Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I spoke earlier about the challenges that an NWT resident had in accessing programs and services through the GNWT. Two-and-a-half minutes definitely was not enough time to go through the detailed challenges and frustrating challenges that this person faced in order to get some access and in order to get some resolution to some of their challenges. My point is, Mr. Speaker, that our programs and services, we spend millions and millions of dollars making programs and services available within the GNWT, but they are definitely not accessible to NWT residents. I would like to find out from the Premier today: does this government intend to address the NWT's need for client-focused accessible integrated service delivery in the course of this Assembly? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is a concern. I know, from my own history of being a social worker, that there are issues to the government. All government programs are meant to provide services to the people based on the needs of people. Because the government is so big sometimes, they do actually end up working in silos. Over the years, we have tried many things to address this issue. We have multiple working groups. We have committees of Cabinet where members from different departments sit together. We are looking at an integrated case management service with the Department of Justice. Within our smaller communities, we have government service officers. Is it the answer? It's the start of the answer, Mr. Speaker, but we have a long way to go. I would be the first to recognize that we are trying, but yes, open to any suggestions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Can the Premier give us an idea of what direction has been given to departments to enable and empower front-line staff to work together?
There has been no direction that I know of that has said all government departments shall work together to the front-line service workers, but we have given that expectation to deputy ministers across. That's why we have deputy ministers' working committees, as well. Does it get down to the front-line person? That's a concern. People have job descriptions, and I know that most government workers do really care, and they do go above and beyond. It's not in the job descriptions, but I do hope that, when people see obstacles, for example, if they're looking at income support and there's an education issue, that they would actually try to reach out. That is the work. We recognize that there is an issue, but that is the work. That's why we are doing the integrated case management pilot, and it's showing success. No-brainer that it's showing success, so we are hoping to expand that program as we move forward. Again, lots of competing priorities, though.
I appreciate that people have job descriptions, and I will say that every single person that we came across fulfilled their job description. They fulfilled the mandate of their department. That's what they intended to do and what they are supposed to do. People aren't boxes, and they don't fit into boxes. People's challenges in life extend beyond one single box of one mandate in one department. When somebody presents with a challenge with housing, it quite often is not simply a matter of a housing issue. When somebody presents with a challenge of income security, it is not solely a challenge of filling a bank account. There are so many other pieces that go with that. Until we start helping people with wraparound supports that address their concerns, we are never going to end up spending less money. We are never going to catch up.
My question would be: if no direction specifically has been given -- I recognize what the Premier says about the integrated case management. They have a huge wait list, and I am going to talk about that tomorrow with the Minister of Justice. They can't serve all of our clients. Is the Premier willing to give direction to Cabinet to start making front-line staff work together?
I will give direction to the Ministers during the Cabinet meeting. I can make a commitment to do that, that they should talk to their senior officials in every department and do try to talk about client services and how we can best work with people. I do think that all Ministers recognize that. I know that they're trying to do that. We're open to ideas, like I said. The combining of one release of information form that was brought from this Assembly from Regular Members, give credit where credit is due, was a phenomenal thing, in my opinion.
We have work to do. The integrated case management program is a success. That was a no-brainer for me. I knew that would happen. The government service officers in every small community, those have huge successes. We have work to do, but I will give direction, as the Member asked, to every Minister that we see here today, hearing me now, talk to their officials, ask their officials that, as much as possible, have people work together. However, in saying that, I do have to recognize that there is confidentiality, especially in, for example, health or even housing. Do I want my story shared with everybody without my consent? Absolutely not, but we could work better together as much as possible.
Thank you, Honourable Premier. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I do have some suggestions for different Ministers for later this week that I will work through with them as the week goes on. I will say that, without the policy and the process in each department, in order to essentially force it, it's not going to happen. Unless each department sets up policies and processes that give them cross-reference to be able to talk together and empowers their public servants to work together, it's just not going to happen. It's not just a matter of saying to people, "Talk to one another," because their job descriptions and their protocols within their departments don't allow them to do that.
One of the things that I noticed over and over again was that different service providers were met with dead ends. They were there to listen to you about what it had to do with the mandate of their department, but they weren't empowered to be able to say, "Listen. That sounds like an issue for income security. Let's bring income security into the room." It was a matter of sending somebody to walk six blocks to see if they could find the right public servant to talk to and not putting the onus on the person who has a place to sleep that night to bring the person into the room. That's what needs to change. I do believe that our public servants are amazing, and they do want to make change, but they need to be empowered to bring their colleagues into the room. Thank you.
There is no arguing with the Member. She is absolutely right. It would be really nice if people could stop and hit one service centre and be able to get their answers addressed and the services they need and to actually not have to walk to the next government office two blocks or five blocks away, whatever it may be, that they could pick up the phone. That is the goal of the government, eventually.
Giving credit in the last Assembly when they started the integrated case management program, that was the goal, that it would become a pilot project, and from that work, which we're just concluding, we just did an evaluation, I believe, a while ago, and again, showed success. That work would actually be transferred and that we can actually get more and more departments to be doing that work. It is part of the answer. It's not the only answer.
I didn't like one-stop shopping because I heard from too many people that when you have one-stop shopping, if I get mad at that worker and that worker is mad at me, I have nowhere to go; but I think that there is a combination that's needed, Mr. Speaker. It's not just a one-stop shopping. Maybe it's an option that you can have a one-stop shopping service officer, somewhere to go, but also give people the options that, if I don't want to go there, I can still go to income support or housing on my own so that I can access those services.
I think that we need to look at all of the options that are available, Mr. Speaker. We have to make sure that our services are people-centred. People-centred sometimes does not mean there's only one right answer; it means having a combination of answers for people that meet their needs. I think that is the work that we are doing now, and we will continue to. We are more than open to suggestions on this issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
