports, and use peer-to-peer support among other activities.

To reflect this development, services that support individual and family well-being, such as self-directed or agency-coordinated services, will be called: “Individual and Family Wellness Support”. The support has the categories “Self-directed Individual and Family Wellness” (previously direct-funded respite) and “Agency-coordinated Individual and Family Wellness” (previously contracted respite).

Find the updated Individual and Family Wellness Policy on our website here.


Homemaker (previously ‘Home-maker’)

The small change to remove the dash in homemaker was made to align with CLBC’s communications standards.


Behavioural & Communication Support (previously ‘Behavioural Support’)

This support was previously called ‘behavioural support’. We added the ‘communication’ to acknowledge that behaviour is communication and because often behavioural supports connect people to resources to help them communicate what they need.


Supports to live in my home (previously ‘Residential’)

We heard from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous self advocates and community members that labelling supports offered in people’s homes as ‘residential’ is harmful. There is history of harm to Indigenous people and communities caused by residential schools that has lasting impact. There is also a history of institutionalization of people with developmental disabilities which is associated with the term.

We have changed the name of the support category to ‘Supports to live in my home’, or ‘home supports’, to be clearer and more respectful of the people we serve.


Independent Living (previously ‘Supported Living’)

We made this change because people who live alone refer to their living situation as ‘independent living’. Previously, this category was split into the subcategories: ‘outreach’ and ‘cluster’. We’re now encompassing both categories in independent living.

Changing the name of this support to reflect how individuals describe themselves will help us reach more people who live independently who may need support in their home. ​


Staffed Living (previously ‘Staffed Residential’)

We made this change to address both the colonial and institutional histories in the previous terminology and also to highlight the importance of “home” and all that it means, in the service.


Supports to participate in my community

The new name for the support categories is in response to people CLBC serves asking for language that speaks directly to them, not solely about them.


L.I.F.E (previously ‘L.I.F.E-based’)

We’re simplifying how we talk about L.I.F.E services because we heard that the ‘-based’ caused some confusion.


Learning (previously ‘Skill Development’)

Some of our support and services, such as inclusive post-secondary support, don’t fit under the category of ‘skill development’. We’ve also seen a shift in the community living sector that moves away from talking about people in terms of their skill level and toward more general learning.


Community Inclusion (previously ‘Community-based and Home-based Community Inclusion’)

Community and home-based community inclusion services offered very similar supports. Having them under one category makes it clearer for people, whether they access the support from their home or outside their home.


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