PDD NORTHEAST COMMUNITY BOARD MEETING

Sunday, March 21, 2004        8:30 am – 2:10 pm

Conference Room 10, Fantasyland Hotel

 Edmonton, Alberta

 

APPROVED MINUTES

 

Present:

Don Schultz, Donna Desjardins, Christine Botsford, Dr. Doug Fleming, Ralph Gorrie,

Carmela Levesque, Glenn Hennig, Colleen Marks, Caren Mueller

Administration:  Dr. Alex Hillyard, CEO; Lucille Froese, Recording Secretary

 

Regrets:  Floyd Thompson, for personal reasons.

 

Guests: 

Robin Acton, Outgoing President, AACL, Jim Reed, Incoming President,

AACL, Bruce Uditsky, Executive Director, AACL, Lori Skinner, AACL

Dr. Susan Moisey, Athabasca University

 

A.     Don Schultz, Chair, called the meeting to order at 8:30 am, March 21, 2004.

 

B.     Approval of Agenda

 

#04-03-754      MOTION:      Donna Desjardins moved the Board approve the agenda.

Carried unanimously.

 

C.     Approval of Minutes

 

#04-03-755      MOTION:      Donna Desjardins moved the Board approve the

minutes. Carried unanimously.

 

D.    Board Members Regional Updates and Reports

 

E.     Delegations and presentations

 

F.      Reports

 

1.      Board Communications & Operations

 

1.1  Northeast Alberta Community Board 2004-2007 Business Plan

Recommendation:      That the Board approve the 2004-2007 Business Plan as

presented in Appendix I.

Purpose of Report:    Input, discussion, and approval

 

The Board reviewed and discussed each section of the Business Plan. Some areas are similar to last year and other parts are new. The Business Plan is in line with the provincial direction.

 

The Northeast Board’s three year business plan (2004-2007) will be presented by Chairman Don Schultz and CEO Dr. Alex Hillyard, to the Provincial Board at their meeting on April 8, 2004.

 

#04-03-756      MOTION:      Glenn Hennig moved the Board approve the Business Plan as

presented. Carried unanimously.

 

2.  Administration

 

2.1  Inclusive Libraries Initiative: Project Update

Recommendation:      That the Board receive this report for information

Purpose of Report:    For information and input from the Board

 

At their February 21st, 2004 meeting, the Board received information that the project, “Inclusive Libraries Initiative: Creating Community Information Centres to Foster Online Communications and e-Learning in Marginalized Populations” had been funded under the Community Capacity Development program. This is a collaborative project involving Athabasca University, the Libraries Branch of Alberta Community development, and the Northern Lights Library System.

 

The project has three components:

·        Resource and Readiness Analysis

·        Building an Inclusive Library – Resource Package

·        E-mail Mondays

 

Dr. Susan Moisey gave the Board an overview of the project to date and answered questions on various aspects of the project.

·        The purpose of the Inclusive Libraries Project is to encourage people to use technology.

·        Families and individuals had sited lack of equipment as a barrier.

·        Some libraries have been contacted, now want to contact all libraries and also get a sense of what library resources there are.

 

#04-03-757      MOTION:      Christine Botsford moved the Board accept the report for

information. Carried unanimously.

 

 

2.2  Service Planning Initiative: Project Update

Recommendation:      That the Board receive this report for information

Purpose of Report:    Information

 

Lori Skinner from AACL gave the Board an update on three Service Planning initiatives.

·        Funding Review Project

·        First Forum with Service Providers has been held.

·        Talked about their understanding of service planning.

·        2nd Potluck Meeting of Families

·        A group of parents in the Onoway area who are managing their own funding attended a potluck lunch to talk about how they are doing and how they manage their funding.

·        Dr. Alex Hillyard, CEO, Northeast Alberta Community Board, also attended to answer questions.

·        Northeast Alberta Family Voices Staff Transition

·        Family Voices are starting to define themselves a little more.

·        Parents are taking over as the representatives in the region.

·        Only two places now where the representative is still from AACL.

·        The parent representatives are paid, part time positions. Anyone interested should contact Lori Skinner at AACL.

 

#04-03-758      MOTION:      Donna Desjardins moved the Board accept the report for

information. Carried unanimously.

