NASSAU, The Bahamas –
Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Gladstone Christie and Minister of Social
Services and Community Development the Hon. Melanie Sharon Griffin, ‘broke
ground’ for a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose facility for post school-age
children with disabilities Thursday, May 28, exactly twenty-four months after a
Special Task Force was first appointed to develop the design and programme for
the facility.
The post school-age facility will cater to persons with
disabilities, particularly those with developmental disabilities. Construction
is expected to begin before the final quarter of 2015.
“Our goal is to administer a quality based environment which
embraces several core values including treating every person with dignity and
respect, the recognition of individual strengths and abilities and supporting
persons to reach their maximum potential as contributing and valued members of
society,” Mrs. Griffin said.
“I commend all of the members of the Special Task Force for
their commitment to this initiative. We have had many spirited discussions as
we sought to conceptualize and document what the facility should offer to the
group of persons it is intended to serve. This is indeed a wonderful day for
the community of persons with disabilities, and in particular, those with
developmental disabilities,” Mrs. Griffin added.
The facility will consist of an administrative building,
reception area, auditorium, cafeteria, manufacturing area, workshops for
horticulture, woodworking and car detailing, a medical centre and pavilion, and
an education building with classrooms designed for additional skills and other
training opportunities.
Mrs. Griffin said an Implementation Team has been appointed
“to drive the process for the construction and completion of the facility” and
includes Alan Strachan, Under Secretary, Ministry of Social Services and
Community Development; Leila Greene, Consultant, Ministry of Social Services
and Community Development; Glenn Major, Project Manager; Timothy Johnson,
Senior Architect, Ministry of Works and Urban Development and Elouise Fernander,
Senior Quantity Surveyor, Ministry of Works and Urban Development.
The “operation details for service delivery and overall
management of the centre are simultaneously being developed by the consultant
and project manager” with support from members of the Special Task Force which
includes Matt Aubry whom she said “brings over 20 years experience in
organizing and implementing services for persons with intellectual and
developmental disabilities to the table.”
“The team plans to implement pilot programmes to engage
parents and organizational partners in the development of various
interventions,” Mrs. Griffin said. “Continued training opportunities will be
facilitated by the team which is also developing plans for a pilot programme
for respite care while construction is underway.”
Minister Griffin said the process towards the construction
of the facility began in 2013 following the appointment of the Special Task
Force, which comprised representatives from key, government ministries and/or
corporations in addition to non-governmental organizations.
To meet its mandate, members of the Task Force (which worked
under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Services and Community
Development) embarked on a learning tour of facilities abroad and within The Bahamas.
Less than two months after its appointment, Mrs. Griffin led
a delegation on a tour of adult service facilities for persons with
developmental disabilities in Florida and New York, United States of America.
The Social Services Minister also led a delegation to Cuba to tour facilities
there.
“We also visited various local organizations and programmes
to determine what was being provided; where the gaps were in services; and to
identify suitable partners and opportunities for collaboration,” Mrs. Griffin
said.
“These visits included The Hopedale Centre, Stapledon
School, Seahorse Institute, Abilities Unlimited, The Training Centre, Blairwood
Academy, the Marjorie Davis Institute for Special Education, Every Child Counts
(Abaco) and the Beacon School (Grand Bahama).
“I must commend and thank the Life Options and REACH
organizations for including the team from the ministry in their previously
planned visits to institutions in Florida and New York through Matt Albury and
Michael McGinty, who identified and arranged the programmes to be visited in
the United States of America.
“Special Thanks are also extended to the Government of the
Republic of Cuba and His Excellency Ernesto Soberon Guzman, Cuba’s Ambassador
to The Bahamas who immediately and most graciously agreed to the visit to Cuba
and made all of the arrangements for meetings with the relevant entities. I
also wish to acknowledge the support given to the delegation by Her Excellency
Alma Adams, The Bahamas Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba. Those visits proved
to be very enriching,” Mrs. Griffin added.