Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services on providing mental health services across the Delta and my riding of Nunakput. Can the Minister provide me with an update on the activities supporting mental health that will take place in our small communities, including the Nunakput region, this year? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Particularly in Nunakput, it's my understanding that there are child and youth care counsellors in place in the schools to assist children and youth. There are wellness workers and there are child and youth family counsellors; I understand that that particular position in Tuktoyaktuk is now vacant. These people would be delivering the Community Counselling Program, as well as the child and youth care counsellor program. In addition to that, there would be various virtual supports such as the Help Line, the apps, and then, in the event of a critical incident, which I know Tuktoyaktuk had earlier this month, there would be additional supports that would come into the community from other locations to provide help as requested by the community. Thank you.
What other culturally appropriate mental health supports are currently available for Northerners?
It's my hope that we are delivering culturally appropriate services in all of our different offerings, but some of the ones that I haven't yet mentioned are the suicide prevention fund, which my colleague from Frame Lake mentioned. It's an application-based community development program; the peer support program, which assists people who require after-care supports from facility-based treatment; another is on-the-land programming, which would be applied for by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and distributed to the communities. That's a good pot of money that can be spent in a very flexible way. It can be pre-care, it can be family-based counselling, it can be after-care. It's my understanding that the IRC did apply for that money in this fiscal year, and a new pot of money will be available on Thursday.
We're going towards a digital age, even though I always say it's always good to have people coming to our communities to talk to people instead of doing it digitally or through the Internet and stuff like that. What is the Minister doing to move towards digital healthcare for residents like they do in the health centres for doctors? Are they able to do that with people with mental illness and stuff like that to take the time with their patients, the southern doctors who are available? Is that available to the people?
There is virtual care available to some extent in all communities. We have recently signed an agreement with the federal government that will enable us to enhance our virtual care offerings all across the NWT. We recognize that this is a way to put people in touch with specialized services, or services in their community while they have vacancies in critical positions. I do believe that virtual care is the way of the future, and we see that. We are enhancing that as money becomes available.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. I really think we should be going towards Zoom conferences like we've been doing now. I really think that there are companies that do this professionally for youth across Canada. They have people who have been testing it with First Assist, John Chabot or Devin Buffalo out of Wetaskiwin, both former hockey players, but something like that for our youth. We need it. We have nothing going on in the communities. They're struggling, our youth. We can only do so much, I know, but there have to be ways that we can tap in to help them and really drill down to the issue and try to provide service for them. I'd really like to ask the Minister if she would look at something like that, a Zoom conference for our youth, a Zoom conference for men, a Zoom conferences for ladies, whatever they choose to do? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
One of the hallmarks of the programming in the department is that they like to offer people a choice so that we are not imposing one-size-fits-all service for all the people of the NWT. It varies by what they want for themselves. I think that having a Zoom presence for conferences is a good idea. Depending on whether that has a health focus or more of a youth motivation focus, that might be something that MACA can assist with, as well. If the Member has a specific idea for a project, then I would invite him to speak to myself and speak to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs about how we can bring it to life. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral question. Member for Hay River South.
