Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I made reference earlier in my Member’s statement about the psychological health and well-being of our employees or any employees, for that matter, in the Northwest Territories and the National Standard of Canada for Psychological and Safety in the Workplace that the Mental Health Commission of Canada did. I would like to ask my questions to the Minister of Human Resources.
I know the GNWT has its own program, the Employee and Family Assistance Program. What does the government pay to run the EFAP and how often is that utilized? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. The honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have the contract numbers with the providers here with me today, so I’m unable to give that information to the Member. However, I know the department does track everyone who goes through EFAP and I can get that number for the Member.
I do appreciate that. I think it will give us an indication of how well we as a government are doing for employees out in the workforce.
I mentioned that on November 25, 2014, the Mental Health Commission of Canada released the implementation guide for psychological health and safety workplace standards. This is the first time something like this has ever been done.
Is the Minister familiar with that program or that the release had happened last November and whether his department is looking into that type of implementation program as something we can build on here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am not familiar with the national standard of Canada for psychological health and safety in the workplace. However, the Department of Human Resources I’m sure is up to speed on all of those types of reports or standards that have been released. Again, I can ask the department to bring me up to speed and, if need be, bring the Members up to speed as well. Thank you.
If the Department of Human Resources isn’t up to speed or not familiar with the national standard that’s being adopted right across Canada, in fact since it was released in November, there’s more than 21,000 copies that have been downloaded from the website.
Will the Minister direct his staff to take a look at this implementation standard and see whether or not it is something GNWT can adopt for themselves for employees who do the hard work in our government? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
It’s quite possible that the department is up to speed on that report. Myself, I’m not. If we are not and if the Department of Human Resources is not familiar with the report, I will ensure the deputy is able to transmit that to the department so members who are working with the public service are well aware of this standard. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to reiterate that the implementation guide is available at no cost, so it would be no cost to government to take a look at that.
The last one is the Canadian Standards Association does a one-day workshop in partnership with the Mental Health Commission of Canada with regard to this implementation guide.
Would the Minister possibly look into having his staff take that one-day training and see how much of an impact it does have and whether or not we can develop a training type of program under these national standards? Would he ask his staff to look into that one-day training workshop? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I know that the department is up to speed on occupational health and safety of the employees of the public service. If this is something that can be done and something that employees in Human Resources will benefit from, thus benefitting all public servants in the GNWT, then I will speak to the senior management to get their feeling on whether or not they feel it would be beneficial to the staff there to take this course. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will follow up from my Member’s statement with questions on mental health from our mental health theme day. I will take up the challenge on the Mental Health First Aid the Minister alluded to and I’d like to find out more information on when that would happen.
The first question I have is: Does the Minister have the wait times to see a mental health and addictions counsellor in the Hay River area? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I answer the question, I just want to take this opportunity to thank the Members for undertaking this theme day. One of the key actions within the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, one of the key priority areas is to actually promote the understanding, awareness and acceptance of mental health in the Northwest Territories. It’s forums like this and Members asking questions that it starts to increase the awareness of mental health in the Northwest Territories. So I applaud them for taking it upon themselves to do the theme day on mental health and addictions.
To the Member’s question specifically, and I will just preface it by saying once again that wait times are for non-urgent clients and that clients with urgent needs are seen within 24 hours or immediately, given that we have the expedited referral process. If somebody acknowledges within themselves that it’s time for them to go to treatment, there are ways to get that information in so we can get them out immediately. So, please, in your newsletters, share this information as you move forward so they know how to access that program.
According to my records, the wait times in Hay River range anywhere from three to four months, which is excessive, obviously, but we will work with Hay River and the other authorities to see how we can shorten these wait times. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The information I get, too, is immediate action is being dealt with. We have a 1-800 number. We have people dealing with the emergency situations. The Minister indicated three to four months.
Is the Minister willing to commit to a standard level where you should be able to see a counsellor within 30 days or 45 days? Can we set a standard level that you should be able to see a counsellor within 30 days or 45 days. Can we set a standard and try to meet that goal?
I’m not prepared to commit to a standard today. We’d have to do some analysis and research to see what would be reasonable. I will say that throughout the Northwest Territories the wait times do vary. For instance, in Yellowknife it’s two to three months for counselling, two months for adult psychiatry and it could be two or three months for child and youth psychiatry, and these are for non-urgent issues. In the Sahtu, in Tulita it’s two months. In Deline it’s, surprisingly, turned out to be about two weeks; Colville Lake, one month. In the Deh Cho, Fort Providence is about three weeks, Fort Liard is one week and Fort Simpson is one week. In the Tlicho there is currently no wait list. In the Beaufort-Delta, in Inuvik, up to six weeks. In Fort Smith it’s anywhere from two to three months for a counsellor and three weeks for a community wellness worker. As I’ve already indicated, Hay River is three to four months.
