require a Community Care F

common “performance contract"

and ensuring that standards are met and that the contract be shared with municipalities so that
they can assure neigh5ours expressing concems.

Local residents, businesses and community grusps have expressed a wide range of concerns
about licensed group home facilities. These include fears about vandalism and concern for
personal safety, as well as fears that property values will decrease in neighbourhoods where such
facilities are located. Often local Councils hezr concemed individuals express their support for
the need for such facilities but “not-in-my-rcighbourhood". Opposition appears to be
particularly strong in the case of mental health, juvenile, and alcohol and drug rehabilitation
residences. -Commites members who have worked with sponsoring groups and area residents
note that their appears to be a lack of information about and fears about group home residents
which must be overcome if acceptance and integration is ultimately to occur.

Some municipalities have addressed these issues by establishing group home policies and
procedures, including locational criteria and ‘good neighbour policies’. Locational policies are
intended to ensure that group homes are distributed throughout a community and not
concentrated in one neighbourhood. A minimum distante between group homes ensures that this
concentration does not occur. Good neighbour policies are intended to set out procedures for
group home operators to follow to facilitate positive integration and interaction with local
neighbours. Procedures include providing informnation about the group home, licensing and a
contact person to call if concerns arise. —

However, the Committee notes that in addition to these policies ana procedures, much more
_ focused, community-wide education on group homes is needed to deal directly with fears and
* concems of residents. The Committee has developed a list of components which would form
the basis of such a community education program. In particular, the Committee feels the
process which is used is very important. Those community education programs which appear
co be “public relations” campaigns, particularly if sponsored by any level of government, often
are distrusted and no: eccepted by local residents. The Committee, therefore, suggests that the
idea of developing a local community committee, or working with established cogimittees where
they exist, such as a Mental Health Co-ordinating Committee, would be a useful starting point
for discussing the de:z‘is of a community education program for a particular community. Some
ideas include using uriaue approaches such as theatre groups or social events as a means to
inform and to break cown barriers. A pilot project could be considered.

_ATEM