Power-Not Money-PublicEye

PublicEye
Provincial-October 7, 2009

Last week, it was reported the provincial government would be scrapping "teams of advisors who help families with special-needs children get in touch with the right child-care workers and who give guidance to those workers." This, according to CTV's St. John Alexander. But one of them, Dana Brynelsen, has stated that decision wasn't made for fiscal reasons. Instead, it was about "power and control and the direction" of the ministry of children and family development.
In an email to colleagues, Mr. Brynelsen - the provincial advisor for British Columbia's infant development program - wrote, "I understand now that the decision to close the Provincial Offices was made over a year ago. It is very difficult to understand how we could have worked with MCFD staff for over a year without this information being shared, without consultation and opportunity to have a thorough analysis of impact."
"Our biggest challenge is that this is not about money." Instead, the decision was "about power and control and the direction of MCFD which is to devolve all power and control to the regions. I have been told that the move to decentralize is in part a move to remove standards and that for our field this will lead to increased caseloads and services which will be viewed increasingly through a child protection lens."
"As you know MCFD, under the current Deputy (Lesley du Toit), does not support family centred practice," she continued. "All MCFD documentation I have viewed through the Strong Safe and Supported work does not use that terminology. The current Deputy is from South Africa. I do not know her vision of early childhood intervention but I fear that we are heading in the direction of South Africa, which to my knowledge has never been a leader in our field."
The following is a complete copy of Ms. Brynelsen's email.
***Dear Infant Development Consultants,
Thank you all for your support over the past week. I see the letters coming in and the newspaper articles and I know that you are speaking up from your perspectives throughout BC. Some of you have contacted your union to express concern that if this Office goes you will be without the technical supports you need to do your job. I have attached a press release from HSA. Parents are speaking up as well. Many parents seek advice and direction from this office in their search for answers for their child's development. Many are referred by us on to you. As you and the families we serve are the 'constituents' of our Provincial Office there are no more important voices.
You have many allies. I have attached a letter from Dr. Michael Whitfield whom many of you know has served on the Provincial Steering Committee for many years. He is on holiday in New Zealand and has written from there. I am also sending a letter by separate email to you from my nephew who is in Grade 10 and a friend who was the first psychologist consultant to the IDP to let you know that family and friends are in this as well. They don't always have the facts exactly right but they are concerned. So we do have much support.
It was of course professionally devastating to me and to Amelia and the Regional Advisors to be dismissed by MCFD so abruptly last week, with no acknowledgment of our work of many years. So the supportive letters you are sending are very rewarding.
I understand now that the decision to close the Provincial Offices was made over a year ago. It is very difficult to understand how we could have worked with MCFD staff for over a year without this information being shared, without consultation and opportunity to have a thorough analysis of impact.
Our biggest challenge is that this is not about money. If this was a fiscal issue, we could win this battle. We have kept the fiscal wolf from the door for 34 years.
This is about power and control and the direction of MCFD which is to devolve all power and control to the regions. I have been told that the move to decentralize is in part a move to remove standards and that for our field this will lead to increased caseloads and services which will be viewed increasingly through a child protection lens. The implications of the child protection lens in our field are of particular import for many families in the IDP who are struggling with many issues in addition to having a child with special needs. And of course this will have a significant impact on AIDP and Aboriginal families.
As you know MCFD, under the current Deputy, does not support family centred practice, all MCFD documentation I have viewed through the Strong Safe and Supported work does not use that terminology. The current Deputy is from South Africa. I do not know her vision of early childhood intervention but I fear that we are heading in the direction of South Africa, which to my knowledge has never been a leader in our field.
If our population base and specialized resources were equitably distributed throughout BC then the closure of a provincial resource like the IDP Provincial Office would have no particular impact. But we are serving a relatively low incidence population and in some situations children with very rare conditions. Even conditions as common as Down syndrome are not common at all in small communities. In the North region in our last statistics there were only 4 babies referred with Down syndrome in that huge region over an entire year. And two of these babies were born at opposite ends of the region. How do we keep up to date with low incidence conditions? These are the issues we need to address.
Even something as seemingly simple as Gesell training cannot happen with ease regionally unless many more of you become qualified to train others. And then you will need the time from your caseloads to do this. So we do have challenges ahead. And I am working with the Regional Advisors to document the impact and figure out ways that some work can be done to support you when the office closes.
In regard to the work that will be done when the office closes at the end of December I was informed that inservice training and Summer Institute will be in future organized under the direction of a committee of three social workers with child protection backgrounds. Social work is a great profession but when I reviewed the curricula of all schools of social work in Canada a few years ago, not one had as a graduating requirement, a course in child development. These three social workers to my knowledge have not worked in our field. They have not attended training we have held, or taken the certificate or diploma. They are now called Children and Youth with Special Needs Specialists. So in the absence of skilled leaders we need to figure out how you will be able to influence to the best of your ability our field in future. This is what we are working on.
On a personal note, as you know I am on medical leave. Some of you have expressed concern about how I will manage without a pension or medical plan after December 31. I have been assured by my employer that I can remain for a period of time on extended benefits with some compensation.
So let's concentrate now on how we are going to get you the support you need in your communities in the coming years.
Many, many thanks for your caring support.
Kind regards,
Dana