Dear Minister McRae,
Please accept the attached as our formal submission to your Ministry’s consultation on issues impacting people living with disabilities. Let me start by offering our congratulations for undertaking this important initiative. As one of the leading providers of outcome driven treatments for those British Columbians with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), CONNECT is very supportive of your initiative and is looking forward to participating.
CONNECT has been delivering services to people with ABI in partnership with Interior Health for more than five years. This partnership has demonstrated both superior outcomes and cost effectiveness over that period and our model for services and supports has recently been accepted for evaluation by the provincial Core Review process.
Our innovative, collaborative and economically sound approach is making lives better for British Columbians with disabilities. Residents are dramatically exceeding expectations, successfully redesigning their realities, and regularly accessing the community to maintain and build relationships. CONNECT offers a way for people with brain injury to live independently and reduce dependency on the health care system.
CONNECT fits perfectly within British Columbia’s vision of becoming the national leader for people living with disabilities. This vision can only be achieved by respecting and reflecting the needs and wants of people living with disabilities in British Columbia while, at the same time, continuing to meet your government’s financial objectives. In British Columbia, 160,000 people live with the impact of brain injury, making ABI the largest disabler of British Columbians under the age of 45.
CONNECT strongly believes its approach to ABI service delivery offers a better way because it:
· Makes Lives Better - For 20 years, CONNECT services and supports have transformed hundreds of individuals by helping people redesign their lives, build interdependent relationships and gain independence outside of long-term care.
· Provides a Focused Solution – CONNECT’s unique culture and services focus specifically on the enormous potential of people with ABI to recover and build independent lives. By leveraging neuroplasticity, emphasizing accountability and seeking relevant personal outcomes, CONNECT transitions people out of the system and helps them lead the best possible lives while in the system.
· Delivers Undeniable Economics – Transitioning people to more independence saves an astounding amount of money over time as compared to a lifetime in care. CONNECT permanently reduces costs rather than embedding them.
Please see the attachments for more information about CONNECT. You will also find CONNECT’s submission to the BC Government’s Core Review. CONNECT is seeking to have its proven approach made available for people living with ABI throughout the province so the successful outcomes and cost efficiencies delivered for Interior Health can be replicated throughout British Columbia.
CONNECT’s model touches every aspect of the Disability White Paper discussion points: Innovation, Personal Supports, Work and Contribution, Housing and Accessibility, Social Networks and Asset Accumulation.
We very much look forward to presenting to your committee in Victoria.
Sincerely,
Patti Flaherty, President and COO
CONNECT