Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement today I talked about some concerns with the Mental Health Act. As the Minister knows quite well, the Mental Health Act was originated back in 1988 and it has a lot of particular issues, but I know the department is certainly looking forward to updating the act in a current way.
So maybe let’s start with that, because frankly, I have been dealing with families that have been struggling with the archaic act as it is written today and they are looking for some inspiration and certainly some hope as to what processes will be engaged and how soon we can see some development of the new Mental Health Act.
Let’s start with that. Maybe the Minister can provide a bit of an update and overview of some action. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister of Health, Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last year we actually went out and started doing some consultations and getting input from the communities. We had a discussion paper that was put online and shared with committee. Both the department and the committee went out looking for additional input on that. We’ve used that data to develop an LP. The LP has gone to committee. On October 20th the committee returned the LP and I am now taking that forward to Cabinet. As soon as it is passed in Cabinet, we will be issuing drafting instructions from the Department of Health and Social Services to the Department of Justice and drafting will begin very shortly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve been taking several calls from various families across the North, be it Inuvik, Yellowknife or even Hay River, and frankly, they are all expressing similar concerns about access to services on the ground and timely access to services on the ground that are relevant to the need.
Maybe the Minister can provide some update to that, because folks are feeling boxed in and powerless to be able to help under the present act. Maybe if the Minister could talk about those areas. What other areas can we do in that little space between today and when the new act becomes official, because it does feel like a long, relentless struggle that they are not making any headway. Thank you.
I have been having very similar conversations with constituents and front-line professionals myself, and there is no question that the current Mental Health Act is outdated, is not meeting the needs of our people, but it is the act that we have in place so we have to continue to be vigilant with the act we have and individuals have to keep coming forward and identifying individuals who are in need and reporting them to the RCMP and/or the health authorities as appropriate.
The bottom line is that the act doesn’t meet the needs of the people and we have to change the act so that we can actually start to make improvements for the residents of the Northwest Territories who are suffering from mental health or mental illness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In dealing with one specific family, in fact it is not just about one family, many families struggle with the same problem, which is the justice system recognizes that people with mental illness, this really shouldn’t be the first stop, but unfortunately it is one of the processes that just happens to happen. In cases – and this is the only example that I will give – where the family is helpless because the justice system says that unless they do something to themselves or others, they can’t do anything. The Department of Health sits there and says unless they do something to themselves or others, they can’t do anything. So everyone is struggling. I am asking the Minister what can be done, because these families are feeling exceptionally struggled.
My third question here, to really get to the bottom line on this one, is: What can be done for these families to help them, because the update of the new act, which I welcome and they welcome, may take maybe two, maybe three years before it is fully implemented, although I know hard work is going on behind the scenes. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I’ve had a lot of conversations with our director of territorial services as well as social workers on this particular issue. We know there are significant limitations in the legislation itself and we have to make those changes. I actually anticipate that the legislation is going to take less than two to three years to be rolled out. We are hoping to have legislation available in this government, in this Assembly, but it likely will be in the next Assembly. But we are moving on it because it’s that important.
As far as dealing with the individuals, we are continuing to make social services available. We are continuing to talk to Stanton, as an example, to encourage them to take individuals when front-line people call them. But there are some significant limitations to the legislation and we all have to continue to work together to find ways to be creative, to assist these people until such time as we bring in that new legislation. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Often families tell me the difference between voluntary and involuntary commitment to these programs causes great fear and anxiety, but they continue to struggle with this. I’ll simply just describe it as they feel like they’re treading water in an ocean all by themselves and no one is in sight to help them and they worry.
The Minister says creative. Any ideas on how we can be creative on this problem? He knows some of the examples. We don’t have the time to go through them all here today. I’m looking for ideas to inspire hope. When these families call me, I have to be able to give them some answer that we’re doing something, and saying the act is being worked on, although it helps, it just doesn’t make them feel warm inside in the sense that they can see it in their lifetime.
So can the Minister give us some examples of how we can be creative and make sure that we’re helping those loved ones that really struggle and when they face these challenges they’re not alone?
Thank you. I hear the Member and I agree with the Member, but we are still limited by the existing act. We have to be careful on what we do because we may be in a position where we breach the legislation, which we don’t want to do. We have to change the legislation. The changes are coming. I’m looking forward to working with the Member and all the rest of the Members to improve this legislation.
In the meantime, one of the things that we’re trying to do, as a government and as a department, is break down some of the stigma that exists around mental health and mental illness and provide people with the tools that they need. So they can encourage people to talk to the people who can provide services and can help, whether it’s counsellors or doctors or psychiatrists and psychologists.
We need to continue to break down that stigma and we’re trying to do a number of things, including public awareness, education to help people understand and break down that stigma. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Time for oral questions has expired. Item 8 written questions. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item 5 on the agenda, recognition of visitors in the gallery.
---Unanimous consent granted