There is some variety there. I’ve asked the department to look into some of the reasons why that variety exists, and I’ll share that information with the Member and committee when it’s done so that we can have a more informed discussion.
As the Minister indicated, this is a strong issue, but I think we need to improve. I think we need to set that standard of what we have to a minimum amount. I think where it’s needed we need to put the financial backing towards it.
My question is: Would the Minister approve overtime or additional counselling to get areas like Hay River that are three to four months away when we have some regions that only have two weeks or sometimes there isn’t a wait list? Is there a way that we can deal with this immediate situation of the three to four month wait lists?
As we move forward, actually, to one health and social services system here in the Northwest Territories, we’ll be able to balance out some of these peaks and lows in different communities throughout the Northwest Territories because we’ll be able to share resources and professionals as needed to meet increasing demands in one area where there may not be demands in another area.
As far as committing additional resources and approving overtime, that often happens already in many situations where there are urgent issues. But I will commit to continuing to look into this issue and share the information that we gather with Members so that we can make informed decisions as we move forward.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess my question is twofold in the fact that Hay River would not be immediately a part of the one health board, and I’d hate to be criticized for not being before our committee discussion. I guess my question is: Three to four months wait list that we have in Hay River. It’s the longest wait list. Will the Minister commit to solving this issue, allowing some overtime or bringing in additional counsellors to Hay River?
It’s too early to say whether Hay River is going to roll into this new authority immediately or whether it’s going to be transitioned over time. We are doing that work and I’m certainly happy to have continued discussions with the Member on that. In the meantime, I will work with the public administrator in Hay River and have the department work with the CEO to see how we can reduce some of the wait time in Hay River.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple small things here as I begin. As I mentioned at the beginning of my statement today, I said one in five Canadians experience mental health problems. The second thing I’d like to acknowledge the great courage of the Duchess of Cambridge who has come here recently in public support of people becoming more aware and helping fight the stigma of mental health. I think people like that show true leadership. They are tremendous people that step forward and help put a face on this fight, and it makes a big difference for those suffering with it because they do feel that they are suffering alone.
Speaking of those who suffer alone, we have the NWT Mental Health Act that, best guess, probably says it won’t be rewritten for at least a year at this particular time. My question for the Minister of Health and Social Services is: We’ve asked for amendments and changes and speed-up, and all those things seem to be almost impossible. But it did occur to me that why couldn’t the Department of Health and Social Services bring forward a simple amendment that could be added to the current act until it’s updated. One that targeted at that would provide some allowances and variances to the existing act where they work with a committee and a family to find better solutions.
The reason I say that question is there are many problems with families right now that they can’t get the services they need because the act stops them from accessing services and needs. But we could provide a simple amendment that could vary that closed door type of thinking. Would the Minister consider something like that?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are no quick fixes for the NWT Mental Health Act. It is a significant act with many parts and components. We have actually considered whether short-term amendments would be appropriate. Even those amendments would take a bit of time. The type of amendment the Member is talking about is not a small amendment. It would be a significant amendment and a significant part of the new act. It’s not a year away. We’re anticipating having the legislation done in the spring. Unfortunately, we don’t believe it will be ready for the May/June session, at which point I do intend to table that legislation in our fall sitting so it’s available for people to discuss and become familiar with. It’s my hope and my intent that that legislation will be passed early in the life of the 18th Legislative Assembly.
I’m going to disagree and I’ll allow the Minister to correct it for the record, but I’m not sure how he doesn’t see it a year away, because if it doesn’t come for a draft tabled before the House, it doesn’t come before the House before the fall of this year, that means the next Assembly won’t have a chance to review it, update it, take it out to public consultation, and they’d be lucky to see it back before February.
The reason I ask for a small amendment that would allow to vary it is that they could work with the committee, and certainly driven by the family, we could find a way to deal with the existing problems. Because when I hear a parent who tells me about their self-medicating child, the instability of the family, they have sleepless nights because they’re worried about what can be done, and as long as this person is falling well within the law and not hurting themselves or others, they create terror to everyone around them. We need to find amendments that could work towards the longer achieving goal. Can the Minister help us with that?
The Member and I want the same thing, which is a comprehensive Mental Health Act that meets the needs of the residents of the Northwest Territories, and we’re committed to doing that. The department is working on it every day.
