PRESS SHandicapped to be moved out of homes By THOMAS A. BAKER speclal toUthe Free Press About 11000 of the provlnce's develop- mentally - handlcapped are waitlng to be moved out of, seven residence facilities they've lived in for the past years. But what bas the prov- ince done to make sure they can be handled by t.he communities in which they'll live? The centres are clos- ing as part of a five-year plan to shut provin- cially-run fadiities and replace themn with pro- grains for which the municipality would be reeponsible. Ontario's mental hospitals could be next to be closed if a report fromn Gilbert Heseltine, which caîls for more ".de-institu- tionalization," 15 ac- cepted. "De-institutionaliza- ion"' is a tongue-bender of a word for glving towns and ciLles more responsibilities for health and social ser- vice care. The current Phllosophy in mental health care says that people can function bet- ter in a cominunity set- ting, . rather than in more .mpersonal, hospital-like surround- ings. When it was learned last faîl that the Ontario governinent would close the six centres, includ- ing the Durhamn Centre forj~he Developmentally Handicapped, and reduce the number of beds at a seventh, cri- tics of the plan said Queen's Park wasn't maing enough, of a commitinent to provide adequate replacement services. A Joint report frein the southeast regional directors of the Ontario SaveupIto 5O% over ourcompetitors on guamnteedl quality >d«ry cleaning* Here's a_ _ - * compoetson befween rM Caciet's coupon price and Ianother major dry cieaner's_ I M Wleadlng Cadet's dry coupon Vou item cleaner price soe* IIPants 3.00 1.98 1.02* Skirt 2.65 14A9 1161 *Sweater 2.65 1.49 1.16 sut 5.65 3A9 216 85eS 5.40 2.69 2.71I Suede ICoat .-34.00 19.95 14.05 Coupon mnust be presented- Iwith kicomnIng plain, day- iengh dreses (311k higher). E k Ex* fà 'une 3,183 Coupon Must be pr9sented wfth icorndng plain, cioth kdis or seaters (pieats extra). Expires 'lune 30.,1983. ueur I > Ecleaners "' MM .'. -.--. Cpn mus bO ese * hIno ingudeo Coupon must be prsented lengtti suede coat reg. $26.60,E I with - i c fo mesuor Mdesi nW 0l* 19.98. Laiher ICoupon must bepresenfed Jýktuw lc diottito * pilas'siighfiy higher. Service E with Incoming plai ,n, ciolh jacketoser mb0.1983.M ln os iftwas one week . ponts.-> Expires 'lJune 30,183 Epieu e .18. Expires 'June 30, 1983. ww1 OSHA 6M6 KING St. E.. Corner of Wilson ( Mon.-AI. 96. Sot. 95) 579-2571 258 TAUNTON RD. E. and RMton Rd. N. ( Mon.-Fd. 9-6. Sot. 9-5) 725-6076 MIDTOWN MAIL, 200 John Stret <Mon.-AI. 9.6. St.9-5) 725-5070 OSSflND PARK PLAZA. Roslond a Wilson (Mon-At. 9-6. Soit. 9-5) 7256064 Annual oapery ch.aing sale n@w on- mmW $1.00 per panel. WHITUY THICKSON RD. & Dundos SI. E. <Mon-A.9-9, Sot. 96) 725-5012 601 UNDAS ST. W., Corner of Fancis (MOn-Wed. 9-6. Thuru., Fi. 9-8. Sot. 9-6) c68an69s AM MJAX PL&Z 134 Harwood Ave. S. (Mon.-W"d 9-6. Thurs.. Fr. 9-8. Sot. 9-6) 1360 KINGSTON RD. d lkrng Hub-Plccerng) Mo..W d -7. Thurs. Fr. 8-9. Sot. 86 31-2616 ym w sasacon or >yiw mon.y C)m 100 stoses. Cal 656-M01 lmr Ure store neareaf ou. Association for the Men- tally-Retarded seemns to, bear the criticisin out. The report says that 11to date, minimal action bas been inltiated- by communities in this re- gion in response to, the plan (to close the resi- dential fadilities for the devlopnenall -han- "It seems most things are happeniing in those comnmunities that are affected immediately by the closuzWesIl the report says. "Mo re li-. portantly, the Ministry bas done very little in approaching communi- ties, working groupe or agencies in response to the (closings) plan.", PROBLEMS Transportation prob- lemss