www.gov.pe.ca/go/peidsp

Table Of Contents

The Disability Support Program ............................................................... 1

How to Apply ................................................................................................ 2

The First Appointment ................................................................................ 2

Your Support Plan ........................................................................................ 3

Roles & Responsibilities of Your Support Planning Team ................ 3, 4

The Individual and FamilyRole............................................................... 3

The Disability Support Worker Role ....................................................... 4

The Support Coordinator Role .............................................................. 4

Financial Contribution ................................................................................ 4

Your Individual Support Agreement ........................................................ 5

Review of Your Support Plan ..................................................................... 5

Information for Social Assistance Clients .................................................. 6

Suspension or Cancellation .......................................................................... 6

Review Process ................................................................................................ 7

Contact Information ...................................................................................... 7

Appendix A Record of Supports Used Form ................................................... 8

Appendix B Notes ......................................................................................... 9

The Disability SupportProgram Goals

The goals of the PEI Disability Support Programare to help people with qualifying disabilities:

Be as independent as possible.

Attain a satisfactory quality of life.

DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAM 1

The Disability Support Program

The Disability Support Program helps people withdisabilities to be as independent as possible.

The program is set up to respond to the uniqueneeds of individuals and families. If you are a childor youth with a disability, it may offer support toyou and your family.

Three types of support are available through theprogram:

Child Disability Supports assist families withextraordinary child-rearing needs directly relatedto the child’s disability.

Adult Disability Supports assist people withqualifying disabilities to achieve a higher levelof independence.

Employment and Vocational Supports assistpeople with disabilities to gain competitive, longterm, or supported employment. These supportsmay include:

• assessment• training• skills development• pre-employment support• disability-specific job supports

2 DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAM

The Disability Support Worker will ask you aboutyour family, community and social supports, andalso about your needs that relate specifically to yourdisability. He or she may also ask if you have aninsurance policy, are collecting a Canada DisabilityPension, or if you are getting supports from otherdisability programs.

Having a disability does not necessarily mean thatyou will qualify for financial support from theDisability Support Program. You must have anunmet need that can be supported by the DisabilitySupport Program, and that specifically relates toyour disability.

How to Apply

To apply for this program you will first completean application form with a Disability SupportWorker. To make an appointment call the HealthRegion office in your area. Phone numbers arelisted at the back of this handbook (page 7).

When you call your local Disability Support Officeto make an appointment, they will ask you to haveinformation regarding your net income (line 236)from your most recent Notice of Assessment fromCanada Revenue Agency available. A Notice ofAssessment is the computer printout you receiveeach year from Canada Revenue Agency, not theworking copy of your income tax forms. If you donot have your Notice of Assessment you can getone by calling 1-800-959-8281. You need verificationof your net income (line 236) from your Noticeof Assessment to help determine your clientcontribution, which is the amount of money youcontribute each month towards the supports thatyou need.

You may also be asked to provide verification ofyour disability. This is a letter or a form completedby your doctor, or other health professional, whichdescribes your disability and how it affects yourdaily functioning.

Your First Appointment

Your first appointment with the Disability SupportWorker can take up to two hours. The meeting cantake place at the Disability Support Unit office orin your home.

A Disability Support Worker will talk with youto identify the level of support you may need. Thisis a good opportunity for the Disability SupportWorker to get to know you and your needs, andfor you to get to know them. You may also askothers to take part in this process with you.

DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAM 3

Your Support Plan

The next step is to develop a support plan. You,your family, the Disability Support Worker, supportcoordinator, and others you would like to attend,will work together as a team to identify:

• Issues and needs

• Goals

• Strategies

• Outcomes

• Strengths and resources

• Action steps to achieve goals

• Follow-up

Roles and Responsibilitiesof your Support Planning Team

All members of your support planning team haveroles and responsibilities to fulfill.

The Individualand Family Role

Individuals and families are expected to:

• use available family and community supportsfirst (such as universal services and privateinsurance coverage)

• provide verification of the disability, if requested

• complete the Disability Support ProgramScreening Tool form with a Disability SupportWorker

• work with your support planning team to identifythe needs and decide which ones are the mostimportant

• work with your Disability Support Worker todevelop a support plan

• provide information regarding your net income(line 236) from your Notice of Assessment fromCanada Revenue Agency to determine yourhousehold income and your client contribution,and documentation of age if needed

• sign an individual support agreement

• arrange informal supports as agreed to in thesupport plan

• contract support services as agreed to in thesupport plan

• evaluate the quality ofservices and supports

• inform your DisabilitySupport Worker of anychange in condition orcircumstance that affectsyour needs

• return the technical aids orassistive devices to theRegional Health Authoritywhen they are no longerneeded (if the HealthRegion paid more than75% of the cost ofthe item)

4 DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAM

The Support Coordinator Role

Program participants must identify a SupportCoordinator who can assist with the developmentand implementation of the support plan. TheSupport Coordinator may be the individual withthe disability, a family member, a service provider,the Disability Support Worker, or another person.The Support Coordinator works with the supportplanning team to:

• identify needs

• identify community resources required to meetthe needs

• help develop the support plan with the individualor family

• coordinate and monitor service delivery

• coordinate access to services

• follow up on planned services and supports, andhelp to evaluate results

• keep client information confidential

Financial Contribution

Individuals and families share a reasonable portionof the costs of services and supports.

