Thank you. Ms. Cleveland.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. My next question is in regards to the workers that work in the long-term care facilities, especially with the personal support program. It's a great program, and one I definitely fully support. I think it's great for people to be able to help care for family members. I believe the program at Aurora College is 10 months long, where they can go, get training, help care for seniors and people who are important to them in their life, and I am definitely supportive of that. One thing that I believe Ryerson does is: if you're taking a nursing degree through Ryerson University, they actually have it structured so that, following your first year of nursing, you finish that first year as a personal support worker. I'm wondering if the Minister of Health and Social Services is working with Aurora College to potentially pursue that so that all of our nursing students are personal support workers. That way if, for some reason, they need to take a break from nursing, they can walk right into employment; or if they need some summer employment, it's another way to get into the community and get working right away. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
I don't see that there is a linkage between those two programs, but I'd like to refer this question to the deputy minister, please.
Deputy Minister.
Thank you. Yes, this the concept of laddering, and while that is within the purview of ECE, we do have a good relationship with Aurora. This is something that we have talked about and flagged, certainly the nursing professionals have, but I can't speak in terms of what the outcomes of those discussions are. Thank you.
Thank you. Member.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I'm wondering if the Minister, or perhaps the deputy minister, could give me a good idea of a timeline of when to follow up on that question. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you. I'll ask the deputy minister to answer that, please.
Deputy Minister.
I'm not certain. We don't have anything specific. There are ongoing discussions, but whenever the Member would like, I think.
Thank you. That will suffice, that answer? Member.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I'm wondering if the disabilities fund includes any funding toward FASD diagnostic in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't think that this is the right category for that question. I think that we talked about the respite services in the previous health and social programs category, but I'll just ask the deputy minister to confirm that. Thank you.
Deputy Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's correct. Thank you.
Member.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I will always look for a way to go back.
Any further questions? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Madam Chair. Mr. Chair. It's been a long week; I'll try to get the gender right. I take it this is the part of the budget that the paid caregiver leave program falls under. Is that correct?
Minister.
Yes, I think that's this part of the budget. Thanks.
Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I know that there is a pilot program in progress. Can we just get a bit of an update of where that program is at? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Minister.
Yes. The program exists in five different communities at this point. There is a limited intake of spots, but I think that most of them have been taken up and that there is evaluation planned for the next fiscal year in order to determine the future of the pilot program. That's a very high-level answer. The deputy minister would be able to offer quite a bit more. Thank you.
Deputy Minister.
Thank you. Yes, indeed, we do have pilots ongoing in Behchoko, Yellowknife, Dettah, Ndilo, Tuktoyaktuk, and Hay River. We have individuals who have been accepted: five in Behchoko; eight in Yellowknife; two in Dettah and Ndilo; eight in Hay River; and there are some issues in Tuktoyaktuk. We've got a capacity for five; there is still some work ongoing to hire the caregiver there, but as of last week, they are in the process of hiring. As the Minister said, we are finalizing an RFP to hire a contractor this spring to undertake an evaluation framework and to conduct the evaluation of the program over this summer, and that will help inform our business planning for next year. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Member.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Look, I'm very supportive of the pilot program. I'd be happy to see it made permanent in some way. After the evaluation, is it the intention of the department to work this into the next budget cycle or look at a potential supplementary appropriation? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Minister.
Thank you. It's my understanding that the evaluation will point the way forward and this will be incorporated into the budget planning for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks. Nothing further.
Any further questions? That concludes this section. Please turn to page 189. No, sorry. Please turn to page 185. [Microphone turned off]
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I will call the committee back to order. Please turn to page 185. Health and Social Services, long term and continuing care services, operations expenditure summary, 2021-2022 Main Estimates, $59,088,000. Does the committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. Out of territory services, beginning on page 188. Questions? Ms. Cleveland.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I am wondering if the Minister can let us know how many people are living in residential care outside of the Northwest Territories.
Minister.
Sorry, Mr. Chair. I was not ready. Could the Member please repeat that?
Member.
Absolutely. I am wondering how many people are living outside of the Northwest Territories in residential care. Thank you.
Minister.
Yes. Thank you for the question. I do not have that information to hand. I will look towards the deputy minister and see if he does.
Deputy Minister.
Thank you. We have 114 clients who are currently in supportive living placements who are in contracted out-of-territory facilities, and we have 50 clients who are within supportive living places within the Northwest Territories.
Thank you. Ms. Cleveland.
