The stepped care approach is not specifically focused on suicide. It's about providing a seamless pathway of care to individuals who are looking for it. There is focus, of course, within this particularly on mental health and addictions. What this approach has enabled us to do is to eliminate waiting lists for care. The care is provided as needed, so it's possible to get a same-day appointment. If you need another appointment tomorrow, you can come back tomorrow. There isn't this old-fashioned way of making a block of appointments once a week for several weeks. The other thing that the stepped care approach does is link the individual with other supports within the system. As I say, the idea is a seamless pathway approach to care where the person is hooked up with both formal and informal supports, traditional and non-traditional supports, so that they can take advantage of those.
The other part of this is an online presence. It has to do with apps. We have a relationship with the Strongest Families Institute, which provides care for families who have children and young people. There's also another app coming right away which is for young people where they can text and email to the service provider and obtain support that way. What we're trying to do here is provide a spectrum of supports. We recognize not everyone wants to use an app, but then again, not everybody wants to sit in a counselling office. We're trying to provide a variety of supports here to support people to obtain and maintain their good mental health.
I want to thank that Minister for that. In the Minister's replies to some email questions that I had sent, the Minister mentioned development of a suicide prevention and crisis response network in partnership with the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. Can the Minister explain how this partnership will be brought to bear to support communities when a crisis occurs, where these resources will come from, and how communities can initiate the process themselves?
It all starts with a critical incident, and the community reaching out to the health authority to ask for help. Once that step has been accomplished, then there's a conversation about what kind of help is required. Then the authority engages with finding those additional supports, whether they come from inside the community, inside the region, from Yellowknife, or from outside of the territory. They try to meet the goals that the community has. Maybe those are one-on-one counselling. Maybe they feel like they need critical incident debriefs or other outreach supports or outreach supports to help them cope with the critical incident that's happened.
This system is in place now. I know it was recently used in connection with an incident in Tuktoyaktuk. What happened there was that a counsellor flew in from Paulatuk to assist the community, and there were people who flew in from Yellowknife to assist the community. The idea is to try and bring together a group of supports who can work at the community's request on healing from the incident that has taken place.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. I know the Minister recently announced a community suicide prevention fund at $225,000 total, and up to $45,000 per project. That would really only help maybe up to five communities. Can the Minister say how this program will be further rolled out, especially in collaboration with our existing staff and counsellors, and how the initial projects are going to be monitored and evaluated? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
The community suicide prevention fund was announced earlier this month, and that's a very short window for spending the money in this fiscal year. There was a commitment to work with communities to fund their projects early in the next fiscal year so that they would get a jump on this. What I do know from the department is: there's been a lot of interest in this fund. I know that there are groups who have been able to finalize proposals and offer their own suicide prevention and intervention programming.
The Member mentioned that $45,000 is the cap. That doesn't mean that every group will apply for that amount of money. Some of the proposals that have come in are for significantly less money than that, so our hope is that more than five communities will benefit. Having said that, this is a brand new fund, and we need to test it out to see if it is the right amount of money. If it needs more money, then we're going to need to talk to Health Canada about more money. It's important for the community-based organization, whether it's an Indigenous government or a non-profit or a community government, to work with local counselling teams to plan the activity that they want funded and to make sure that there is support and connection there for the most effective program delivery. What the department does is focus on the uptake, how many people participated and what did they themselves report as outcomes. Because these are community-based projects and each one can be different, the department is not planning to formally evaluate each of the projects. What we know about suicide prevention is to increase protective factors and address risk factors, and my hope for this fund is that the money will do both of these things. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In the 2007 Auditor General's report on housing, it was found that about 71 percent of NWT Housing Corporation mortgages were in arrears. I'm wondering if the Minister of Housing can let us know what the average annual cost of home ownership mortgages are to the NWT Housing Corporation and including any maintenance or repair costs that the NWT Housing Corporation funds, as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Presently, we have 321 mortgage files; 103 of them, we are receiving payment, and 218 are in arrears. Three of those are in Yellowknife. For the upcoming year, the Housing Corporation plans to invest $5 million into home ownership programming to support private homeowners with their home needs and repairs. The Housing Corporation also is contributing assistance for a residential enhancement care program, $2 million; care maintenance program, $872,000; fuel tank replacement for homeowners, $500,000; Providing Assistance for Territorial Homeownership, the PATH program to homeownership, $75,000; Securing Assistance for Emergencies, $1.5 million; seniors aging in place, retrofits and repairs, $800,000. We're looking at the loans that are given out, as well, and considered to be forgivable loans that are not payable back to the Housing Corporation if the grant and the conditions are met. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Can the Minister also confirm what the annual operating cost is per public housing unit in the Northwest Territories?
