BFL = Burnaby Family Life MHSD = Ministry of Housing and Social Development
(see bottom of the web page for hyperlinks to the transcripts of the various contracts)
Consider the following clauses from the MHSD Contract:
This was not an employment plan. This is just an excuse the make money for BFL. The only criteria for forcing me to attend this is that I am homeless. It doesn't help me to find a home or to find employment. I am not going to be looking for a place to live if I can't pay for it and MHSD being completely unreliable by forcing me to take part in their experiments forces me off welfare when I am actually entitled to it. The community assistance program is nothing but a Ministry of Housing and Social Development experiment.
And apparently tracks everything else, your political view's, whether you do drugs, criminal records and personal daily habits, Any thing that that BFL decides to ask me while they play psychiatrist. I had no idea of the scope that the ministry contracts had to report back on my activities, and no idea of the scope that BFL had to acquire information from MHSD about me.
What activities? Since this is not an employment plan the MHSD is now engaging in invasion of privacy.
Now consider the following clauses:
And what is the best of my ability? To be forced to take part in illegal activities? At one of the ministry plans I was told by a smiling monster to remove all my work experience from my resume and put in things like dish washing, in other words commit fraud. I am more than able to comply with illegal requests which doesn't mean that I am going to do them. And I am able to do stupid things, so the ministry wants me to do stupid things to the best of my ability, otherwise I will be ineligible for assistance.
The "Employment Plan" is an invasion of privacy. The information that the ministry is allowed to collect must be limited. Surely they can not require you to tell them about personal family affairs or how you survive out of doors, or whether you are against government unions.
Whether the program is actually legal or not, I terminated welfare due to this intolerable invasion of privacy. Here they say that anything is an employment plan, so that the ministry can arbitrarily force people to do anything they like including developing experimental programs at the expense of the welfare recipients mental health.
Arbitrary things like "True Colors/Self Esteem", "Joining a Walking Club" or "Nutrition" and other such nonsense have nothing to do with an "Employment Related program". They have nothing to do with me or anyone else's problems, who actually need housing, money and a decent job. Being forced to attend these things is just an arbitrary exercise of authority.
Now consider the following clauses in this single 2 page contract:
Fear and intimidation. Make sure that you don't question the validity of what they are saying because if you do the ministry will make you pay, like withholding your cheque causing you endless time and aggravation to retrieve it while it costs the Ministry workers nothing since they continue to get paid no matter what they do and never pay any penalty no matter what they do. Nicely sets the stage for the BFL contracts.
I, Floretta P. Flouride was extorted to give give permission to Life Skills Services Staff to release information to or request information from: MHSD. At no time did I request any service from BFL, but was forced to attend. Why should BFL be able to request any information from MHSD. What is their special status that they are allowed to go deeply into my personal life. What a gross invasion of privacy. They are not medical doctors or Clinical Psychologists. They are unqualified people that chant empty slogans like: "Burnaby Family Life is a deeply rooted, community-based social profit agency. A place to go . . . a place to grow!"
What a lie. MHSD already stated in their employment contract: "I understand that ministry contracts have the ability to report back on my activities." Am I being blackmailed into being a subject in some kind of an experiment? This is not a job program, where the Ministry would have legitimate interest in certain activities, but a program where secrets are kept, where you are forced to reveal personal information which the ministry has no right to, and BFL has no right to. When I signed these contracts I was asked if I wanted copies, which puzzled me at the time, since you normally expect to be given copies of a contract as a matter of course leading me to believe that they do not want these contracts generally disseminated. Notice that since MHSD has a release for Medical records and Financial records, then BFL can obtain medical information and financial records. Exactly who are these people that are given this enormous power over my life, who do not actually state at any time in writing what they actually do, except for reams of empty rhetoric?
In other words any clerk working for BFL and MHSD and half the population of Canada can invade my privacy.
What "Service Plan". There never was any "Service Plan". The implication is that they develop a service plan. The reality is that they don't develop anything. They say "service plan" not "employment plan". I am blackmailed into allowing them to ask any question they feel like which have nothing to do with an employment plan. They say a "reasonable amount of questions" then add other questions about disabilities, medical conditions which are questions that qualified professional's might be allowed to ask but not some clerk, pretending to be a psychologist. It is not any of their business nor are they qualified to asking these personal questions. I did not ask them for their help, I was extorted into attending. Reasonable does not include personal questions. Frankly reasonable does not include any questions. This is not an employment plan, it is an invasion of privacy.
I am intimidated into legally allowing these incompetent, unqualified complete strangers ask about medical conditions and personal questions. The ministry may have the right to know if I am getting medical attention for economic reasons but they do not have the right to detailed information. Here they have the right to anything they feel like.