in rural areas were one of the concerns. Another was a possible increase in ward size at the larger facilities as a resuit of the closings. Waiting list statistics didn't agree with governinent assurances that ward sizes would dedline after the plan' was impleinented. Art Daniels, assistant deputy minister of the Ministry, of Commuunity and Social Services, tried te, allay concerns about the five-year plan at a' recent meeting of the Ontario Association for the Mentally-Retar- ded. "Don't be too con- cerned about the (coin- munity. placement) pro- i cees," hle told the audi- ence. "Think about the 33million hi fundlng."' But what about the money? The OAMR, whlch the. governinent intends to proývide many of the services whlch wil be needed when the facilities are cloeed, is itself ln a tight financial squeeze. As of M arch, 1983, the OAMR was runnlng a quarterly deficit of $89,000 and the projected deficit fior 1983-84 is $250.000. And other delegates pointed out that provin- cial funding for educa- Lion of the retarded would be cut by 40 per cent by 1985, when, un- der legislation to, amend the province's Education Act, local school boards mnust assume Moet of, the responsibility for educa- tion of chlldren with learning disabilities, i- cluding the retarded. A spec'ial intereet ses- sion on "The Five Year Plan - A Community Response,"l at the Asso- ciation meeting drew concerned parents whoee children were being moved frein the firat of the facilities to close. CONCERN The main concern of seininar participants was the lack of planning associated with the closing of the St. Law- rence Centre in Brock- ville. Many were critical of the fact that 28 residents of the St. Lawrence Cen- tre were being moved to - QUALUTY CUSTOM MADE THERMALLY INSULATED WINDOWSi ENAMEL FINISH UN ANY 0F 12-COLOURS Manufactur dby Free EsimatesOuckoelvery Installationl I*111i728-1633 j I~AFATORY &SHOWROOM*845 FAREWELL ST. OSHAWA larerfadiities. According to Bob Bhuta, chairman of an association of parents wlth developmentally- handicapped children, <ComSoc Minister Frank Drea breke bis promise not te send children to larger fadilities wlthout parental consent. AIRGUMENT There was an argu- ment over what would happen to chidren resi- dents, since the only two child fadilities - D'Arcy Place and Durhamn - are being cloeed. Mlnistry spokesinan Dr. Garry Baker teld Bhuta the children would go, to Toronto. Bhuto protest- ed there was already a waiting llst for cbild ser- vices in Toronto. When the govertnent announced its plans te cloee the centres, It said it would be spending more on the develop- mentally - handicapped. But under questioning from the opposition "at Queen's . Park, the Ministry admittid the closings would actually save about $71 million. Drea recently an- nounced that ail but two of the residents of the St. Lawrence Centre had been placed i the community. But the Miistry also announc-, ed an extension of the, original cloeing date for six weeks. "The harder-to-serve people come back (to the St. Lawrence Cen- tre),"Y says Henry Brug- ina, a counsellor. "And the,, counsellors have been told te 'babysit' residents when they go into a community set- ting." STAFF The staff -of the- Cen- tre, praised-by Drea for helping to eaee the closing proces i Brockville, bave been told te "istickwith" their clients so they'll be able Lo adapt te community group homes. But what iappens after the Cen- re is closed and the taff are no longer îere? "There are a few, ireas- where the levelopmentally - ban- icapped, are neyer ring to be integrated tefd conmniyLe,"9 TVPESETN t ON THE PREMISESI.,% COMPUTER IZED &PHOTO4 * - ~ .-~--------.-- - r 1;M