To calculate your financial contribution, your workercan help you review your net income (line 236) asshown on your income tax Notice of Assessment.(If you do not have your Notice of Assessmentyou may get one by calling 1-800-959-8281.)Based on this information, you will be in one oftwo categories:

1) If you are a person with a disability underthe age of 18:

Take the net income of your parent(s) orguardian(s), and subtract $3,000 for each of theirdependent children under the age of 18.

The DisabilitySupport Worker Role

The Disability Support Worker is expected to:

• provide high-quality service to individuals andtheir families within the guidelines of theprogram

• work with the Support Coordinator to ensurethe appropriate people are involved in supportplanning

• work with individuals and families to prioritizeneeds

• ensure that procedures for confidentiality are inplace

• verify that all potential resources and supportshave been considered

• determine which needs are already met andwhich needs are not met

• approve supports, and review support plans andindividual support agreements on an ongoingbasis

• support communication among service providers,family, community supports and funders toreduce duplication, and clarify responsibilityand accountability

DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAM 5

2) If you are a person with a disability, aged18 to 64:

Add your net income and that of your spouse,if applicable. If you have dependent childrensubtract $3000 for each dependent child underthe age of 18.

Your worker will help to calculate the cost of yoursupport plan and your financial contribution. Yourfinancial contribution will then be subtracted fromthe monthly costs identified in your support plan.You will receive a monthly cheque to cover thebalance of the cost. There are some fundingguidelines and maximums in place.

For example, if the monthly costs are $400, andyour contribution is $100, you will receive a monthlycheque for $300. You do not have to pay the $100directly to the Health Region because yourcontribution has already been subtracted from yourcheque.

The Disability Support Program will send yourpayment to you at the first of each month.

If you need an assistive aid or technical device, youwill be asked to pay a portion of the cost of theequipment based on your household income.

Your IndividualSupport Agreement

When your disability support plan is finalized, youwill be asked to sign an Individual SupportAgreement. This is a contract between you and theHealth Region which outlines the goals you planto reach and the support you will be receiving.

Review of Your Support Plan

Your support plan will be reviewed at least once ayear, and more often if necessary.

You will be given a form called a “Record ofSupports Used” (refer to copy in Appendix A) tohelp you keep track of the services you use andyour ongoing needs. This will help you plan formeetings with your Disability Support Worker.

Remember to contact the Disability Support Workerif you:

• move to a new Health Region

• have to go into the hospital for more than 30days, or

• plan to leave PEI for more than 30 days

6 DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAM

Information forSocial Assistance Clients

You may be a person or family that receives supportfrom both Social Assistance and the DisabilitySupport Program. (The term Social Assistance mayalso be referred to as Income Support, FinancialAssistance or Welfare Assistance.)

If you are receiving Social Assistance and DisabilitySupport, the following guidelines will help you toknow when to call the Social Assistance Worker orthe Disability Support Worker.

The Social Assistance Workeris the contact for information such as:

• rent, mortgage or utilities

• food

• clothing

• household or personal supplies

• prescription medications

• medical supplies

• optical or dental care

• travel to medical appointments in and out ofprovince

The Disability Support Workeris the contact for supports such as:

• technical aids or assistive devices such as wheelchairs or hearing aids included in your supportplan

• community living supports to help you live asindependently as possible

• employment related disability supports such asa job coach or interpreter

Suspension or Cancellation

The Health Region may suspend or cancel yourprogram support if:

• you are no longer eligible for program supportdue to a change in your circumstances

• you fail to provide information or verificationrequired for continuing eligibility or

• there are other circumstances, for example if yougive false information about your disability, oryou disability support needs

DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAM 7

Review Process

If your Disability Support Worker cancels or suspendsyour support, advises that you are not eligible forsupport, or if you are dissatisfied with the supportapproved, you should talk to your Disability SupportWorker and/or their Supervisor. If you cannot reachan agreement you can request to have the decisionreviewed. Any review request must be made within45 days of the decision being disputed.

To request a review, send a letter outlining thereason for your request to:

Coordinator of Disability Supports and ServicesDepartment of Health and Social ServicesPO Box 2000, 16 Garfield StreetCharlottetown, PE C1A 7N8

Include in your letter:

• your full name

• the day, month and year of your birth

• request for review

• the reasons why you believe a review is needed

Your request for review will be considered at areview hearing attended by committee members,yourself, and others you would like to attend. Thecommittee will advise you of the time and place ofthe meeting. It will be held in the health regionwhere you live.

At the hearing, you will have the opportunity tospeak about the decision you disagree with. TheHealth Region will also provide its point of view.

You will be informed of the committee decisionwithin 30 days of the hearing.

Contact Information

West Prince Health Region 859-8862

East Prince Health Region 432-2740

Queens Health Region 368-5996

Kings Health Region 838-0703 or 687-7016

8 DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAM

Record of Supports UsedThis form is to help you keep track of services you have used. It will helpyou with future planning.

Name:

Start date: End date:

Date Service Service Provider Cost $

APPENDIX A

DISABILITY SUPPORT PROGRAM 9

Notes

APPENDIX B

Notes

APPENDIX B