Justice

A Family Guide to the Vulnerable Persons Act

An Agency Guide to The Vulnerable Persons Act

The Vulnerable Persons Act Final Report

Come Together Conference Reports 2008

Come Together 2008 Overview - Cam Crawford, CACL

Come Together 2008 Final Report

Effectively Communicating - Sgt. John Tost, RCMP

Community Living When Bad things Happen

Manitoba Justice and ACL Manitoba Working Together : Manitoba Justice proclaimed the Victim Bill of Rights in 2000.  "In Canada's justice system, victims are too often marginalized and silenced," Minister Gord Mackintosh said as he announced this progressive legislation. "A large bureaucracy has emerged to respond to crime in Canada and offenders are now entitled to extensive rights, yet the persons directly hurt by crime--the victims--are virtually ignored.  Today's announcement re-balances the justice system and begins the process of ending the neglect of Manitoba victims by the justice system"   Fact sheets describing the legislation in full are available at:  http://www.gov.mb.ca/justice/victims/victims/index.html  - click on the link "Victim Bill of Rights" to open the PDF files. In order to ensure that victims with disabilities have full access to information regarding this legislation,  Manitoba Justice contracted with ACL Manitoba to develop clear language fact sheets to correspond with the already existing fact sheets referred to above.  This package was officially launched on Dec. 2 and 3, with Manitoban's Victim Service Workers and at the International Day of Disabled Persons sessions.  Click here to view the pdf files to access clear language fact sheets 1 - 12.

Justice, Rights & Legislation

Victim of Serious Crime Fact Sheets

Justice, Rights and Legislation

ACL Manitoba is committed to addressing issues of empowerment and citizenship for people with intellectual disabilities through a variety of initiatives, specifically:

•  Vulnerable Persons with a Mental Disability Act (VPA) - helping Manitobans understand and adhere to it.

•  Victims Bill of Rights and other justice related activities

•  Safeguarding people in their homes and communities

There are 3 overriding questions that drive this section of our work, specifically:

*What are my rights as a citizen?

*What/who is there to protect me

when I am in trouble or need help?

*What keeps me safe ?

Victims Bill of Rights (VBR) and other Justice related activities

ACL Manitoba is committed to addressing issues relating to justice and due process for individuals with intellectual disabilities who come into the justice system either as victims, witnesses, or offenders. Formal work began in this area with the development of the Equal Justice Task Force in 1994. Over the years literally hundreds of training sessions, think thanks, focus groups, dialogues have been held with police, crown, judges, victim service workers and probations.

In November 2001, ACL Manitoba in partnership with Manitoba Justice planned and implemented the 5 C conference in Winnipeg . (Community, Cops, Court, Crown, Corrections - a national dialogue focusing on people with intellectual disabilities and the justice system) Click on this link to see the final report.

Our Activities Relating to Justice include:

  • " you are not alone " sessions with staff and individuals
  • production of VBR into clear language fact sheets - (will be available on this site in spring 2004)
  • distribution of clear language sheets through community seminars, sessions (police, victim service workers, crown)
  • initiating ongoing dialogue and sessions with crown, judges, police - maintaining relationships
  • Western Canadian host of Developmental Disabilities and the Justice System (developing skills and raising awareness of police, crown, sheriffs, court staff, probation) - May 13 and 14, 2004 in Winnipeg .
  • responding to individual requests from families, justice system professionals, community at large.

Safeguarding Individuals in their Homes and Communities

How do we keep people safe? What do our communities need to adequately identify and address these issues?

Our Activities - Safeguarding

  • Safety networks - existing in Winnipeg , Swan River , Brandon and Portage , these community committees were formed to address the issue "how are people with intellectual disabilities are at risk in our community"
  • Safety audit (national project) to be announced in early summer 2004
  • Power tool - Based on John O'Brien's 5 Accomplishments, this simple tool was developed by 5 Manitoba communities, to help agencies initiate and sustain a dialogue focusing on power and rights issues in their agency. Click here for a copy.
  • National Strategy Pilot Project - preventing victimization.keeping people safer - more information available upon request

The Vulnerable Persons Living with a Mental Disability Act (VPA)

A. Why is this legislation important?

  • Presents Manitoba with a new way of thinking.from incompetence to competence.legislates the move from 'client to citizen' - a core principle of the community living movement.
  • Instructs us by using concepts and words like: support networks, enabling, empowerment, supported decision-making. - instead of controlling, directing, protecting, serving.
  • Addresses the root cause of abuse by addressing the necessary shifting of power from professionals back to individuals and their families.from controlling clients to providing support to citizens

B. Our Association's Strategy focuses on:

  • Ensuring that the spirit of the legislation is understood and adopted by every agency in the province - focus on paradigm shift.
  • Helping to facilitate the learning process of self- advocates, families, agency boards and staff.
  • Monitoring the impact the Act is having on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities
  • Maintaining an open dialogue with the Department of Family Services, raising issues of concern as they arise .

C. Our Activities Relating to VPA include:

  • Agency Board Training - 3 hr sessions - (what does VPA mean to me in my role?)
  • Agency Staff Training - from 2 hour to all day sessions as requested (what does VPA mean to me in my job?)
  • Follow-up individual consultations with agencies
  • ACL/Fam Services Collaboration - examine impact of VPA - evaluate administration and implementation development of training strategy

For more information contact Marsha Dozar at the ACL office (786-1607) or mdassoc@mts.net