Don Schultz, Chair, Phil Fluet, Vice-Chair, Donna Desjardins, Dr. Douglas Fleming,
Carmela Levesque, Laurel Morris-Duncan, Cathy Beer, Johanne Hassey and Christine Botsford
Administration: Dr. Alex Hillyard, C.E.O., Lucille Froese, Recording Secretary.

1. Board Communications and Operations

1.1 Northeast Alberta P.D.D. Community Board 2001-2004 Service  Plan Provincial Board Priorities and Key Performance Measures
     Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information
     Purpose of Report: Information and discussion

A motion was passed at the last Provincial PDD Board meeting for Provincial Key Performance Measures to be developed.

The Board directed the administration to continue the same input and review process as that used for the 1999-2003 Service Plan. A letter from the Board Chair will be sent to Service Providers inviting them to participate in the input and review process over the next four months.

1.2 Northeast Alberta PDD Community Board/Edmonton PDD Community Board Joint Meeting, October 22, 2000: Minutes and Follow-up (Draft)
     Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information
     Purpose of Report: Information and discussion

The Board received a draft of the minutes for the NE Alberta PDD Community Board/Edmonton PDD Community Board Joint meeting on October 22, 2000.

Board members will review the draft minutes and provide input to the Chair by November 24, 2000. The Chair will correlate the input and pass it on to the administration to be forwarded to the Edmonton PDD Board.

1.3 Letter received from St. Paul Abilities Network
     Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information
     Purpose of Report: Information and discussion on a response

Donna Desjardins, Board Member, received a letter from Tim Bear, Executive Director, St. Paul Abilities Network regarding the Auditor General's audit report for the Northeast Alberta PDD Community Board's financial position as of March 31, 1999, Northeast Board surplus position and potential expansion of the PDD service mandate. A draft response was prepared for the Board's review.

1.4  Letter from Alberta Special Olympic Summer Games
     Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
     Purpose of Report: Information and discussion

The administration received a letter from Mr. Gary Swan, Committee Chairman, Alberta Special Olympic Summer Games, expressing appreciation of the Board's sponsorship of the Games.

1.5 "Back to the Future" Conference: Debrief
     Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information.
     Purpose of Report: Information and discussion

• The CEO gave a general overview of the evaluation forms from the conference. The overall comments were very positive,
• Participants would like the information mall and recognition event to continue at future conferences.
• Several communities asked that the Board give them the opportunity to host the conference in future years.
• Service Providers mentioned that next year they would like to show what is new and innovative that they have done during the year, in the Information Mall.
• Conference pictures and follow up stories will be sent to local papers. The administration will prepare drafts for the Board's approval.
• Service providers and community councils requested copies of the pictures.
• The Chair suggested pictures and description be put on the website
• The Vocational Rehabilitation and Research Centre offered to be available for projects in northern Alberta
• A full report of the conference proceedings will be presented to the Board when available.

1.6 Holiday Season: Recognition Events
     Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information
     Purpose of Report: Discussion and consensus

Last year the Board celebrated the holiday season by giving "Festive Baskets" to Service Provider Agencies and Boards. These baskets were delivered by Board members in their local communities. The Board agreed they would like to continue this personal approach on behalf of the Board.

2.  Administration

2.1 Transition Planning: Proposal for St. Paul Community
     Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information
     Purpose of Report: Information and discussion

Administration will develop community partners to participate in activities which will provide information and otherwise support students and families who are in "transition" from child to adult PDD services in the St. Paul community.

2.2  Keep Safe Workshop: St. Paul Community
     Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information
     Purpose of Report: Information

On October 28, 2000 a gentleman with a developmental disability was assaulted while walking to his home in St. Paul.

As a result of this incident, St. Paul Abilities Network outreach department, in partnership with PDD are hosting a "Keeping Safe" workshop on November 24, 2000. The workshop will consist of three components. The first, facilitated by Mental Health Services, will assist clients to deal with their feelings about their friend being assaulted and their own sense of fear. The second component will be facilitated by the RCMP who will talk about practical safety measures as well as some self-defense techniques. The third component will be facilitated by outreach and PDD staff who will talk about empowerment and what we can do as citizens to voice our concerns pertaining to violence in our town.

2.3  Transition Planning for Seniors: Example From One Community
Recommendation: That the Board receive this report for information
Purpose of Report: Information and discussion

Transition planning for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families (supports) is a key priority for the Board, both in the current business plan and with greater emphasis in the 2001-2004 Business Plan.

The NE Board supports the principles of effective transition planning at any stage in an individual's life with focus on strong individual involvement in decisions, concern for care and security, ease of change and use of natural supports.

For example, PDD started providing services to one individual when he was in his late 50's and living on the family farm. PDD continued to provide support to this gentleman in his home on the farm for many years until his memory started to fail at which time a decision was made to move him to a seniors lodge and have the generic services handle things.

A plan was made with all partners to assist the gentleman to make the move to senior services in a gradual and safe manner. The first year PDD increased its supports in the home to ensure his safety and encouraged many visits and activities with other seniors in the community. The following year, he went to live in the seniors lodge for the winter and PDD provided some supports in the lodge to encourage activities in the lodge and to take him to the farm every few days to check on things. He returned home to the farm full time in the spring with increased PDD supports in the home.

