This past week, parents across Canada were joining an Ottawa father who was pushing for autism therapy and highlighting that autism should be treated as a national health crisis. Mark Chapeskie wants the federal government to allow for early intervention treatment to be funded by Medicare by including autism therapies under the Canada Health Act.
Chapeskie, the father of William, a four-year-old boy with autism, says Canada is falling short when it comes to caring for kids with autism. He started a national parliamentary petition calling on the federal government to treat autism as a neurological medical condition.
He said the out-of-pocket costs of raising and supporting a child with autism are beyond the means of most Canadians and he believes that autism should be considered a health priority since half a million Canadians are on the spectrum.
While some provinces do fund early intervention programs through social development programs, Doherty says most treatments end once a child reaches adulthood. There\’s a lack of consistency across the country. Less than a week after Chapeskie’s formal petition was posted to the Parliament of Canada website, more than 2,000 Canadians had signed the document. That means that it will be read in the House of Commons.
While Federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor would not commit to including autism care under the Canada Health Act she said the federal government is making strategic investments and a total of $10.9 million is being spent on a new online resource for families. Chapeskie applauds the move, but he said that’s not what parents needs and he hopes once his petition is read in the House of Commons that what he calls a national health crisis will also become an election issue.
This is a big move for this father but one that will hopefully inspire change at the government level. If nothing else, it has made a lot of people across the country rally together for greater rights and support for individuals who are on the autism spectrum.
Posted: June 7, 2019 by cvsadmin
Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce Kickstart at CVS
Last week, CVS was incredibly proud to host the May Kickstart for the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce. We welcomed 70 members of our business community to check out our building in Port Moody. Everyone got a chance to meet our staff, learn a bit more about CVS and get a first-hand opportunity to see some of the individuals we serve in action. They also got a live performance from one of the individuals we serve in our day program, Ayat.
We look forward to more opportunities in the future to partner with the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce.
Here are some pictures from the evening –
Posted: June 5, 2019 by cvsadmin
Claudia Cota
Please join me in thanking Claudia Cota for her work at Community Ventures Society over the past few years. Unfortunately, Claudia will be leaving CVS due to a personal move that will take her family out of the province. Claudia\’s final day at CVS will be on Monday, June 24th, 2019.
Claudia initially came to CVS in 2014 as our Finance and Administrative Coordinator. After leaving in 2016 to work in public practice, she returned to CVS in 2018 in the role of Manager of Finance. Since assuming this position, her efforts and commitment have made a significant impact on the Community Ventures Society and she will be missed by us all.
We want to take this opportunity to wish Claudia and her family good luck in their new adventure!
Posted: May 31, 2019 by cvsadmin
Notification of CVS Annual General Meeting (June 24th)
We wanted to inform you of the date for the 2019 Community Ventures Society Annual General Meeting. Our 2019 AGM will be held on June 24th at 4:00 PM at 2322 St. Johns Street.
CVS is interested in growing our membership base to strengthen our network. Membership enables individuals to participate in our AGM and other events and only costs $5. We have included a membership form with this message – please complete the form with your membership fee to the AGM or send it back to us.
The agenda for the AGM on June 24th is as follows:
We look forward to seeing you at the Annual General Meeting. If you have any questions about the AGM or membership, please contact Kevin Lusignan at your convenience.
Posted: May 14, 2019 by cvsadmin
CBC News: 10 Positive Traits That Some People With Autism Have
Here is a CBC news article that looks at ten positive aspects of Autism. I think it is so important to look at strengths and assets of people rather than look at perceived negatives.
Posted: May 8, 2019 by cvsadmin
Romance, Relationships and Rights
Romance, Relationships and Rights is a theatre performance co-created by and with self advocates supported by the Community Living Society and based on research by the Centre for Inclusion and Citizenship. We had a number of people from CVS attend and I know that everyone thought it was an excellent play talking about important things. To find out more see this article from CBC News.
