MORE HEALTH CUTS WORRY ADDICTION SERVICE PROVIDERS

Administrative Costs Targeted

Addiction and counselling programs offered by Vancouver non-profits
are facing "administrative" funding cuts from Vancouver Coastal Health
this week.

After making cuts to addictions and mental health programs in
Richmond, Burnaby and North Vancouver, the health authority is turning
its gaze to costs for services contracted out to agencies such as Rain
City Housing and Support Society, Family Services of Greater Vancouver
and Atira Women's Resource Society.

Vancouver Coastal Health wants to keep administrative expenses for
these programs to below 10 per cent of an organization's costs,
according to Anna-Marie D'Angelo, VCH's senior media relations officer.

"We're reviewing all of our contracts right now," D'Angelo told the
Courier earlier this month, adding the health authority was looking to
cut excess administration costs and overlapping programming. "We're
trying to protect direct client care."

The contracted agencies have been notified by letter about the
possible cuts, and the health authority is contacting those who will
lose funding, D'Angelo said. "There are going to be changes for sure,"
she said, adding that those affected would be notified this week.

But what the health authority constitutes as administrative costs is
unclear, said Lisa Whittaker, director of programs and services for
Family Services of Greater Vancouver.

"We don't know what their foremost concern is," Whittaker said, adding
Family Services generally keeps administrative costs around the 10 per
cent mark.

Whittaker said in an interview last week that Family Services had not
been in direct contact with the health authority but received a letter
about the review.

"We know they'll be scheduling a meeting with us," she said.

Whittaker is particularly concerned because of cuts and changes to
programs by the Fraser Health Authority in August. A Family Services
outpatient addiction program in Burnaby was closed and a domestic
abuse program in New Westminster was also cut. Funding was reinstated
in September.

"We're thrilled with the reinstatement of the New Westminster program,
but other programs are facing uncertainty," Whittaker said.

Family Services of Greater Vancouver receives $2.7 million annually
from Vancouver Coastal Health, according to D'Angelo.

Rain City Housing, which provides addiction counselling and mental
health services for shelter and transitional housing residents, is
expecting cuts as well after receiving a letter from Vancouver Coastal
Health.

Sean Spear, director of support services at Rain City, said he hasn't
received the final numbers.

He was informed the cuts would be aimed at administration, Spear said,
but added the society has a limited administrative department.

"We have one of everybody to get the job done," Spear said. "It is
going to directly affect our frontline work."

Rain City is expecting final notification on funding from Vancouver
Coastal Health this week.

The agencies also expect a second round of cuts that will directly
affect programs in the near future, according to Janice Abbott,
executive director of Atira Women's Resource Society.

Atira receives $110,000 annually from Vancouver Coastal Health, Abbott
said, but other agencies could be affected quite heavily.

"We have a relatively small contract with Vancouver Coastal Health,"
Abbott said. "But of course we're always concerned."

She added the money covers the wages for 1.8 positions in the
society.

"We'd love to keep them, we need them," she said.

West Coast Alternatives Society in North Vancouver and Richmond
Addictions Services had their funding from the health authority cut
dramatically in September.