Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I was talking about mental health and mental illness, and I have some questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Can the Minister please tell us what kind of training front-line workers are doing besides Mental Health First Aid? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Mental Health First Aid is one of the programs that we offer throughout the Northwest Territories. It is recognized internationally as one of the best practice models out there for tackling mental health issues, and we make it available to all residents across the Northwest Territories. In-house, we do have training for our staff about our particular programs and services they provide, but that is for staff that we have within the Health and Social Services system. As far as training we provide to other GNWT employees, I would have to check with the department to see what we do make available, if anything. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for that answer. I guess we are seeing too many tragedies out here in this world, especially in all of our ridings. As we move forward, will the Minister look at other alternatives such as the strengthening mental health for children offered through NWTRP as an opportunity for front-line workers to be using that course?
When it comes to addressing mental health issues and challenges across the Northwest Territories, there are a number of stakeholders and partners involved doing really fantastic work. Bell Canada is doing a significant amount of work to create awareness and encourage people to talk about the challenges that residents are having, and there are other organizations like Sport and Rec Council that are delivering training as well.
I am not as familiar with the program that the Member is talking about today. I have asked the Member to provide me with some details on the program so that I can share that with the department, have a discussion with him on how it may fit within the current types of programs that we're delivering, but until I am familiar with that type of program, or that exact program, actually, I am not prepared to make any commitments to have it as one of the ones that we're delivering on behalf of Health and Social Services.
The Minister is right. He has asked me to get that information to him, and I will get that information to him. I guess the next question for the Minister: what kind of work has the department been doing to train other departments in working to help address this challenging issue?
There are a number of different things that we're doing. We have the ASIST training as well. That is available to Education, Culture and Employment. I know Education, Culture and Employment takes this very seriously as well and is looking at providing different types of supports in their school system. We are currently working on a Youth Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan, which we are hoping will help strengthen us and the services we provide in this area.
I will go back to Mental Health First Aid, Mr. Speaker. This is, as I have indicated, a Canadian program. In the Northwest Territories, it is catered specifically to the Northwest Territories and some of the challenges we are facing. It is recognized internationally as one of the best practises, one of the best courses, for helping people get trained and aware and also, in the Northwest Territories, point them to where services are available for residents. So we are encouraging people to attend this. I would strongly encourage all MLAs to attend this three-day workshop and help develop those skills, and non-Members as well, so that they could talk about this program and encourage others to attend from a point of view of knowing and understanding the course. I have had an opportunity to take it, Mr. Speaker. It is a fantastic course, and it is well worth the three-day investment.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for his answer. I, too, have taken the Mental Health First Aid training, but also have taken Strengthen Children's Mental Health as well, and basically, what I am looking at is: can the Minister make a commitment to work with his colleagues, the other Ministers, to have the front-line staff get some training out there? Because we are having lots of tragedies out there. We are seeing a lot of losses of lives, and it is really disappointing. Will the Minister work with the Minister of MACA and the Minister of ECE to get the front-line workers out there, just get that commitment to start working together on this issue for further training? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to action plans that are across departments, like the Youth Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan that is coming, we do work closely with our partner departments to make sure that whatever we are proposing is reasonable and feasible across the Government of the Northwest Territories. I do take the Member's point, and we do need to work to ensure that our front-line staff, including teachers, social workers, income support workers, and others who may have direct contact with individuals who are struggling are aware and can identify the signs and properly provide advice to those residents and point them in the right direction. I will certainly have some additional conversations with my colleagues about encouraging some of their staff members to participate in training like the Mental Health First Aid.
