Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was asking questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services about the treatment centres, and I would like to follow up with some additional questions here today. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister please advise us in the past fiscal year how many adults and youth have we sent out for treatment and what were the associated costs with these programs? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I appreciate the Minister's answer in a little bit more in depth. It is good to see that we are doing those things. My next question is: Mr. Speaker, has the department looked at the Guthrie House model and seen if it is feasible to implement this type of model in the Northwest Territories?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't know how I'm going to match that. Mr. Speaker, today I talked about Guthrie House and inmates who have trauma and addictions and that. My questions are to the Minister of Justice. In regards to dealing with inmates with trauma and addictions, can the Minister please tell us what the department does to help inmates deal with these matters while they are incarcerated? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I find it very important, especially with the after-care. I mean, that is when they are back here, in the territory, so I appreciate your answer on that. The other big thing that we find, though, is family and the support system that we have here for the people coming back, so my next question to the Minister, Mr. Speaker, is: what support programs are available for family members and spouses who have loved ones who are attending addiction programs outside the NWT? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I thank the Minister for that information, and I appreciate with the youth it is very complex, so I appreciate that number. I will move forward here. The next question I have for the Minister, Mr. Speaker, is: what programs are available to residents before they head off for treatment for the addiction? What do we do to prepare these people as they are going out for their treatments?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for that answer. I have had conversations with him previously, and I am very encouraged to see this happening. Mr. Speaker, what were some of the things that they saw that can implemented right away for the betterment of our inmates, that we saw at the Guthrie House?

I thank the Minister for that nice answer, and it kind of led into my other question that I already was going to ask. When he talks about these programs, and having staff in the corrections centres, do we have psychologists and addiction counsellors in each of our corrections institutes?

I thank the Minister for that answer. That does help, and, yes, I understand we have the option of using local, and I think that is great, but this facility option is something for the other people moving forward. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister explain: does the department allow residents the opportunity to attend other treatment centres, and is the government going to pay for those facilities?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I talked in my Member's statement about the four treatment centres that the Government of Northwest Territories contract with. I am going to have some questions for the Minister for Health and Social Services.

My first question: can the Minister please explain how these four treatment centres were selected for the residents of the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize two young ladies in the hall today: Kristine Sibbeston, and I won't tell stories about her except I've known her since she's been a young lady, and who is also part of the Dechinta University, as well, Cathy Kotchea, from Fort Liard. So, I welcome her to the Legislative Assembly. Thank you. All the friends that I know here, I would also like to recognize you. Thank you.