Nice place. Why am I forced to attend such a disgusting place? Was it malice due the one known as "The Bitch" at MHSD? Is it normal to send Educated people to programs like this that don't actually help anyone anyway? The Progressive Housing witness, Christine to the MHSD interview said that it seemed like it was a punishment since I don't do drugs. And Naomi Hardin of Progressive Housing said that she was surprised that I was sent to such a program. If so why didn't BFL complain to MHSD, since I loudly complained about the program and it must have been apparent to the meanest intelligence that I was not suitable for this program (if anyone was). The answer is that they get paid by MHSD to run this program and are not going to turn away easy money. Am I committed by a medical doctor or by the ministry? Exactly what is the criteria for sending people to this (non-job search) program and why didn't BFL complain that I was not suitable. Given that, what exactly are MHSD and BFL doing to people who cannot defend themselves.
Why should I have to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of others? There were drug addicts at this place. There were people attending this place that I consider dangerous criminals. One person boasted about serving a prison sentence for manslaughter. Why should I have to keep this a secret? Why should I have to keep anything at all confidential at BFL for BFL. Maybe I am not allowed to go to the Police about things at BFL. And since I am blackmailed into signing all these releases and commitments there is no limit to their requests. I am not responsible for other people's secrets and problems. Secrets are the prime cause of mental illness. Yet I am supposed to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of other consumers and BFL.
The proper authority? Keep all complaint's and grievances internal to BFL? Do not tell others about what is going on here? Where is my freedom of speech. I am forced to discontinue welfare to cancel these contracts so that I can actually write this letter.
And if I refuse this definition of confidentiality? This gibberish simply says that nothing is confidential. I am blackmailed into this program and everything I say is privy to everybody at BFL and MHSD and anyone associated with BFL and MHSD. Notice this strange emphasis on confidentiality, secrets and (non-)rights. What is this program? Definitely not some kind of job program.
It is an invasion of privacy. They are probing into peoples personal lives. They were probing into my personal life. Whether I have phoned my family lately or my parents marital relationship or whether my parents are dead or my dietary habits is none of their business.
After I was forced to sign the document "Rights and Responsibilities" and all the other documents I was asked if I wanted a copy. Not thinking, I said "No.", and was not given a copy of this or any other document that I was forced to signed, yet in this document it says: "I have read, understood and received a copy of rights and responsibilities.", so basically I committed a crime.
Notice that in all the documents signed they don't say what their responsibilities are and nowhere do they say what they are actually doing or supposed to be doing, as if all these noble phrases that they chant is actually smokescreen for something else. Certainly not a job program.
Every time I went to BFL, I usually got some kind of voucher around $10, gift cards or cards for submarine sandwiches, telephone cards and so on. She offered to buy me a pressure cooker($60) and a new pair of boots($40), and probably would have bought me a talking book($60). I didn't take her up on any of these offers. I heard that she actually bought somebody a digital camera.
The problem here is that I never claimed anything on the welfare stub. If I claimed it on the stub then MHSD would simply deduct it from my cheque dollar for dollar. Nowhere does it say that this money is exempt from MHSD.
Although the money is mighty welcome, where does it come from? If from the ministry then the money is mine and I don't need somebody to meter it out for me and waste it on incredibly expensive things like Submarine sandwiches. I live in a semi-permanent shelter and I have legitimate costs like heating, cooking and electricity that I pay for yet I don't get any of the shelter allowance.
The one time I didn't get money was when I told them I didn't go to one of those courses. All I got was a waste of a day. Sort of like the carrot and the stick
After informing them that I was terminating welfare they wrote:
Here we see the crux of the matter. They are simply doing this for money, and probably a great deal of money. Notice that they are only helping if the ministry is paying them. If the ministry got rid of this program and simply gave me the money I would easily would have had an extra $100 on my check, and consequently be more employable.
More empty rhetoric. Action plan, issues, challenged ... You would think this was some kind of poetry contest that considered Canadian unemployment and homelessness a beautiful gesture rather that a serious problem.
It was NOT my goal to gain support in the following areas. I was "told" that I would find "such and such" interesting and forced to sign the contract under duress. All these documents saying that I was "this and that" are all lies. I was blackmailed into signing the documents. And why was I forced to take them? If I took a useful course at any normal recognized Institution, MHSD would create an uproar and kick me off welfare. I am a mature adult. I am currently employable as I ever will be. What does this garbage have to do with a job program? What does a course in nutrition have to do with my job prospects. Or Money management, or Tenancy Rights. All elementary programs that any adult deals with and has been automatically dealing with for years, and if not then these foolish courses are not going help. I am forced to lie to collect welfare.
Below are some of the entries for an "action plan".
How is this an action plan? The taxpayers are actually paying money to send people to these things? You have to have money to manage it. First thing the instructor announced that she had been sexually abused and had to take pain killers for the rest of her life, then forced everybody to write their names on little cards and announce publicly who they were. I was very concerned about the other people in the room who I knew nothing about and she knew nothing about finding about my personal information.
