Tom Beaulieu

Yes, this department would be prepared to deal with Housing, Education and the Income Support Program, housing programs, public housing programs, so that we can prioritize the counseling needs at the community levels. Thank you.

The intention is to fill the vacancies of the mental health and addiction workers that are currently in place. Right now there are vacancies which are causing the backlog, and the intention is to move some of those people, if necessary, to out-of-territory options in order to get the counseling necessary for the individuals. But a key is to try to fill the vacancies, which we are having some difficulty doing at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The intention of the department is to continue with the Community Counselling Program, trying to address some of the wellness services in the community, increase the wellness services in the community, and also reviewing the Mental Health Act. The department is waiting for the release of the national mental health report from the Canadian Mental Health Commission. I will be attending the National Mental Health Summit in Winnipeg in February as a part of the release of that commission report. Thank you.

I don’t know the specifics of how Nats’ejee K’eh deals with various addictions. All addictions and all individuals with addictions are pretty independent and very individualistic. Some people who have those issues can be assisted at the treatment centre in Hay River. However, some can’t. That’s why we have the out-of-territory placement committee and they will review those so that if there are people with addictions, that option is available to them to apply for a treatment facility outside of the Territories, and we have a committee that will look at that.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, Health and Social Services closed the Joe Greenland building down and then retained over $400,000 of the funding that’s used to operate the facility there in home care. The intention now is to hire two more additional home care workers for Aklavik and we are now also looking at Fort McPherson, 132 people over the age of 60 in Fort McPherson and some of which need home care and there’s only one home care worker in Fort McPherson. So the Beaufort-Delta Health and Social Services Authority is looking at that situation right now to determine the need, the exact...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As indicated, the Member is referring to addictions. The intention is to move to prevention. That is different. We are tripling the amount of money that is focused in on prevention of addictions. That is different.

Both NWT Disabilities Council and YACL have agreed to provide data to the department in order for the department to develop the program outside of Yellowknife.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sorry about that. The department is completing a review. It is not complete. The plan is to expand the program from what was in only Yellowknife, to expand outside of Yellowknife. A few of the committees have been established. A territorial advisory committee has been established by the department to assist with a working group that has been developed, a territorial respite model framework that is the strategy that will take us to 2017.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. My condolences go out to Pierre’s family.

A church service for Pierre was held on Saturday, December 3, 2011, which I attended. Pierre will be buried in Fort Reliance on Saturday, December 10, 2011, alongside his wife, Judith, and son Lawrence, as was his wish. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I don’t have the date right now but I can get back to the Minister with the date.