Tom Beaulieu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member is aware, we have a public administrator in place for the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority. That’s not our desire. We would prefer to have a board; however, in consultation with the community, it was recommended that we fill the CEO position. At this time we have gone out for advertising to try to fill the CEO position. We want to fill the CEO position and then develop, again, and reappoint a board after we have a CEO position. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I must advise the Member that in the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority there is no regular CEO at this time. We have an acting CEO from Hay River, followed by another acting CEO out of Yellowknife. This was done by review. Unfortunately, we were hoping that the position would have been extended until the review was complete, but as the term of this particular position expired before the review was completed, the individual position was cut prior to review. A review is being done of all the positions in the Beaufort-Delta.

This is a good start, the Member bringing this to the floor of the Legislative Assembly. I’m very pleased to hear that Hay River is interested in the Midwifery Program. We will have to partner with the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority to review the request. Once the review is done we’re hoping that the program will expand. In a place like Fort Smith, in 2011 there were 24 babies born in Fort Smith with midwives and 26 more that were taken to birth and then were born in most likely Yellowknife, as we said, or elsewhere because of possible risk or mother’s choice.

The review and expansion analysis of the Midwifery Program was scheduled to be done this month. It’s about three weeks behind and I’m expecting that the program and the review will be done very soon.

In the past in the Northwest Territories on Franklin Avenue there was a detox centre. That was shut down for one reason or another. People needing detox at this time do seek detoxification through various avenues. The department is there, like I indicated. Health and Social Services is spending over $6 million in the various health authorities to address that issue, mental health and addictions. Detox is a part of addictions and, yes, we as a department are more than willing and are prepared and want to be involved in helping people detox from drugs and alcohol. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The program that I was referring to, on-the-land, that was requested by many of the small communities. The small communities refer to on-the-land treatment as a more holistic treatment that is to address all of the issues, mental health, addictions and the whole human being. Regardless of what type of addiction the individual is struggling with, they feel that specific program would work on the land for the small communities. Thank you.

I’ve asked the department to look at best practices at that type of treatment. We recognize that most of the communities have a cultural area that the communities will frequent, and we want to look at those areas working with the communities. I think the communities understand that addictions are a huge issue. Certainly the health providers understand that addictions are a huge issue. We do want to look at treatment on the land and we want to look at the cultural aspect of it. All of the four aspects that the Member spoke of and their areas and everything and develop a program that would be...

Since our tour, other than having a discussion with the department on looking at the expansion of that on-the-land treatment program, I know that in the community of Tulita when I mentioned that immediately in the public meeting, there was an indication that that wasn’t enough, that they would just get started and then the program would be over. I had said – I threw out a number in the meeting – would doubling it be good, and someone said no, triple the budget and we can do something to help our people heal on the land.

At this time the Department of Health and Social Services is going out to the communities. We recognize that this is an issue. We recognize that alcohol is an issue. We recognize that in small communities across the North and the part of Yellowknife that sometimes 90 percent of the small community issues pertaining to health are related to addictions. We are prepared to work with the communities. We are asking the communities what do they feel the solutions are. The communities are coming back and saying we need treatment on the land. We need to get our people out on the land, and that’s what...

Use, lack of use. Right now there’s a treatment centre in Hay River and it’s 49 percent occupied. The use is 49 percent. For some reason or another it’s not being used. Although the department has gone out and talked to the people, the people are saying what we need is on-the-land treatment, on-the-land addictions and mental health treatment. The department is trying to move in that direction. That is what is preventing us from building another treatment facility in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.