Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mental illness has had such a negative and unfair stigma. Those people facing these challenges are often facing burdens well beyond their individual ability to carry these struggles. They face illnesses of different types that many of us often shy away from. We must support them in their struggle. Many people who struggle with mental illness also face additional challenges such as the struggle with addictions as well as their challenges with the law.
Folks like this who struggle through this don’t necessarily do it alone but they do it through the process of being ostracized sometimes by the public, their friends, and certainly their family members. That is why it’s so important that we must find ways to help them through this burden, because it’s an incredible opportunity to help them face these challenges and give them support where they can.
We can’t do this alone and certainly they can’t. This government must continue to find ways to support families who are struggling with a loved one who was given these challenges. I can assure you, I’ve never seen anyone ask for this particular challenge as they boldly try to face them down. Sadly, many of these challenges are not faced, and these burdens are often kept secret.
This government, as I said, must do anything it can do to help tear down these barriers. That would be the first thing. Secondly, it must do whatever it can to ensure that the resources are available to help when action and support are called upon, because facing some of these challenges is a daunting task by itself, and if you fear that no one will hear you, then the chances of coming forward are even more unlikely.
There are challenges sometimes with motivating someone who has mental illness because they just don’t want to face the challenges and the further negative stigma. Sometimes I’ve heard from people that it’s often easier to hide in the dark than it is to be front and centre.
We must find ways to ensure we support these people, as I’ve said already. Sadly, people would rather be tucked away and not face these challenges and be worried about what may happen to them. I know families trying to help their loved ones and they, too, are feeling helpless by the system because the Northwest Territories continues to use the 1988 Mental Health Act which keeps these families feeling powerless. Unless these loved ones were able to break through the process of being identified and seeking help, we continue to leave them at their own devices.
Medical services can’t help sometimes. Families often feel their hands are tied. Even the police have said that and the justice system knows that people with mental illness, this isn’t necessarily the right place for them.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
The barriers of the current act must be overcome as quickly as possible, because access must be unobstructed in all regions of our territory. I’ve heard from people who’ve contacted me directly from Inuvik, Hay River, Fort Smith and I’ve even talked to families here in Yellowknife and they’re all saying the same thing, that the families are struggling and they really want to help but they feel powerless. Professionals have told me that they feel handcuffed because their act is archaic. So many other things have been said as well.
Concerns such as lack of community treatment provisions in a timely way or even simple access, patient rights continue to be challenging. I’ve often heard from the medical staff about their inability to help. Even the redundant paperwork, one physician had told me that it says 19 and then blank, so it clearly shows that the paperwork alone is, minimum, 15 years old. It goes back to the last century.
The rights and safety of these patients must be paramount, and I know the department has the Mental Health Act on its agenda, but things, as we see ourselves, continue to burden these families and burden these people. When they do have the courage to come forward, they wonder if the help is really there.
The old act is kind of like being in the Dark Ages, and I’m sorry to use such a colourful metaphor, but at the end of the day, that’s how the people feel.
In summary, any further delay in the development of the new NWT act, and we must do anything we can. I look forward to my questions and the clear answers about how we move this initiative forward.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I’m going to remind the Members that when I say conclude your statement, you’ve got about, I guess, 30 seconds, not another two minutes. I’m trying to help the Members out here. The Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
