Guiding Legislation/Regulation
 

Person with Developmental Disabilities Services Act guides the nature of services provided to individuals with developmental disabilities, identification of individuals eligible for these services, processes to obtain such services, and safety standards regulation any service provider must have in place to be eligible for funding.
 

Alberta Council of Disability Services (ACDS) advocates for organizations providing disabilities services. ACDS equally ensures these organizations are adherent to the policies outlined in the Disabilities Act legislation. 
 

Funding 
 

Primary funding agencies for individuals accessing services through my organization include Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) and Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH). 
 

 

Other Information Sources 
 

The Canadian Institute for Health Information provides key information guiding the activities of my organization and my role as a community disability practitioner in turn. Some critical information captured in the CIHI’s database is outlined below.
 

Some concepts in community disability support initiatives for persons with developmental disabilities include family-centred approach, developmental disabilities, caregiver distress, substance use, mental health, addictions, self harm, counselling, to mention but a few. The CIHI database is an excellent information source for addressing these concepts.
 

Family-centred approach to community support for persons with developmental disabilities is increasingly being incorporated in initiatives to integrate these persons into the community. However, the research findings quantifying the distress in people, who voluntarily care for individuals with disabilities, indicate more initiatives protecting the mental health of these unpaid caregivers (CIHI, 2020; CIHI, 2019). Such initiatives may include better access to home/community care services as well as mental health and addictions services in Canada (CIHI, 2019). 
 

Caregiver distress is among the top three indicators for the accessibility to and performance of Home/community care and mental health and addictions services in Canada (CIHI, 2020). Other indicators include self-harm, hospital stay for harm caused by substance use, or hospital stay extended until home care services/supports are available, wait times for community mental health counselling or home care services (CIHI, 2020).
 

 

 

Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2020). Measuring access to priority health services, August 2020. Ottawa, ON: CIHI; 2020. https://www.cihi.ca/en/measuring-access-to-priority-health-services
Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2020). 1 in 3 unpaid caregivers in Canada are distressed, August 2020. Ottawa, ON: CIHI; 2020. https://www.cihi.ca/en/1-in-3-unpaid-caregivers-in-canada-are-distressed
Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2019). Health system resources for mental health and addictions care in Canada, July 2019. Ottawa, ON: CIHI; 2019. https://www.cihi.ca/sites/default/files/document/mental-health-chartbook-report-2019-en-web.pdf 

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