Six community boards in Alberta that govern services for people with developmental disabilities will continue to operate despite a government report recommending they be dissolved in favour of a single provincial advisory council.
A report on a 2010 administrative review of the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program that was released on Wednesday said the community boards contribute to inefficiencies and the high administrative cost of the PDD program.
But provincial Seniors and Community Supports Minister Mary Anne Jablonski said the community boards will remain in place.
“Government is not willing to implement a change that has the potential to disrupt services to individuals. Instead, I will give the board clear direction to improve efficiency and reduce duplication and monitor the boards’ response to this direction with regular updates,” said Jablonski during a press conference on Wednesday in Calgary.
In Central Alberta, the PDD program is delivered through the PDD Central Region Community Board.
“The community boards do an excellent job connecting to their community and have played an important role in the development of this program.”
PDD provides funding to pay staff to support adults with developmental disabilities in their home, for employment, community access and specialized needs.
PDD has approximately 180 service provider agencies and 9,300 individuals receiving support in Alberta. About 800 families opt to hire and manage PDD support themselves.
In 2009-10, PDD spent $142 million on administration. Its total budget was $597 million.
For every $100 spent on direct supports provided to individuals, PDD spent an additional $31 on administration of the program and service provider agencies.
Alberta Children and Youth Services spends $24 for every $100 in support and Jablonski said she would like PDD administration costs to be comparable.
To improve efficiency and increase effectiveness, government accepted four of the review’s recommendations — change the administration model so staff report directly to local supervisors and provide consistent service delivery across Alberta; provide additional resources to encourage the option for families to hire and manage support; develop a new technology system for PDD to reduce administration duties and increase co-ordination between PDD and service providers.
A new contracting process for service providers will also be developed to define administrative costs and where possible have individuals be served by one service provider. Service providers, families and other stakeholders will be consulted on the new process in June. A pilot program will begin January 2012 with full implementation in spring 2013.
The report is available at www.seniors.alberta.ca.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com