Posted: May 8, 2019 by cvsadmin
Jean Vanier, Founder of Larche\’ Dead at 90
Jean Vanier, a disability champion has passed away at 90. He founded Larche\’ and was an ardent advocate for people with developmental disabilities to be part of the community. See more on this CBC article.
Posted: May 7, 2019 by cvsadmin
A Long Journey from Woodlands
The Vancouver Sun featured an article about the long journey that survivors of Woodlands have endured as they seek justice for the horrors of institutions. The advocates who spearheaded this fight should be congratulated as people are now getting compensated for the years spent in woodlands.
Posted: May 2, 2019 by cvsadmin
Check out Hello! at the Firehall Arts Centre in Vancouver
Hello! is an upcoming play that will kick off on May 22nd at the Firehall Arts Centre in Vancouver. It is a true story about playwright Arthur Miller’s secret son, Daniel who was institutionalized (see synopsis below). The play runs this month from May 22-June 1.
If you are interested in learning more about Theatre Terrific and its inclusive opportunities for artists of all abilities, check out the attached personal sponsorship letter. If you know of anyone else who may be interested in Theatre Terrific, please forward it on.
Posted: April 18, 2019 by cvsadmin
Ottawa Father\’s Petition to Add Autism Therapy to Canada Health Act Drives Nationwide Support
This past week, parents across Canada were joining an Ottawa father who was pushing for autism therapy and highlighting that autism should be treated as a national health crisis. Mark Chapeskie wants the federal government to allow for early intervention treatment to be funded by Medicare by including autism therapies under the Canada Health Act.
Chapeskie, the father of William, a four-year-old boy with autism, says Canada is falling short when it comes to caring for kids with autism. He started a national parliamentary petition calling on the federal government to treat autism as a neurological medical condition.
He said the out-of-pocket costs of raising and supporting a child with autism are beyond the means of most Canadians and he believes that autism should be considered a health priority since half a million Canadians are on the spectrum.
While some provinces do fund early intervention programs through social development programs, Doherty says most treatments end once a child reaches adulthood. There\’s a lack of consistency across the country. Less than a week after Chapeskie’s formal petition was posted to the Parliament of Canada website, more than 2,000 Canadians had signed the document. That means that it will be read in the House of Commons.
While Federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor would not commit to including autism care under the Canada Health Act she said the federal government is making strategic investments and a total of $10.9 million is being spent on a new online resource for families. Chapeskie applauds the move, but he said that’s not what parents needs and he hopes once his petition is read in the House of Commons that what he calls a national health crisis will also become an election issue.
This is a big move for this father but one that will hopefully inspire change at the government level. If nothing else, it has made a lot of people across the country rally together for greater rights and support for individuals who are on the autism spectrum.
Posted: April 18, 2019 by cvsadmin
Special Needs Emergency Preparedness Website Launches
A couple in Hope have launched a new website to provide a range of information for individuals with special needs so they can respond in the event of an emergency.The website, SNEP.ca offers tips to assist people with cognitive disabilities and their loved ones, with special needs emergency preparedness (SNEP).
The idea came up when Joshua Lemmens – one of the founders – was sitting in a cafe in downtown Hope. He was visiting a friend whose autistic adult son became entangled in a police conflict while a bystander. His arms were flailing and the man refused to listen to police orders and both Lemmens and his friend, the man’s mother, worried for his safety. “She said please don’t shoot, and went back into the house and came out with an orange … and his sole focus went on to this orange, and he was just peeling it” and it totally defused the situation. The orange, says Lemmens, was a positive trigger for the man, and “positive triggers are really important in emergency preparedness. It’s those sorts of tips that are on SNEP.ca.
So six months ago, the couple began designing the website, to which they now both contribute content: bit by bit, the duo are filling the site with “exciting and practical information that will help with preparedness for family members and caregivers of people with special needs.” Lemmens is producing informative videos and photos, while Crosbie is writing articles and creating their online presence.
To learn more about SNEP.ca, check out the article in The Chilliwack Progress.
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