Thank you, Mr. Chair. There’s $113,000 for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, $183,000 for the NWT Council for Persons with Disabilities and $39,000 for the Hay River Community for Persons with Disabilities for a total of $335,000 in the Disabilities Fund.

There is no plan in the budget that is before the committee today to increase the number of community counsellors in the communities. There are wait times. I will acknowledge that there are wait times throughout the Northwest Territories, but I think it’s important to note that these are mostly wait times for non-urgent clients. Clients with urgent needs are seen within 24 hours. Urgent issues, issues of extreme risk or importance can be dealt with immediately, within 24 hours.

We already have a Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, and as far as indicators to help us identify whether we’re on the right track, or whether we have to amend our approach, we’re always looking for ways to improve what we do.

The Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan is a living document and it will continue to move forward and it will continue to evolve as realities change. As we learn more through new indicators, it would be inappropriate for us to remain static. We will have to be flexible.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, just to be clear, these are grants and contributions. There are dollars that are flowing out to other organizations such as the authorities but as well as other organizations for specific programming. This is in no way, shape or form indicative of the entire budget being spent on mental health and addictions by the Department of Health and Social Services. I believe that number is closer to $15.7 million. For some specifics I will go to the deputy minister.

As we move forward, actually, to one health and social services system here in the Northwest Territories, we’ll be able to balance out some of these peaks and lows in different communities throughout the Northwest Territories because we’ll be able to share resources and professionals as needed to meet increasing demands in one area where there may not be demands in another area.

As far as committing additional resources and approving overtime, that often happens already in many situations where there are urgent issues. But I will commit to continuing to look into this issue and share the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. We don’t see a significant increase in any cost. Most of the work is going to be done by staff who are employed by the department. There might be some slight increase in some contracts, lawyer time, which we work with the Department of Justice on so there shouldn’t be significant need for additional money to conclude or do that ongoing work. We have the staff already.

That actually falls under the out-of-territory hospitals expenses.

The work to set them up is actually occurring right now, but the money actually hasn’t been transferred. A supp will be coming to Committee of the Whole later, in the next couple of weeks. It’s a transfer from ECE. So we’re beginning the work now and when the supp is passed, the money will be there and the dollars will be used to create the program in Tuk. So it is going to be new in ’15-16. There is only a month and a half left in this fiscal year.

I’m glad the Member is taking the challenge. I too will be taking Mental Health First Aid training.

The authorities have enough money to do two deliveries of Mental Health First Aid training in each of the regions every year. I will commit to getting the Member as well as all of the Members a complete list of where the Mental Health First Aid training will be, and I’ll let them know when Mental Health First Aid training is going to occur in their communities so that they can participate.

I would also encourage them, as I did previously, to please get their CAs to take it, because I know their...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department does keep up on most of the publications that are out there with respect to health and social services and mental health. I haven’t personally seen it myself, but I will confirm, I will check with the department to confirm they have it.

We haven’t had any tri-territorial meetings with the Ministers of Health and Social Services since January 29th, so the answer to his second part is no.