 

2.3  Accountability Framework for Service Providers and Families: Project Update

Recommendation:      That the Board receive this report for information

Purpose of Report:    Information and discussion

 

The Northeast Alberta Community Board is responsible to oversee and evaluate the development and delivery of programs and services to support individuals with developmental disabilities in the Northeast Region. April 1, 2004 will signal six years of Community Governance in the Northeast Region under the direction of the Northeast Board.

 

The Board has initiated a review of the current Governance and Accountability framework operating in the region. Two areas of this review are first Board Governance and Accountability, and the second relates to the delivery of programs and their overall impact on the daily lives of individuals with developmental disabilities.

 

The administration has contracted with AACL to develop discussion papers on this topic and secondly to undertake a review of current accountability practices related to program delivery.

 

Bruce Uditsky, Executive Director of AACL, led a discussion with the Board on directions of the accountability framework for service providers and families.

·        Looking at Board Governance and Accountability and areas of program accountability outside of the financial framework.

·        Important to start simply. There is a tendency to get more complicated over time.

·        The accountability framework has, effectively, three major components. These are based on the vision, mission and values of Northeast PDD.

1.      An Individualized Person Centered Plan – forms the foundation by which there is an agreement to provide funding and outlines how PDD funding will be used to support persons with developmental disabilities and enhance their inclusion in community life. This requires an inherent and logical accountability requirement to report how the plan has unfolded.

 

2.      Life Domains – human beings tend to identify a universal set of life domains – family, home, friends, career, income, love, participation, belonging, etc. Need a framework that captures to what extent life is unfolding along those lines for persons with developmental disabilities.

 

3.      Reporting Format – refers to the various ways and means by which families and service providers will report on the impact of the received PDD funding using the life domains and respective dimensions as the reporting context.

 

The first phase of construction of the new accountability framework has begun with the service providers and remains to begin with families in the very near future.  This is an evolutionary process, which will be brought back to the Board at different stages.

 

#04-03-759      MOTION:      Christine Botsford moved the Board accept the report for

information. Carried unanimously.

 

2.4    Understanding Your Funding Options: Family Guide

Recommendation:      That the Board receive this report for information

Purpose of Report:    Information

 

The Northeast Board agreed to participate as a pilot region for the Provincial Board funding review recommendations. One of the initiatives within the region was the development of a funding guide for families.

 

The Board reviewed and discussed the guide, entitled “ Understanding Your Funding Options: A Guide for Families of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities”.

 

The guide was designed and written for families who choose to manage their own resources.

 

The guide lays out a four-step process for families, from eligibility to designing person centered plans and having them approved.

 

 

#04-03-760      MOTION:      Doug Fleming moved the Board accept the report for

information. Carried unanimously.

 

G.    Communications from Board Chair

·        Friday, March 26, 2004 will be the signing of the new Governance Agreement in Westlock, at the Westlock Community Centre.

·        Will be signed by representatives from the Northeast Board, Children’s Authority, Health Authority, and 11 School Boards.

·        Will give a copy of provincial Board meeting dates to all Northeast Board members – so each Board member can schedule a date to attend a Provincial Board meeting during the year.

 

H.    Communications from CEO

·        Provincial Workforce Strategy 2010: Update

·        Child and Family Services Authority joined the Workforce Strategy Committee.

·        Funding will be provided by Child and Family Services Authority, PDD, and AARC.

·        A three-year Workforce Strategy project will occur.

·        March 10th Presentation to St. Paul School Board

·         Community Capacity Sessions have been taking place in a number of communities in the Northeast Region.

·        St. Paul, March 15th

·        Fort McMurray, March 16th

·        Cold Lake, March 17th

·        Inclusive Board Workshop, March 29th and 30th

·        All Service Providers, self-advocate groups, and other Boards in the region are being invited.

·        This is to help Boards communicate with the general public about what they do.

·        There will be a special session for self-advocates.

 

I.       In-Camera Session (Review organizational issues)

 

#04-03-761      MOTION:      Doug Fleming moved the Board go In-Camera at 8:30 am to

discuss organizational issues. Carried unanimously.

 

#04-03-762      MOTION:      Ralph Gorrie moved the Board come out of Camera at

8:50 am. Carried unanimously.

 

J.      Notice of Motion/Request for Information

 

K.    Proposed Meeting Dates

 

Adjournment

 

#04-03-763      MOTION:      Doug Fleming moved the Board adjourn at 2:10 pm.

Carried unanimously.

 

 

 

 

 

_________________________________                  _______________________________

Don Schultz, Chair                                                        Dr. Alex Hillyard, CEO