Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. What I'd like to know is: do we have an integrative group working on community wellness plans at this time? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. While there is no specific working group addressing community wellness as a system, there are a number of intergovernmental working groups that have wellness communities as an end goal. Within the Health and Social Services we have a number of intergovernmental committees that focus on early childhood development, supports for persons with disabilities, and the problematic substance use working group are just a few examples. Many of these groups have representatives from the community or individual with lived experience. The intergovernmental poverty reduction group is a good example of a group with direct connection to the community wellness.
Is there a plan in the near future to bring all of those components together to be able to create a wellness plan specific to each community in the Northwest Territories?
Again, I want to use the work that's being done with the poverty reduction area. This is an intergovernmental team that has worked to develop partnerships with community groups, non-governmental organizations, and Indigenous governments. Each year, the GNWT hosts an anti-poverty round table where MLAs, government representatives, NGOs, community members, and representatives of Indigenous groups gather to provide direction and review progress in meeting poverty reduction goals. Another way this group works together is the admin of the Anti-Poverty Fund. This supports the valuable work that the local groups carry out to support community wellness and issues related to poverty in their communities.
Is there a working group that currently brings together Health and Social Services, Housing, and ECE? Thank you.
The intergovernmental working group is made up of eight departments, so it includes not just the Health and Social Services, as suggested. It also includes Education, Culture and Employment; Municipal and Community Affairs; Finance; Environment and Natural Resources; Industry and Tourism, which allows the government to collaborate across government on policies and programs to support outcomes established on reduction of poverty in our communities and avoids working in silos. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Kam Lake. Thank you.