This year, safety risks did not permit him to remain on the farm full time but he did continue to have 3 to 4 "day" visits each week and this arrangement worked well for him. He easily transitioned to the lodge and PDD is continuing to provide weekly supports. The focus of these supports is to connect him to the generic senior activities in his community.

PDD will have a gradually reduced role in his care over the next few years as he becomes more comfortable with the senior services in his community.

• Heard an appeal that was based on criteria of IQ; have been asked to sit on two more but unable to do so.
• Provincial Board meeting
• the administration of the Provincial Board brought forward a motion to take 5% of the dollars being allocated for wages to give to the Central and Southern Regions to top up wages as indicated by the wage survey the Board got. The motion was defeated. The funds will be distributed equally.
• Michener Centre has been instructed by the Provincial Board to revise their business plan and bring it back to the Board.
• As a result of our joint meeting with the Edmonton Region Board, other Regional Boards have expressed interest in having joint meetings
• Provincial Board retreat - agreed more time should be spent on issues and less on process

• The Chair handed out a copy of the report on Surplus Funds from Jim Menzies, for information.
• Northeast Region is reviewing ways to have surplus funds returned.
• Criteria assigned to spending these funds is not known yet.
• There were areas identified at the conference that will need funds.
• Interviews for the new Provincial Board CEO will be held the first week of December.
• NE Region CEO has accepted the Board request to renegotiate for his position.
• December 7, 2000 - there will be a meeting of Partners in Progress in Barrhead. A family
  the Board sponsored to attend the AACL conference will assist with organizing the meeting.

• Board letterhead - photos from all communities will be used and the photo background on the letterhead and business cards will be changed annually to reflect the communities. Once the photo backgrounds have been set, individuals from the Region who appear on the Regional display, letterhead and business cards will receive a framed copy of the visual presentation in which they appear, along with a letter of appreciation from the Board.

• Printing of the letterhead, envelopes and business cards is to be delayed until the closing of
  the legislature for the Christmas break.

• Wage Equity
  
  • The administration will be meeting with Service Providers on November 30, 2000 to review plans for distribution of wage increases.
    
• The CEO and Board Chair have been invited to attend the AACL Board meeting on November 25, 2000.

Doug Fleming, Westlock

• November 28, 2000 - will be attending the Athabasca Community Council meeting.
• December 6, 2000 - will be attending meetings with the Rotary Club, Transportation Committee and Westlock Community Council.

Christine Botsford, Fort McMurray

• No date for the next Community Council meeting yet.

Laurel Morris-Duncan, Fort McMurray

• November 1, 2000 - attended the Fort McMurray Community Council meeting.
• A wheelchair accessible home is in the planning stage - not started yet
• Employment Coordinator Robin Hunting, is in the process of meeting with every client and family.
• November 6, 2000 - attended the Northern Lights working committee on FAS
• They have limited funding and are holding a raffle to continue the salary of their coordinator. They are also looking at accessing funds for a community advocate.
• Attended a supper for parents of FAS children and their guests

Donna Desjardins, St. Paul

• Attended the St. Paul Community Council meeting on October 26, 2000
• Annual reports - suggestion made that inside the annual report we could have stories of community access and success.
• There is a need for someone to come back from Michener
• A Public Guardian Coordinator has been hired with office space at SPAN
• Donna committed to putting their number on the PDD website (1-866-645-3900)
• The wheelchair accessible residence is now expected to open on December 15^th, 2000.

Carmela Levesque, Bonnyville

• October 26, 2000 - attended Bonnyville/Cold Lake Community Council Meeting and provided them with minutes from our Board meeting
• The Community Council felt they had not been consulted on the Service Plan - perhaps the process should be formalized so it is clear
• A very good update on CACL conference with families presenting.
• There was discussion and interest on transition to college
• On November 22, 2000 the Community Council has asked a guest speaker, Jenny Pate, to make a presentation on the entrepreneurial program
• The Premier's Council is preparing an opinion paper on the Cuff report.
• Needs Assessment - the interview process is about 90% complete. Will be meeting November, 2000 with the committee for a preview of draft.
• Abuse training - the Community Council is going to send in a request for money to help people come from Cold Lake to Bonnyville for this training.
• People's First presented a proposal for funding to host a conference in Bonnyville - the Community Council will be working with them to get conference going
• The Community Council sent a letter to Dove Centre asking them a review of their policies. The Dove Board has agreed to send a letter to the Community Council stating this.
• Requested some feedback for our Annual Report content.

Johanne Hassey, Vilna

• Nothing to report

Cathy Beer, Vegreville

• October 18, 2000 - Attended Vegreville Community Council lunch meeting - there was very good attendance
• Representatives from the Rotary attended as well as the FCSS Director
• There was a presentation with regard to transportation
• The FCSS director is working with someone from Health to get some funding - there are some funding dollars available to hire a facilitator to look at their community to see how they can get something going.
• Another Community Council meeting is planned for late November.
• October 26, 2000 - attended the St. Paul Community Council meeting.

Phil Fluet, Cherhill

• Attended a website conference call
• Looking at function, content, adding to the list of potential websites and links that can be accessed from the PDD home page
• Assembling frequently asked questions with answers
• Reviewing some color choices for the home page - when color choice has been made the committee will make a recommendation to the Board.

________________________________   ________________________________
Don Schultz, Chair                                      Alex Hillyard, CEO