Notice that it was entirely up to me to take what ever I wanted. I could have taken "Joining a walking club" or "Joining a club or sports team". What does this have to do with looking for work. These people are playing psychiatrist and the ministry is forcing me to take part in their games.
I Floretta P. Flouride, did NOT agree to participate in the above programs. I was coerced into signing this document and attend these things.
Nutrition: The usual cholesterophobic nonsense that I and everybody else has heard a million times. How does an elementary class in Nutrition unsuitable for even grade 4 students help me get a job or make me more employable? Notice that they say develop goals and the above is what they are actually offering. How does an elementary Nutrition course that virtually every adult already knows, help me get a job or make me more employable? How does any of the above make me more employable. Leaving out the obvious fact that they consider me mentally retarded, mentally ill, a drug addict, and unable to engage in they simplest home economic task, all this and more, without any professional evaluation at all, who at all times had a copy of my resume, who's attitude is that anyone that goes to this place is "Challenged" when in reality the client's are "Unchallenged", the fact is that anybody that did need help in the above areas could not profit from the above courses. They would need serious medical attention.
Why do I have to take these classes? What are these classes? There is no relationship to a job program, they are entirely arbitrary. I was continually harassed to take them although I made it quite clear that I had no interest in any of the courses and only took them because I was forced to take them. Ultimately the only answer you will ever get is that you have to take them to collect welfare. Why do I have to take these classes?
So I am forced to take place in clinical experiments to help them develop their programs to stay on welfare. I am not interested in their research or being a forced guinea pig.
Why do I sign these documents? Because I am blackmailed into doing so. BFL is not actually able to determine any services and needs and didn't actually develop service plans. I know of people who have serious drug problems, suffering from brain damage both permanent and temporary who were forced to attend this place, which never did a thing for them, who upon seeing other agencies were immediately sent to professional mental health programs, yet BFL still forced them to continue seeing them.
Notice that "Responsibility" is a contract but the sheet entitled "Rights" is not a contract.
Why are they stating rights that Canadian Citizens all have? Probably to fill up paper.
What is ethical, who's ethics? More empty rhetoric. I did not give informed consent. I was coerced into signing the consent documents. And where is the privacy when immediately after signing this document I am blackmailed into signing another document stating that MHSD is privy to everything that is said and BFL is privy to everything that MHSD knows about me? Again notice the emphasis on confidentiality and secrecy. In particular not confiding in the world external to BFL and keeping BFL secrets and confiding in them. They are asking personal questions that they have no right to ask. This has nothing to do with a job search or job program.
More rhetoric. How is this not a right? Am I committed by a qualified professional or the courts to this program? I am blackmailed into attending this thing.
What issues. More empty rhetoric. Sounds good therefore it must be true. I was forced to attend this thing. It is not a job program. It is an invasion of privacy.
More empty rhetoric. What goals. I need money, a place to live and a job.
More rhetoric and lies. If I terminated the service I would get kicked off welfare. MHSD emphatically stated that there was no appeal to this program, and also stated that if you fail to participate in this plan you will be ineligible for assistance. BFL would never terminate the contract because they would loose money if they did.
How is this a right? I am forced to do this. They include this as a right in the non-contractual "rights" document but in the contract "obligations" expressing a complaint in their manner (i.e. totally within BFL) is a legal obligation. What was not a right was to talk to others about what is going on here. Talk only to BFL. Don't go see people who don't have a vested interested in this lucrative government contract. Just imagine one of Ministry's job programs specializing in revolving door jobs, forceing you to commit fraud with a clause like this in it.
We have the case of Patterson v. British Columbia. There are a few issues taken up by the appeal court but the gist of the case is based on the sentence:
We have:
Written reasons by: The Honourable Mr. Justice Hollinrake
Concurring Reasons by: The Honourable Madam Justice Southin
Dissenting Reasons by: The Honourable Madam Justice Ryan
which in essence are as follows:Hollinrake: [50] The first limitation stems from the use of the phrase "verification of your personal information". By definition, the Ministry is unable to "verify" a fact unless it already has the fact. Thus, the information gathered under the consent is authorized to be used only to verify personal information already provided by the applicant. No new information can be obtained.
Southin: [56] ... my colleague, Mr. Justice Hollinrake. I concur with both his conclusion and the reasons therefor. and: [58] It is essential to the continuation of B.C. Benefits or any successor scheme for the relief of poverty that the tax-paying public have confidence that only those entitled are receiving public funds.
Ryan: [70] In my view the mandatory requirement that the applicant for public welfare provide such a wholesale consent is unreasonable and a violation of the applicant's right to liberty found in s. 7 of the Charter.
Now we get to the point.We have from the employment plan contract:
What arbitrary rules is the Ministry of Housing and Social Development employing to invade your privacy and control your freedom of speech? Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
Floretta
13 May-18-2012