As per the audit for 2019-2020, the financial statement, the approximate cost is $62 million. This is for the utilities and maintenance costs for delivery of the public housing program, and it translates to $25,000 per unit per year.
Does the Minister have any ideas of what the leading causes of mortgage arrears in the Northwest Territories and how the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation intends to address these challenges through their homeownership programs?
The Housing Corporation continues to work very closely with our tenants and supports the collection of rental and mortgage arrears, including developing affordable repayment plans and counselling, as well. As a result of this work, the Housing Corporation maintains a high collection rate of 90 percent. In the 2021-2024 corporate business plan, we continue to make a commitment to maintain that amount to 90 percent of annual collection rates. The Housing Corporation is continuing to be providing repayable mortgages or loans that were established in 2007. Since 2007, the Housing Corporation also continued to collect on these old legacy files. The work also involves entering into affordable repayment plans, where necessary, with existing mortgage clients.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am wondering if the Minister can speak to how the NWT Housing Corporation is driving the changes needed for communities to have affordable access to building material, repair, and maintenance within all communities of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
This is a question that was asked throughout the trips that the Housing Corporation made prior to September of last year. We are looking at providing building materials at our local housing authorities to support private homeowners in smaller communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services on providing mental health services across the Delta and my riding of Nunakput. Can the Minister provide me with an update on the activities supporting mental health that will take place in our small communities, including the Nunakput region, this year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Particularly in Nunakput, it's my understanding that there are child and youth care counsellors in place in the schools to assist children and youth. There are wellness workers and there are child and youth family counsellors; I understand that that particular position in Tuktoyaktuk is now vacant. These people would be delivering the Community Counselling Program, as well as the child and youth care counsellor program. In addition to that, there would be various virtual supports such as the Help Line, the apps, and then, in the event of a critical incident, which I know Tuktoyaktuk had earlier this month, there would be additional supports that would come into the community from other locations to provide help as requested by the community. Thank you.
What other culturally appropriate mental health supports are currently available for Northerners?
It's my hope that we are delivering culturally appropriate services in all of our different offerings, but some of the ones that I haven't yet mentioned are the suicide prevention fund, which my colleague from Frame Lake mentioned. It's an application-based community development program; the peer support program, which assists people who require after-care supports from facility-based treatment; another is on-the-land programming, which would be applied for by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and distributed to the communities. That's a good pot of money that can be spent in a very flexible way. It can be pre-care, it can be family-based counselling, it can be after-care. It's my understanding that the IRC did apply for that money in this fiscal year, and a new pot of money will be available on Thursday.
We're going towards a digital age, even though I always say it's always good to have people coming to our communities to talk to people instead of doing it digitally or through the Internet and stuff like that. What is the Minister doing to move towards digital healthcare for residents like they do in the health centres for doctors? Are they able to do that with people with mental illness and stuff like that to take the time with their patients, the southern doctors who are available? Is that available to the people?
