Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we’ve heard already, this is Mental Wellness Week and I want to speak on it as well.
It’s no secret to any of us that in the NWT our communities and our residents struggle with the issue of mental health. We struggle for any number of reasons: the after-effects of residential school, drug and alcohol addictions, the aftermath of child apprehensions, family violence, stress from parenting, caring for elders or parents, and just from being a kid in today’s world. As a government we struggle to help our people be mentally well, especially our youth. Incidents of youth suicide are all too prevalent in the NWT.
The government says it recognizes the need and provides for programs and services in the area of mental health and addictions and, yes, we do provide supports to and in our communities. But it’s not enough. The needs are many; the resources are few. We have far too many residents who are mentally ill but can’t get the treatment they should. They are the homeless living on our streets or in our shelters. They commit offences and crimes and end up in our jails. What they really need is proper treatment but we don’t have the programs, services and facilities to provide it for them.
Too often the critically mentally ill are admitted to hospital only to be released a few short hours later and released without any consideration for their after-care. Several non-government organizations here in Yellowknife assist in these situations as much as they can. They provide impromptu after-care but they do so without targeted funding to do it. Most of the time the client is released and left totally on their own and the result is that these clients do not get the medical assistance they need. They reoffend and end up right back in the hospital or jail. We have to stop this vicious cycle of repetition.
I’m pleased that Health and Social Services is currently reviewing the mental health and addictions programs and I was earlier pleased to hear the Minister announce the coordination of mental health services here in Yellowknife between the hospital and the primary care clinic. Both actions should give us positive results but more is required. This government currently spends just $8 million of its $344.5 million health and social services budget on mental health programs and services; that’s 2.3 percent and it is inexcusable.
We lack permanent psychologists and psychiatrists. We lack facilities for addictions treatments and for day-to-day consults and appointments. We lack mental health workers.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
We lack mental health workers. The larger communities don’t have enough and some smaller communities have no workers at all. The list is seemingly endless.
The GNWT budget needs to place a greater priority -- and by that I mean money -- on mental programs and services for our residents. The benefits, both human and financial, that accrue are immeasurable.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
