Glen Abernethy

Mr. Speaker, residents always have choice, so they can choose to go to facilities that we are not currently contracted with. The difference is we would not be funding or providing financial support if they were to do so. Facilities that are not in contract or have not actually gone through a thorough scrutinization by the department may not be accredited. We do not know whether or not they are safe, and it would be a liability for us to support treatment at a facility that does not meet standards that have been set, so we would not be providing financial support in those situations. Our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Health and Social Services made the decision to contract with these specific facilities based in large part on the recommendations of the Minister's war on addictions and community wellness which was initiated by the former Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu. In that report and based on a significant amount of public consultation, the four Members called for addictions treatment programs that are gender-specific, that are trauma-informed, that use Indigenous healing practices, are able to treat current disorders, and that...

There are a variety of supports across the Government of the Northwest Territories that are available to all residents of the Northwest Territories in times of need. We have income support. We have housing that provides a number of different supports to residents of the Northwest Territories. I don't think we have enough time to list all of the things that they do, but I will say that part of the process of building stronger families is helping families connect with those resources that exist and helping identify the resources that will be appropriate for the times. Once again, I do want to...

As I indicated, the premise of Building Stronger Families is exactly that, building stronger families. This means, as somebody engages on a voluntary basis or whether we have been asked to engage as a result of concerns about safety, we will work with the family, identify the issues that we need to work on to build that family up so they are in a position to take care of their children in a healthy and safe way. If we do need to engage different departments, we would certainly get consent forms filled out so we can actually work with those departments in a legal way and make sure that the...

I feel strongly that the IRC has been a very proactive group when it comes to family support and other initiatives. They were a part of the groups that we actually engaged with in the development of the Mental Health and Addictions Strategic Framework, which is the foundation of the next documents moving forward including the recovery plan that we talked about previously.

Mr. Speaker, all levels of government have a role to play in supporting mental wellness. One of the key directions outlined in this strategic framework is to take a whole government approach. This includes Indigenous...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following 12 documents entitled "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 753-18(2) Portable Ultrasound Machine for Fort Simpson Health and Social Services Centre," "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 835-18(2): Regional Wellness Council Meeting," "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 873-18(2): Safe Houses for Victims of Family Violence," "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 889-18(2): Proposed Hay River Long Term Care Facility," "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 890-18(2): Prescription Drug Coverage for Mental Illness," "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 923-18(2)...

Mr. Speaker, the retrofitting of the old building will be the responsibility of the property manager, bringing it up to a state that we need to meet those needs. There is not necessarily room available in Stanton for a separate school once you actually factor in all the things that we are hoping to put in there, which, as I said, includes 72 long-term care beds, a large number of extended care beds, OT/PT outpatient, as well as clinic services and a kitchen and whatnot to support those services that would be provided in that building.

Currently, when it comes to the nursing program at Aurora...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we know, moving forward with the 258 beds by 2026, there is going to significant demand for long-term care staff, which does include RNs, but will include more things like residential care aides and other individuals who will be providing support in that hospital. Currently, Aurora College does provide that training. They have delivered that course up in Inuvik, and it was well-attended and the results were fantastic.

I am happy to be working with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment to explore opportunities to train for what could amount to...

We are going to be utilizing that building for long-term care, extended care, as well as outpatient services, as I have previously indicated. There is no plan at this point to turn it into a university or a college, but we do accept, and I agree with the Member that there is a great opportunity to do some on-site training for individuals in partnership with something like Aurora College or some of our Indigenous partners who might want to pursue training.

The training will likely occur there, but it should also occur in places like the Beaufort Delta and in Hay River and Simpson, and places...

The plan at this point in time is to utilize the existing Stanton building for a number of different services, including 72 long-term care beds, a number of extended care beds, some area for outpatient services in areas of OT/PT, as well as a clinic.

When it comes to training local people for local work, Aurora College has been a fantastic provider of both nursing training here in the Northwest Territories as well as training for things like resident care aides. All of those training opportunities require practical or clinical placements, and the Department of Health and Social Services and the...