A significant amount of information came out during our public consultation process. We had a lot of feedback. It was wonderful to get as much feedback as we did. The department is going through that data. It’s analysing that data and writing the act as we speak. The act is currently being written as we speak, but it will take a bit of time and there’s a good chance that it may not be ready for the May/June session. If it’s not, I intend to table it in the August session so that the residents of the Northwest Territories have an opportunity to read it and begin their discussions on it so that we can get it passed early in the life of the next Assembly.
I’m not in a position to say that that lady, Karen Lander, a few years ago the outcome would have been different in her particular circumstances, but what I can say is it might have been a different situation that led to those circumstances. Whether it would have come up with the same end, I don’t know. But I can tell you that if we consider it ourselves for a very quick moment, that if we made a small amendment to the act that it could be varied, many Ministers have the authority to vary certain decisions and this could be certainly one of them. This could be a real opportunity if the legislation isn’t ready in May.
I ask the Minister to reconsider this opportunity, because this is not just helping us, it’s helping hundreds of people. The fact is one in five Canadians suffer from this. If I just took the MLAs alone, that could mean four of the MLAs in this room, and Ministers that is, could be suffering from a mental illness. It’s that close and personal to us.
I don’t know how I can say it over and over again. This is something we do take incredibly seriously, and this is something that we want to get done, and this is something that we’re working on. The amendment the Member is talking about is not a small amendment. It isn’t an easy fix. It would take significant work just to amend the old, outdated, archaic act that we have to address this one issue, and because the act is so outdated, fixing one little clause is not going to give us the tools we truly need. Rewriting the act, the new act is going to give us the tools we need, and we are moving forward as quickly as we can and as responsibly as we can to ensure that we get an act that is right for the people of the Northwest Territories.
Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have no doubt that every one of the 19 Members in this Assembly ran in here with a can-do attitude about trying to do things. I would ask the Minister, is there any reason he here today can stand by and say I will not try this? Would he be willing to at least take this idea to a legal advisor who writes legislation to take a look at this particular scenario?
I’m eager to resolve this issue and it is something that I have already discussed at length with the deputy minister of Health and Social Services and we’ve also had discussions with legal.
The issue is it’s not a simple fix, it’s a significant component of the new legislation and it would actually not really fix it if all the other components of the act were still as archaic and bad as they are today.
I want this legislation done. My colleagues on this side want this legislation done. My colleagues on that side want this legislation done, but I believe they want it done right as opposed to right now. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on my Member’s statement when I spoke about on-the-land programming and some of the wonderful projects that are happening in the regions and communities this year.
I want to speak specifically about the Deh Cho proposals. I know that the Minister wasn’t able to qualify a successful proposal in his announcement yesterday. So, are there proposals out there and what type are they? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There actually is a significant amount of interest in the Deh Cho and we have been working with a variety of groups in the Deh Cho to determine what the best approach is for the residents of the Deh Cho. So as that work progresses, I’d certainly be happy to keep the Member updated. Thank you.
Thank you very much. I’m really pleased that the department is moving this forward. I’m not too sure about facilities that were invested in last year, if the intent of the proposal was geared toward using that facility or is the department open to other proposals that may be out there? Thank you.
It’s my understanding that we actually turned those resources on that particular site over to I think it was the Liidlii K’ue First Nation, but we’ll have to confirm that with the understanding that if we ever wanted to run an on-the-land program in that location we can use those facilities as well. So, honestly, they can use those facilities for anything they need, they don’t need our permission. They can utilize them for any type of programming that they deem as appropriate and reasonable for residents of the Deh Cho. Thank you.
Thank you very much. I notice that some of the programming in the other regions was adult orientated. Can and will youth proposals be accepted as well? Thank you.
In this process we don’t want to dictate to any of the communities or regions what project would be appropriate for them. This is a community-driven initiative. So it’s what the community wishes to see and how the community wishes to see it unroll.
As I said to Member Blake yesterday, we’re there to add clinical advice and expertise if they seek it, and if they want some of our people there, we’re willing to participate as well. So if they want a youth program, they can have a youth program. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
QUESTION 650-17(5):
YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Leading up from my Member’s statement, I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services a couple of questions. What programs do we offer for youth in the area of depression? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A number of the programs that we deliver are not age specific. The NWT Helpline is available to youth. We have some specific suicide intervention programming and training that we’re trying to get into the schools and I believe we’ll be able to get into a number of the schools this year. There’s a number of programs that are available for youth, but all the programs are available for youth as well. Thank you.
Is the department developing programs to educate our youth on signs of depression and who they can speak to? Thank you.
There’s a program that we’re supporting called Talking About Mental Illness, which is actually a program that we’re intending to get into the schools, which will encourage people, youth, to talk about mental health issues and we’re anticipating seeing some of the delivery of that this fiscal year. Thank you.