There is virtual care available to some extent in all communities. We have recently signed an agreement with the federal government that will enable us to enhance our virtual care offerings all across the NWT. We recognize that this is a way to put people in touch with specialized services, or services in their community while they have vacancies in critical positions. I do believe that virtual care is the way of the future, and we see that. We are enhancing that as money becomes available.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. I really think we should be going towards Zoom conferences like we've been doing now. I really think that there are companies that do this professionally for youth across Canada. They have people who have been testing it with First Assist, John Chabot or Devin Buffalo out of Wetaskiwin, both former hockey players, but something like that for our youth. We need it. We have nothing going on in the communities. They're struggling, our youth. We can only do so much, I know, but there have to be ways that we can tap in to help them and really drill down to the issue and try to provide service for them. I'd really like to ask the Minister if she would look at something like that, a Zoom conference for our youth, a Zoom conference for men, a Zoom conferences for ladies, whatever they choose to do? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
One of the hallmarks of the programming in the department is that they like to offer people a choice so that we are not imposing one-size-fits-all service for all the people of the NWT. It varies by what they want for themselves. I think that having a Zoom presence for conferences is a good idea. Depending on whether that has a health focus or more of a youth motivation focus, that might be something that MACA can assist with, as well. If the Member has a specific idea for a project, then I would invite him to speak to myself and speak to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs about how we can bring it to life. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral question. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These questions are for the Minister of health. Oh, no, sorry. The Minister of ITI.
---Laughter
Yesterday, the Minister of ITI talked about agriculture and community gardens, and I'd like to speak more about community gardens. We have people spending more time in the territories. We have an opportunity to get people out there learning about gardening. Myself, I have no idea. I don't mind eating the food that comes out of there, but if you ask me to grow anything, good luck. What I'd like to talk about is that, in Hay River, which is probably the capital of community gardens, we have an opportunity to do something in the smaller communities.
I just want to give you an example, for instance. In the community of Kakisa, they've had assistance, I think, from Guelph University. They put in a couple of greenhouses, and I think they even may want to expand the gardening by developing a five-acre plot to grow vegetables and that. You have got a community there of, just as an example, I don't know how many people, 70, 80 people or a hundred maybe. They have an opportunity to actually be self-sufficient in that area, and we need some test cases. It's just not Kakisa. There are other smaller communities that we could really do something with, so I would like to ask the Minister to provide support for communities like that. For instance, say Kakisa, they might need $25,000 to make this happen, and a lot of the communities, they might not come forward to Hay River and talk to anybody. I would ask the Minister if she would be willing to commit her department to reaching out to these communities and seeing what they can do to help them, to make sure the applications are in there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of ITI has a wealth, a variety, of different programs and funding opportunities for programs just such as this. Yes, while I am happy to give the yes and say that we will reach out to Kakisa to make sure that they are aware of it, there are so many options and opportunities. If there are communities, Indigenous organizations, Indigenous governments, individuals thinking about creating some sort of small agriculture project, wanting to learn more about commercial agriculture, there are funding opportunities for small-scale foods programs; there are funding opportunities to support learning about food processing, food development, how to market, how to get involved in agriculture. All of these different areas have funding opportunities. We will ensure that we reach out directly to Kakisa, but again, as we are coming up on the growing season, please, I would again encourage people to reach out to their local EDO or ITI representative because there is money there to be spent on exactly this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I would ask the Minister to, as well, reach out to other communities, just to make sure that everybody is aware of what is available. However, I would like to take this a step further, as well. We have people out there; we have people who we say are homeless, but they have all got skills. You know what we say about idle hands. What I would like to see is the department work with maybe other departments to find ways to allow people to maybe participate in developing greenhouses and go further, as well, and maybe look at the correctional centres. You have got SMCC in Hay River. I think, at one time, they may have been doing that, but for some reason, maybe it stopped. I would like to ask the Minister if she would consider working with the Minister of Justice to see if there is something we can do to provide that opportunity, as well, if it's feasible.
The agriculture strategy already brings together the Departments of ITI as well as Lands, ENR, Health and Social Services, so certainly the work across the departments is already happening. I am familiar with the program that used to exist in the correctional institutions, and I believe I have actually committed to another MLA earlier this same session that I would reach out and work with the Minister of Justice to see if there is some future for that program again. I don't have an answer other than to say that I have made that commitment. I will make it again, and we will see if it can go anywhere from here.
