Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are also for the Minister of Health and Social Services. We know that when it comes to people seeking help, even one day of delay to accessing services can lead to an addict changing their mind. Prior to attending out-of-territory treatment, what options are available for people seeking medical detox, particularly after hours or on weekends when just getting a referral from a doctor is not generally possible? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's important to note that, in this area, the vast majority of individuals do not need medical detox prior to beginning treatment. When they do require detox, there are several options: one is to detox at the treatment location or with the facility that's related to the treatment location. Another option is to detox in the Northwest Territories, either through a local health centre or through the hospital with the support of a case manager who would be assisting that person in the treatment application, facility-based treatment.
Mr. Speaker, we do not have a one-day turnaround in this area. I recognize that timing is of the essence. The fact is that we need to apply to the treatment centre, ensure they have space, arrange for medical travel, and then have the person travel down there. This is generally not accomplished overnight. Thank you.
That's kind of exactly my point. It doesn't happen in the window of time that it needs to in order to get at addicts when they are actually willing to seek help. I would like to see some commitment from the Minister on how she's going to address that delay and that issue. Moving on, it's my understanding that the on-the-land fund is valued at approximately $1.8 million annually. How long has this fund been available, and how much has it been accessed annually?
The Member is correct. The On-the-Land Healing Fund is now worth $1.8 million. It's been in place since 2014-2015 fiscal year, and the average annual uptake is in the 90 to 100 percent range.
That's great news. I'm glad to hear that people are accessing that funding. Moving on to another fund, the community's suicide prevention fund, how long would this fund be made available, and could the Minister provide us with the summary of who has been applying for this fund? I'm not asking for any specific details, just a high-level summary.
The suicide prevention fund is part of a shared health priorities agreement with the federal government. We're now in year four of a 10-year agreement. The funding is secure for the next six years at a minimum. Since the fund was announced about 10 days ago, there has been a lot of interest expressed. One proposal is in hand. More are anticipated by the end of this month. What we are doing because timing is very short here is that, where possible, we are giving the money this year to provide programming by the end of the fiscal year. Then if that is not possible, then we are supporting people to make applications right at the beginning of April so that they have a whole year to spend the money in the next fiscal year.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister tell us whether or not the funds in the communities as suicide prevention fund are generally under or over prescribed and, if so, how can we build capacity in our communities making use of these if you funds such that down the line we see less of a need for this type of funding? Thank you.
The suicide prevention fund is brand new as of 10 days ago. We have, in the department, a consultant who is responsible for providing support to communities to make applications to this fund and also to the On-the-Land Healing Fund. The person in this position has the following tasks: development of proposals; makes recommendations on potential contractors who may be able to assist in programming; and make linkages to larger Health and Social Services system where required. There is someone there who is in an active supporting role. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
