Julie Green

I would have to inquire about the level of detail that is being contemplated for the dashboard. I think that we would want to have the dashboard launched with some public education about how to interpret the results so that the results don't create panic in communities that are being reported on. Certainly, I am willing to inquire about what the dashboard is going to look like.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am certainly willing to have that conversation with the Member about where she thinks the gaps in services are and what kind of supports she thinks are needed and not currently provided, so I invite her to come and talk about that. Thank you.

The FASD clinic provides for the costs of travel to people to attend the clinic in the NWT. They have also taken the youth diagnostic clinic out to the communities of Behchoko and Fort Providence so that people can directly participate there. The youth FASD clinic completed 16 assessments in 2019, and 17 in 2020. The adult clinic provided for six individual assessments since it opened in January of 2020.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the question. There are a number of supports in place now if a youth is provided with an FAS diagnosis. The youth FAS coordinator will work with that person and his or her family to ensure collaboration and coordination of the response. That could include things that the family already has in place, that will remain in place. It also may include connecting the person with Inclusion NWT or the Northwest Territories Disabilities Council or the Foster Family Coalition, depending on the circumstances. So there is a robust system of supports that clients are...

We are currently looking at ways to strenghten after-care, as you know. We've just started with our survey of people who have used our services to find out how well it worked, what else could be done. This is something we will certainly put into the consideration. It is a serious commitment of our mandate, to improve after-care services, and this is a potentially promising way of doing that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for his question. I have no new information to offer him about the extended care or long-term care bed project, but I do expect to be able to provide one before this sitting ends at the end of March. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member said, wastewater surveillances helped us to detect cases in three communities, and so it has proved a very effective system. At this point, the samples are sent to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, so there is some lag in getting test results back. It's our hope that we will be able to invest in the Taiga lab here in Yellowknife to examine those wastewater samples and provide more timely responses on them. That said, I am not aware that the dashboard has been set up or that it will be set up until that new system is in place. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. This program is relatively new. The youth clinic has been in place for nearly two years, the adult clinic for just over one year, so we are still getting a feel for what the needs are. I feel confident that we are providing good service to the people of the NWT. Of course, we could certainly do more and do better, but we have a lot of pressures on the Department of Health and Social Services for spending, so we are doing the best we can for FAS at this point, and I am sure that an evaluation will be forthcoming, as it is with every new program. However, it's too...

The answer is to question 136, and the answer to question 2 is this area is under review by the supported living review.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Legislative Assembly has identified increasing the number and variety of culturally respectful, community-based mental health and addictions programs, including aftercare, as one of its priorities. The Department of Health and Social Services is improving services to individuals with addictions, and I am committed to achieving this mandate commitment.

In the Northwest Territories, mental health and addictions are a pressing concern for all of us. While there are supports and services already in place and available, we know we need to further strengthen our system to...