News Release Archive
COMMUNITY SERVICES--CHILDREN'S TRAINING CENTRES CLOSURE
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A report recommending the types of supports required to
complete the closure of the province's two Children's
Training Centres in Dartmouth and Sydney will be
implemented, Community Services Minister Jim Smith said
today.
The report recommends how closure can proceed and the needs
of residents met during the transition to community-based
options.
The 10-member committee, five of whom are parents of
children and youth who use the services of the two centres,
was established to review the recommendations made by Dr.
Peter Camfield, head of the neurology department at the
Izaak Walton Killam Hospital in a November, 1994 report on
the operations of the two institutions.
Reaffirming the department's commitment to
de-institutionalization, Dr. Smith said that "residents of
the Children's Training Centres will continue to receive the
same high quality care until the closure of both facilities
is successfully concluded and appropriate alternative
supports are in place for them in their communities."
Noting that community placement plans have already been
successfully developed for more than 30 former residents of
the Nova Scotia Youth Training Centre and the Dartmouth and
Sydney children's facilities, the committee recommends that
the project team responsible for those plans continue its
work.
The project team, which has worked in partnership with
parents and community-based service providers, will remain
in place until similar plans are developed for each of the
remaining residents of the three facilities, Dr. Smith said.
In addition, the following existing community-based programs
will be reviewed as recommended and revised to better meet
the needs of children and their families:
* The in-home support program provides families with
necessary resources to enable their children to remain at
home. A clear definition of available supports and
eligibility criteria will be developed in order to ensure
that similar needs are addressed in a fair and equitable
fashion.
* The provincial respite care program is a vital component
of quality services to challenged individuals. Both
scheduled and emergency relief is essential for families who
are caring for children with high levels of need. Again,
equity and fairness will be the yardsticks by which this
revamped program will be measured.
* The development of two community-based residences to
accommodate the needs of the children now in the nursing
unit of the Sydney Children's Training Centre will be
undertaken by the project team. These facilities will be
staffed by persons with the necessary training to ensure the
safety and well-being of these medically complex young
people.
* In order to co-ordinate high quality planning and program
implementation among the department, parents/guardians, and
appropriate service providers, a case management program
will be developed.
The case management program "will guarantee that each
challenged individual has an advocate to ensure that
appropriate services and resources are in place and kept up
to date in accordance with his or her evolving needs and
circumstances," the minister said.
The committee's recommendations support the
de-institutionalization process, assure parents and
guardians of challenged individuals of ongoing support, and
provide an acceptable quality of life for their children, he
said.
Completion of the closure process will depend on the
appropriate community placement of all residents.
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Contact: Rusty McClelland 902-424-3265
trp Nov. 03, 1995