Tom Beaulieu

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister commit to reviewing the situation to ensure that frontline staff such as Health and Social Services workers are properly trained and culturally sensitive to their respective working environments?

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to working with myself and the community, specifically the Lutselk’e Indian Band, to explore options for actively engaging the community for delivery of effective community-based counselling services in Lutselk’e?

I thank the Minister for that answer. The higher-than-usual frequency of suicides in a small community: what has the department done to specifically address that issue?

Recently a constituent told me that there are many other young people in the community that are in desperate need of proper counselling. This is a very serious concern for the community of Lutselk’e. I can understand the challenges our government is facing, working in these times of fiscal restraint, but when you have three suicides in the span of 24 months in a community of under 400, we need to review the programs and services that are being delivered, in areas such as effective cross-cultural training for our front-line staff in these communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about the concern for residents in Lutselk’e and the lack of culturally sensitive professional counselling services.

Currently there are no professional counselling services readily accessible in the community, and there haven’t been since 2006. The agency responsible for providing these and other health and social services is the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority.

The Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority is doing a good job providing these important services, particularly when there is staff turnover, and that is a...

I have a written question for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Can the Minister of Health and Social Services provide me with information on the number of people in Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e who suffer from diabetes?

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister confirm whether the boards and agencies for which Human Resources is responsible for providing service get the same response and attention as the regular departments do?

Mr. Speaker, a question to the Minister of Human Resources. Today I spoke about counselling services in Lutselk’e and made reference to the front-line staff.

With Lutselk’e having over 95 per cent — and Fort Resolution having over 90 per cent — of its population aboriginal, can the Minister tell me if the front-line professionals with Health and Social Services who work in these aboriginal communities are mandated to have cross-cultural training?

Mr. Speaker, would the Minister tell me what role the Lutselk’e Indian Band has had in the delivery of counselling services at the community level?

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Today I spoke about counselling services in Lutselk’e and the serious concern for the community. Unfortunately, the community has had to endure the untimely passing of three community youth because of suicides within the last 24 months. Can the Minister tell me what the current situation is with respect to providing counselling services in Lutselk’e?