EDMONTON – An Edmonton mother and daughter are worried that a valuable service they depend on is being taken away as a result of the provincial government’s budget cuts.
Colleen Campbell feels her 20-year-old daughter Ashley Erickson, whose mental capacity is around that of 14-year-old because of learning delays, has benefited immensely from the Persons with Development Disabilities (PDD) program.
“She’s actually matured a lot,” Colleen says.
In addition to receiving monthly counselling sessions, Ashley gets five hours a week with a worker who either takes her out into the community, or spends time with her at home doing activities like teaching her how to cook.
The problem is, the community access category of the PDD program was reduced by about $42 million in the March 2013 budget.
The move had hundreds of Albertans protesting at the legislature less than two weeks ago, and prompted an open letter to the premier from Paul Sawka which you can watch below.
Ashley was very upset to learn how the government’s changes may impact her.
“She came home two weeks ago (from an appointment with her counsellor), kind of frantic, scared, ‘mom they’re going to cut my counselling,” Colleen recalls. “I said, ‘I heard there was going to be cuts but I didn’t know how bad it was going to be.'”
In a Q & A about the changes to the PDD program on the government’s website, in response to the question of why this category of services was cut, it says: “Funding has been prioritized to programs that have the most significant impact and the most positive outcomes for individuals.”
Ashley’s mom feels her daughter’s counselling has made a very positive impact, though, and is worried about what might happen if she loses the monthly sessions.
“I don’t know if she’s going to regress to where she was before,” Colleen says, adding that her relationship with her daughter has improved since she started the sessions a year and a half ago.
“They’re planning on giving us other suggestions, but a lot of them are sliding-scale places; but we don’t have extra money to afford the counsellors,” she explains.
The minister of Persons with Disabilities maintains any person who needs service will get service, and is encouraging anyone with concerns to contact his office.
Colleen and Ashley plan to take the minister up on that offer, in hopes that Ashley’s next scheduled appointment with her therapist on June 6th, won’t be her last.
With files from Jenna Bridges, Global News
Follow @TrishKozicka
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