Funding cuts force city agencies for disabled to reject new clients

Those speaking for the families of people who use the province's Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program say if Alberta's health minister has stepped in to halt hospital bed closures in recent months, and the children's services minister has reversed cuts to foster care, why can't the same be done for adults with Down syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or other serious conditions?

"We think the same adjustments should be made for people with disabilities," said Bruce Uditsky, CEO of the Alberta Association for Community Living, a group that represents the families of disabled adults.

As the province wrestles with a deficit budget this fiscal year, funding for PDD is essentially unchanged from last year -- at just under $600 million.

However, the PDD regions are having to cope with a wide range of new costs, including increased wages for employees, expanding case loads and other inflationary pressures. Agencies that provide services say they have no choice but to cut programs or stop accepting new clients.

"I don't think people with disabilities should be paying for pension liability or government wage increases by reducing their supports. That seems to me highly questionable," Uditsky said.

Community Supports Minister Mary Anne Jablonski said she knows it's going to be a difficult year for the program.

But she noted funding for PDD is holding relatively steady when compared to other provincial social programs, and Alberta's system is already more generous than provinces with similar programs, such as British Columbia, Manitoba or Ontario.

"All ministers with social programs are faced with fiscal realities and cost pressures," Jablonski said in an interview Sunday.

"I do remain committed to helping our PDD clients and I'll continue to watch to ensure that their health and safety is looked after."

The minister added, "it is still early in the budget year."

Alberta adults with disabilities are eligible for certain services, including help finding a job or social outings. Services aren't provided directly by the government, but through small, localized social agencies.

Those social agencies receive provincial dollars through regional authorities -- similar to the old system of health authorities.

On the ground in Calgary, some agencies are fearful about taking on new clients, given the financial uncertainty of this year. Already, they have signed contracts with the authority that enact a small cut to their annual funding.

"I can't see anything else but people having problems getting service," said Ryan Geake, executive director of the Calgary Scope Society.

He said his group has turned away about a dozen clients in the past year.

"Organizations are cutting services to existing people. So where they're going to get money for new folks is a question that we're all asking."

Alex Hillyard, chief executive of Calgary's PDD regional authority, said there are about 2,400 adults being helped in the Calgary area. Each year sees a net increase of 40 to 60 clients.

He acknowledges that as the money makes its way down the pipe, PDD agencies in Calgary have to cut about 1.5 per cent from their budgets while managing a host of new costs. That could impact services as well as the agencies' ability to immediately take on new clients.

"There will be delays given certain circumstances," Hillyard said, noting the region will find ways of managing the situation.

"I can understand some agencies being hesitant."

Hillyard said he is trying to lessen the impact of the funding freeze by cutting expenses at his office as much as possible.

A meeting later this month will see if there can be further efficiencies at agencies. That could include actions such as changing staffing ratios, and -- as an example -- having one worker care for two clients when previously care was given on a one-on-one basis.

Hillyard added they'll be looking at "how people could be a little more independent.

"It is a strain on everyone, but it's a function of the times."

Calgarian Cory Leavins, whose 20-year-old daughter Amy is in PDD programming, said his family has benefited from what he said is a generally good program.

He worries that some groups are engaged in "fearmongering" in regards to budget cuts. At the same time, he feels the program would be aided by more stable government funding.

"This cycle of giving and taking back all the time has got to stop," Leavins said.

"It's a constant state of fear."