Masi, Madam Speaker. [Translation] I want to ask a question regarding children. They go through difficult times. They have a lot of problems. I want to talk about the treatment. [End of translation] It's been brought to my attention on the territorial treatment centre here in Yellowknife. We have a treatment for clientele ages eight to 12, for those who have emotional, behaviour, or psychiatric difficulties. Madam Speaker, it has been brought to my attention that, at the facility, the centre does not currently have a full-time psychologist on site at the treatment centre, and it has been almost five years or just over five years since they had one full-time at the site. When there was one full-time at site, it was well utilized by these high-risk clientele, these students or these children. Are there plans in place to have a full-time psychologist at site in the near future, similar to what they have had in the past? Masi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Member is referring to the Territorial Treatment Centre, which was formerly known as the Receiving Home, and the psychologist services are available to clients, but there is not a resident psychologist on site, so clients are driven to appointments with a psychologist. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
That's the very concern that was brought to my attention, that the psychologist is not there on a frequent basis. Very rarely, a psychologist goes to the site, and by the same time the children are not assisted at the centre. The children have to be taken out of the centre. Those are just real concerns that are brought to my attention by parents and by Northerners in the Northwest Territories. How often is a qualified psychologist on site on any given basis, on a yearly basis? I'd like to know how many times that individual or that psychologist visits the centre.
That's a great question; something that I can't get back to the Member right now, but I do want to say that the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services, the Yellowknife region holds the contract with the UP Community Services, and this is something we can work with the contractor on to have a look at.
This particular facility holds most of the Aboriginal clientele throughout the Northwest Territories and a lot of them came from my region, as well, the Tlicho region. I'd like to know: what kinds of programs are available to these high-risk clients with respect to Aboriginal programming from a northern perspective?
The Territorial Treatment Centre provides specialty services for up to eight children. Currently, there are four in attendance at the facility. Right now, the programming we deliver to the clients daily includes recreation, cultural, and therapeutic activities, and these are scheduled throughout the week.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
Masi, Madam Speaker. I believe we need to do more work in this area, improvements, so I would like to suggest one area. So far, from what I've heard, I'm voicing concerns for these individuals who cannot speak for themselves. Their parents, their family members came to me, so I'm raising that issue. We are currently being dictated to by a southern firm, I believe it's called Bosco Homes, on how to run this centre. After all these years, why haven't we got a northern contractor providing these valuable services to our children, to provide northern perspectives? Masi, Madam Speaker.
I get what the Member is saying and, to be honest, this Territorial Treatment Centre is something that I have just been recently briefed on; as far as this morning, actually. It is something that, if we have children in care, I think it's important that we design some of our programming that is culturally relevant, that we improve services, and that we have a look at what are some of the culturally relevant services that are applicable to those clients who are in care right now. I understand that the age group is quite, you know, young ages that are in the facility.
In regard to the contract, this is something that I'm not fully aware on the length of the contract or what are some of the rules or any of the stuff that is in the contract. I'm sorry, Madam Speaker, but it's something I can look into, and I understand the frustration from the Member. I can get back to the Member on some of the details. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
