Determining eligibility for service when a program changes is an important element of fairness.

Siobhan was a recipient of ongoing counselling services funded by Community Living BC (CLBC). She received a letter from CLBC informing her that her counselling sessions were being reduced to ten a year. Surprised by this information (she always had access to unlimited sessions), Siobhan contacted her facilitator as well as the Integrated Services Manager to find out how and why this change was happening but she never received a response.

Not getting answers to her questions, Siobhan reached out for assistance.

We investigated whether CLBC followed a reasonable procedure for responding to Siobhan’s concerns.

We contacted the manager about the reduction in Siobhan’s counselling sessions who promptly reviewed her file and found a note from a past facilitator that Siobhan had received approval for ongoing counselling sessions. The manager confirmed that this arrangement was grandfathered and that Siobhan was entitled to on-going counselling services. The manager wrote Siobhan a letter apologizing for the error and confirmed that her counselling supports had been reinstated.