Another organization, the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre, what they are looking at doing is buying some small containers that are designed for growing vegetables in, just for starters. I forget how many they have got, a hundred or something they are going to be giving away. I am not sure if the Department of ITI is talking to them or assisting or whatever, but we are here to provide a service. When you provide a service, you usually go banging on doors. It's kind of like us as MLAs. If we want to know something, we have got to call our constituents. We have got to talk. We have got to go out and reach out to them. We cannot sit back and expect them to come to us. I would ask the Minister if she would have her department in Hay River reach out to the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre and see what they can do to help assist in distribution or any training in what they are doing.
When I said earlier that there are quite a number of programs, I say that out of personal experience. I have found it inspiring but also overwhelming, the amount of opportunity and options that are there. What I have asked for recently and what has been produced just in the last month is actually an 11-page document that says "Funding Programs: Industry, Tourism and Investment." I was recently up in the Beaufort-Delta, took this with me, and was handing it out as we were meeting with various community governments. I think what I will say is that not only will we reach out to the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre, but I need to make an effort to get this document out more broadly so that organizations like the Soaring Eagle, if they want to have opportunities to access this funding, that they will see it and have it available to them. Yes, I will certainly make sure that we make a commitment, make a note to follow up on that specific request, but again more broadly, yes, the money needs to go out to where it's intended to go.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think, after this question, the Minister will see where I am going with this. I am going to talk about the fish plant now. Has the department assessed how the new proposed fish plant could be used for agricultural purposes during the off season, like for, say, if you have vegetables that have to be dealt with? My understanding is that that plant might be multipurpose, so what I am trying to do is get a full-meal deal here, fish and vegetables. Thank you.
Short answer: yes, that there is an intention that indeed the fish plant would be one that is compliant with the Canadian food industry inspection agency's full requirements to be able to provide a product that is more varied than simply processing fish. Specifically, what might come from that and specifically what might ultimately get processed there would likely be up more to the owners and managers of the plant, certainly rather than me. However, the vision is one that it is meant to be up to a level that it can accommodate more than simply a processing of the fish. Again, I will perhaps have to go back and just look at exactly what the extent of it would be, but that was the intention kind of always in the works, that it can always be running, that it will not have shut-down periods and that it factors into the bigger picture of food security for the Northwest Territories, which is obviously about more than just fish. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Infrastructure Minister since I did not get a fourth yes and clarity. Considering that the Taltson expansion is on traditional territory of the Salt River First Nation and the Fort Smith Metis Nation, doesn't it make sense that the superintendent of NTPC, which it always was, that the office should be in Fort Smith for the South Slave and not Fort Simpson? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just to clarify, as I am looking at my colleague from the area, the superintendent is not, in fact, located in Fort Simpson. However, I am going to start again from the last round, where we talked about the Taltson expansion project. It is currently in the business phase. It is led by the Department of Finance. However, we are working together. This government has numerous times said that we will all work together as departments. Again, I relayed this to the community when in Fort Smith last week, once we proceed through the business case, development phase, we will look at and consider the impacts the Taltson will have on staffing for the region. This is a big, major project, and I know where the Member is coming from in terms of having the opportunity to be able to look at the staffing needs at that time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Would the Minister reconsider having a central office with a superintendent in the Fort Smith office, considering that the Taltson River dam is located within close vicinity to the community of Fort Smith?
Just to be honest here, we can't be duplicating services. Otherwise, we may have to increase rates for customers. That is what it comes down to. However, looking at expanding the projects, we would be able to look at whether we need the capacity, should the expansion project go through. The answer right now is "no." We will look at a business case. We will assess it then and then determine. Most likely, it will be a yes eventually, but right now, we just need to be able to look at the project.
Given the history of the Fort Smith office, just in the last year and a half, we lost the superintendent, and it hasn't been replaced. Would the Minister consider the Indigenous file when considering the activity in the future for the Taltson office in Fort Smith?
