British Columbia

Programs and Services

The governments of British Columbia and Canada entered into the Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities (EAPD) bilateral agreement to support measures which will enhance the economic participation in the labour market of working age persons with disabilities by helping them to prepare for, attain and retain employment. From April 1, 1998 to March 31, 2003, the Government of Canada will contribute 50% of the cost of eligible programs and services in B.C., up to $27 million annually.

Programs are delivered through four ministries: Advanced Education, Human Resources, Children and Family Development, and Health.

Service Delivery

Advanced Education

Adult Special Education Program

This program has as its objective the increased independence of people with disabilities, along with their increased ability to participate fully in society and the economy. Services vary across institutions, but usually consist of one or more of the following:

• employment preparation;
• vocational skills training;
• academic skills development; and
• personal success skills development (delivered in the context of academic skills development or employment preparation).

Services for Students with Disabilities

Post-secondary students, or potential students, with a physical, sensory, cognitive or recognized learning disability may receive services aimed at improving their economic independence through improved access to post-secondary learning opportunities.

Services vary among institutions, but the following are generally available at most public
post-secondary institutions:

• transition services, which include orientation, liaison between students and instructors and exit planning;
• support services, including interpreters, readers, note takers, tutors, counselling, exam adaptation, and preferred parking; and
• special equipment and resources, which can include access to taped books, tape recorders, and computers with voice synthesizers and large print systems.

The Interpreting Services Project provides support for colleges, interpreters, students and personnel involved in the education of students who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind.

B.C. College and Institute Library Services provide library service for students and instructors at public colleges and institutes in B.C. who cannot use conventional print because of visual, learning or physical impairments.

Technology and Services Support Program (TSSP)

The objective of this program is to improve access to post-secondary learning by reducing disability-related barriers to post-secondary education. Program components include:

• Canada Study Grant (CSG):
  A Government of Canada grant of up to $5,000 per year, for technology or services;
• Assistance Program for Students with Permanent Disabilities (APSD): A provincial grant of up to $10,000 per year ($12,000 if for attendant care), for technology services; and
• loan and support of Adaptive Technology through the Adult Services Program.

The CSG is funded by the Government of Canada, while the APSD and the Adult Services Program components are provincially funded. Only the provincially funded components are described below.

• Through the Adult Services Program, TSSP funds the following:
• adaptive technology needs assessment;
• loan of adaptive and assistive technology;
• training and ongoing support in the use of technology; and
• an APSD grant of up to $10,000 per year ($12,000 if for attendant care), that can be used in educational settings for:
  • attendant care;
  • sign language interpretation;
  • tutors;
  • note-takers;
  • readers;
  • specialized transportation;
  • alternate formats to print;
  • technical or recording equipment; and
  • computers and other technical aids.

Human Resources

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS)

The objective of this program is to increase the economic independence of British Columbians with permanent disabilities by enhancing clients' ability to obtain and keep employment.

VRS provides the following types of services: medical and vocational assessment, career planning, training (both formal and on-the-job), adaptive and assistive technology job search support, vocational crisis assistance and follow-up.

Training Initiative Benefits

The objective of this program is to increase the economic self-sufficiency of DBII recipients by enhancing their employability skills, through increased ability to participate in volunteer opportunities in the community.

The program provides up to $50 per month for six months, with a possible additional six months, towards expenses associated with participating in a volunteer work experience through the Training Initiatives Program.

Children and Family Development

Supported Work Program

The objective of this program is to increase the economic independence of British Columbians with develop-mental disabilities by enhancing clients' ability to obtain and keep employment. Specific services depend on the contract, but can consist of:

• employment assessment and counselling;
• career planning;
• transition planning and support;
• crisis intervention/retraining;
• on or off-site supervision and support of training, work experience and employment; and
• recruitment of employers to provide supported work experience or employment opportunities.

Health

Addiction Services

The objective of Addiction Services is to improve the health and well-being of society by reducing the misuse of alcohol and other drugs, through:

• reduced substance misuse;
• improved health (physical and psychological);
• improved family and social functioning;
• improved vocational and educational functioning; and
• reduced involvement with the criminal justice system.

