Debates of August 20, 2007 (day 13)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I just want to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services questions related to my Member’s statement on the NWT Suicide Prevention Program. Just in the wake of the last recent announcement by the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment of the big increase in income support programs here in the NWT, which is good, Mr. Speaker, and I really commend the Minister for making that announcement, but I'm also disappointed that the NWT Suicide Prevention Program has not received any increase in any funding over the last few years, Mr. Speaker, and I think that the growing trend that I have heard from many of my constituents in my constituency in Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution in particular, that a lot of youth these days are walking around and talking about suicide and contemplating suicide, and that is really raising a lot of concerns and a lot of eyebrows of a lot of people in these communities, and they are asking me to address the territorial government in asking them why we don't have any more dollars allocated to families that are suffering from, or victims of, suicides. I just want to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services what this government is planning on doing to address this growing trend, which is not really easily measured in these small communities, therefore does not allow this government to provide more money or substantiate the reasons for providing more money in this area. Can this Minister provide me with any kind of indication that the department is seriously looking at this issue in the NWT and particularly in areas in my constituency I had a couple suicides in the last three months, Mr. Speaker? Is that concern raising red flags in the Department of Health and Social Services, the mental health division? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 157-15(6): Suicide Awareness And Prevention Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in fact the department can. I think we can say we are very involved in this situation through our Alcohol and Drug Addiction Program and community wellness initiative working with mental health workers as well. We have put more money on the table to hire new physicians for our communities so that people can get help directly in their own communities, and that's an initiative that's underway and continues to proceed. Mr. Speaker, it is sad in a sense that anybody would consider suicide as an alternative or a way out of a situation they may find themselves in. But in the Northwest Territories, over the last number of years, through our working with communities and mental health side of the equation, in fact we've seen a reduction in suicides in the Northwest Territories. It's something we need to see a day where there are no suicides in the Northwest Territories. But the fact is and for example, Mr. Speaker, in partnership with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, on October 5th to the 8th, 2007, there will be a Canadian Association Suicide Prevention Conference here in Yellowknife and bringing in some keynote speakers not only from the South, but here in the Northwest Territories. So we support those initiatives.

But directly in response to the funds; for example, in 2007-08, the department has provided almost $380,000 to help with aboriginal youth suicide prevention and working with the federal government strategy, and that's available on an RFP process from any community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 157-15(6): Suicide Awareness And Prevention Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to ask the Minister, during the October suicide prevention workshop, it's fine and dandy that we get a lot of keynote speakers there to make some presentations on suicide prevention especially amongst aboriginal youth, Mr. Speaker, but I want a commitment from this government that this government will support and provide these smaller communities not only with just community wellness dollars that will help these people find assistance directly in their own communities because a lot of youth don't want to deal with people in their own communities. A lot of these youth want to talk anonymously with a psychiatrist or a counsellor maybe from another community or from another region or just on a phone line. I want to ask the Minister if the department is looking at any kind of broadening of the program scope related to suicide prevention here in the NWT that would allow this non-amenity to be available to any youth that are contemplating suicide in any of our small centres, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 157-15(6): Suicide Awareness And Prevention Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have worked with communities, we've heard a message that a lot of communities need to take care of issues in their communities, so we've put a lot of our resources into community efforts and staff in communities to help that first line response. There's also a process established where people can call in and make a call if they feel that they don't want to approach somebody in their community directly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 157-15(6): Suicide Awareness And Prevention Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just with the Northwest Territories Suicide Prevention Program that is available to community members who are I guess in a position to take up this sort of training, I want to know if this government is going to be supporting more suicide prevention awareness workshops in the schools, in the youth centres and even providing more funding to these youth centres to provide suicide prevention/suicide awareness workshops within their own communities, and not just providing training on suicide prevention to the counsellors or community social workers. We need that kind of awareness and prevention awareness provided right at the grassroots, right at the youth in the schools, in the youth centres, at community functions. Will there be more funding in that area as opposed to just training, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 157-15(6): Suicide Awareness And Prevention Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the area that we have direct focus on, aboriginal youth prevention or suicide prevention, is the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, and that has a number of focussed areas and projects that are aimed at certain areas. That's one, supporting youth and that's increasing resiliency as well as reducing the risk, and then supporting communities at risk, and that's prevention plans, skills training, leadership development, as well as crises response and knowledge development. So there's areas we're focussing on through that initiative right directly to communities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 157-15(6): Suicide Awareness And Prevention Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know that if we…I just want to talk about basically government dollars in general related to social issues such as unemployment, poverty, education levels and the lack of opportunities and cultural identity here in the NWT. All those factors have something to do with the rates of suicide that we have here in the NWT. I think the government has to take a holistic approach when addressing suicide prevention in the smaller communities, because it certainly doesn't work with just providing suicide awareness programs at the community level. This has got to be a broad government approach to providing opportunities, enlightenment, maybe some self-esteem to individuals, and it has to be a whole government approach to this thing. I want to know if the Minister will be providing some direction at the October workshop here in Yellowknife on suicide prevention on how this government as a whole is going to do its part in preventing a growing rate of youth suicides. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 157-15(6): Suicide Awareness And Prevention Programs

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think the Government of the Northwest Territories overall can show across a whole number of departments we've become very involved, whether it's a youth initiative through Municipal and Community Affairs, through additional funding through Education, Culture and Employment, and some of our programs that we offer through the Department of Health and Social Services. There has been a lot of initiatives focussed on youth and trying to lift up their esteem so that they can be more involved in their community, as well as leadership programs, and we will continue down that course. Thank you.