Parents and the NB Government Must Face Adult Autism Residential Care and Treatment Issues In Election 2018

Autism advocates in NB have long pushed for out governments to face autism issues and we must continue pushing for them to address adult autism residential care and treatment issues.

As parents we must continue the fight for an adult autism network as advocated for by the Autism Society NB in 2008 and called for in the 2010 election by practicing psychologist, and retired university professor Paul McDonnell:  

Paul McDonnell, September 2010

"Our greatest need at present is to develop services for adolescents and adults. What is needed is a range of residential and non-residential services and these services need to be staffed with behaviorally trained supervisors and therapists. Some jurisdictions in the United States have outstanding facilities that are in part funded by the state and provide a range of opportunities for supervised and independent living for individuals with various disabilities."

We need an enhanced group home system throughout the province in which homes would be linked directly to a major centre that could provide ongoing training, leadership and supervision.
That major centre could also provide services for those who are mildly affected as well as permanent residential care and treatment for the most severely affected. Such a secure centre would not be based on a traditional "hospital" model but should, itself, be integrated into the community in a dynamic manner, possibly as part of a private residential development.
The focus must be on education, positive living experiences, and individualized curricula. The key to success is properly trained professionals and staff."

Professor McDonnell  elaborated on tho adult autism network principles in a joint presentation with parents to the current government in 2015.  After that  positive meeting with then Minister of Social Development  Cathy Rogers the government has once again resorted to sending our severely challenged autistic adults to the Psychiatric Hospital in Fredericton. 

Parents have fought for many years to ensure that government face autism issues.  We enjoyed many successes as an internationally recognized early autism treatment program was developed based on a treatment program at UNB-CEL in Fredericton.  We were also able to encourage government to provide UNB-CEL autism training to hundreds of teacher/education aides and to reverse the decision to close the Stan Cassidy Centre Autism team which provides autism consultation services up to age 19. Governments have for over a decade though refused to develop a humane, evidence based and responsible adult residential care and treatment network. The need for such a network  is beyond dispute as, in recent years, studies have document both adult autism homelessness and astonishing premature mortality rates among persons with autism spectrum disorders, 

It is long past time for a NB government to stand up for our autistic adults with autism and stop exiling them to Campbellton far from families in the much more heavily populated center and south regions of the province and far from the centrally located autism expertise that has been developing in Fredericton. As parents we must continue the fight for a humane adult autism residential care and treatment network close to families, communities and centrally located auitism expertise in NB. 

Family Day in New Brunswick For Most New Brunswick Families

Some adults with severe autism disorders and related conditions are sent to the Restigouche Psychiatric Hospital in Campbellton for temporary and permanent residential care and treatment far, far from their family members in the south. Family Day is great for an end of winter holiday but it would be nice if NB govrernments thought about adults with severe autism and the families who love them and care for them for as long as age permits

As this map from the NB Government Family Day site shows Campbellton, which has a declining population, is far from the bulk of the NB population in the southern part of the province in Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John.  Unlike Fredericton which is the most centrally located of New Brunswick cities the Campbellton facility does not have the growing expertise of the Fredericton area where the Stan Cassidy Centre autism team provides autism consultation to age 16 and the UNB-CEL autism program has provided services to NB, Saskatchewan and France. .

In my opinion Family Day itself is an excellent idea and I thank NB governments for providing a holiday at a point in our winter when NBers can use a day off, a break to just enjoy time, hopefully with our Families. I am disappointed though that the NB government does not recognize the importance of family in the well being and care of adults with severe autism conditions. 

When the Liberal government announced that a mental health centre would be situated in Campbellton prominent Liberal Bernard Richard made his displeasure known calling it "the worst decision he has seen in a while".

In  the same article former  NB  Health and Justice Minister Michael Murphy stated that this Liberal government bases its health decisions on political considerations in this case benefiting Donald Arseneault who has now gone on to a full time lobbying career:

"Bernard Richard...appalled by location of new centre.  I agree," tweeted Murphy.

Murphy blamed the decision on Liberal party politics and pointed to his former cabinet colleague Donald Arseneault as the likely source of the decision. Arseneault is the current minister of energy and mines and represents the riding of Campbellton-Dalhousie in the legislature. Arseneault made the actual announcement in Campbellton on Saturday, rather than Health Minister Victor Boudreau.

"Power of Donald Arseneault is evident by this," tweeted Murphy. "The location away from family for most young patients may only aggravate the condition.  But this government is intensely political."

Before Monsieur Arseneault departed for greener pastures he did reply to a tweet from me:

In his tweet Donald Areneault ignored the very large differences in the numbers of people  affected in Woodstock, Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John. In his mind it was OK for the large numbers of persons affected in the south to suffer because the far smaller population in the north would suffer from being sent south.  He also ignores the fact that autism expertise has been developing in Fredericton and received international recognition. Both in terms of central location and autism expertise it would make much more sense to develop the adult autism care facility for the most severely affected in Fredericton with smaller group homes around the province including Campbellton. Staff in the group homes could be sent to Fredericton for training and there would be far more adult autistic persons living humane lives with professional oversight near their families. He also lacked the honesty to admit that the decision to dump severely autistic adults in Campbellton on our Northern Border was done for political reasons ... to benefit him.

I did seek the assistance of my MLA, and my son's MLA Stephen Horsman, to discuss developing an adult autism care facility in Fredericton, building on the autism expertise and the central location of Fredericton,  Unfortunately for my son Conor Mr Horsman followed the party line in much the same wording later tweeted by his colleague Donald Arseneault and dismissed my request condescendingly.  

Health care is an important issue in New Brunswick as for most of Canada.  Before die hard Liberals vote for a second consecutive term they may want to consider the implications for their families of a government making health decisions based on political considerations.