Clients may be served only through outpatient services, or may participate in a variety of components as required. Generally clients will go to outpatient services following other components. Services offer flexible schedules to accommodate clients' employment and training needs.

Outpatient services include:

• Assessment - Clients entering treatment are assessed in the following areas: use of alcohol, drugs or gambling and consequences of this use on health, vocational/employment functioning, family/social functioning, and involvement with the criminal justice system.
• Treatment planning - Individualized treatment plan identifies client's strengths and weaknesses, treatment strategies, and short and long-term goals.
• Case management - Ensures client receives an appropriate assessment and that treatment plan is developed; assists client with implementing treatment plan, including making necessary referrals to addiction services or employability programs within the community, and coordinating movement of client from one service to another; and provides ongoing support and evaluation of service needs and follow-up to determine whether client has achieved desired outcomes or whether further service is required.
• Treatment - Clients receive individual, family and group counselling as an outpatient or in a supportive recovery program.

Vocational and career planning can occur in other components. Following completion of the other component, the client would be referred to outpatient services to receive support in implementing the plan.

Mental Health Employment and Training Programs

The objective of Mental Health Employment and Training Programs is the increased independence of British Columbians with serious persistent mental illness by increasing their social, vocational and financial status, through:

• enhanced ability to enter and complete education and training;
• improved basic skills, work habits and behaviours;
• increased level of confidence and self-esteem;
• enhanced job skills;
• increased work experience; and
• enhanced ability to obtain and maintain competitive employment.

Each Health Authority has responsibility for delivering mental health programs; there is no provincial program. A general description of each service follows. The specific services provided in each region may vary.

• Case Management - Provided to ensure clients have access to a full range of services that meet their specific needs, including: social and vocational assessment, planning and coordination of services, referrals to service providers, supportive counselling, monitoring of service delivery, crisis intervention and ongoing support.
• Supported Education - Provided to assist clients prepare for, enter and complete education, through assessment of educational and training needs and support in accessing and completing training.
• Therapeutic Volunteer Work - Provides opportunity for assessment and pre-vocational training in a safe, supportive and non-competitive environment in a designated Therapeutic Volunteer Placement, usually a registered non-profit association.
• Training Incentive Allowance for the Therapeutic Volunteer Work Program - The volunteer is provided with a monthly allowance of $100 towards the cost of placement-associated expenses.
• Work Experience - A temporary, time-limited job placement that is part of a job preparation and training program.
• Supported Work - Paid work obtained by a service provider from an employer in an integrated work setting. It is time-limited and can be casual, temporary or part-time work that offers a combination of work experience, ongoing support and training.
• Supported Employment - Provides assistance in obtaining paid, competitive work in an integrated job setting, on a full-or part-time basis with pay based on the prevailing wage. Also provides ongoing support to client and employer for as long as needed for the individual to successfully sustain employment.

Representatives from all participating ministries meet on a regular basis to discuss and resolve various implementation issues. The EAPD Interministry Committee consists of financial and program representatives from all ministries, as well as a representative from Human Resources Development Canada

(HRDC) B.C.-Yukon Region.

The Persons With Disabilities Advisory Committee is comprised of representatives from several disability-related service organizations, who meet with HRDC Regional and Ministry of Human Resources representatives on a regular basis. The role of the committee is to influence programs and services of the federal and provincial governments in order to achieve full and equitable employment for people with disabilities throughout British Columbia.

With respect to the EAPD, the committee's role is to ensure that the training and employment services cost-shared under the agreement are effectively contributing to the overall goals of the initiative. The community members provide input and direction to the development of an annual program and services plan under the terms of the EAPD agreement.

Provincial Contact

David Mitchell, Director
Intergovernmental Relations Branch
Ministry of Human Resources
Tel.: (250) 356-0923
E-mail:david.mitchell@gems2.gov.bc.ca