Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these questions will be for the Minister of Health. Indigenous people are those mostly being impacted by addictions. I hear many say they want treatment to happen in the NWT. Then we hear a nonIndigenous bureaucracy tell us we are wrong. Will the Minister listen to the Indigenous community and commit to the establishment of treatment facilities starting in regional centres? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Member for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that addictions is a huge issue in the Northwest Territories. We spend a considerable amount of time reflecting that in this House; this House, which is comprised of both Indigenous and nonIndigenous people. And we have a suite of programs that I've spoken about in the past that are available to assist people who have addictions. The starting point, of course, is that the person wants help, and that can be the most difficult step. I've seen that in my own family.
In terms of building centres, we do not have any on the books at this time except for the regional sorry, the wellness and recovery centre planned for Yellowknife to open in 2024. We provide ontheland funding so that people can have mobile treatment and they can focus it in whichever way suits their community best. If there is a need for more bricks and mortars healing, then that needs to be a priority of this Assembly and it's something that we need to talk about together. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for her response. And, you know, I think that addictions and treatment of addictions is a priority of this government, and providing the services in the regional centres and in the communities is very important. And, again, I say that the Indigenous community wants to see facilities that they can attend within the Northwest Territories.
So, again, I ask the Minister will she commit to talking with Indigenous organizations, Indigenous governments, and Indigenous people to confirm that is what they want and move forward with looking and planning for facilities in the NWT? Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the question. I have the opportunity to meet with Indigenous organizations at bilateral meetings with my Cabinet colleagues, and I recall that in the time that I've been in this role, which is about 18 months, this issue has come up once, and it was the Tlicho government that raised it. They were doing a cost benefit analysis of a treatment centre for their region. If other Indigenous governments raise this, I'm certainly willing to engage in the conversation. I think the question is what the valueadded of a building is; what would it provide that would be better than the other forms of treatment that are available in the Northwest Territories. And I also want to say that if it's going to come into our budgeting process, it needs to be identified as a priority by this Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the response from the Minister. It was noted that we'd have to see what the value added of a building would be to the to those that would need it. I always and I'd ask there what's the value of a life? And we've lost too many lives over the past several years, and think that, you know, this discussion is an important one and it's got to start somewhere. And we can't brush it off and, you know, pass it on. So again, I ask the Minister will she commit to opening up this discussion and furthering it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to clarify my previous statement. It's not that I don't think that any life is important. Obviously every life is important. And the Department of Health and Social Services provides a suite of services to people who are looking for addictions recovery and aftercare. There's no reason for people not to engage in that process starting today by making an appointment with the community counselling program in their community. The sameday appointments are available.
In terms of having a conversation about a treatment facility in the NWT, I'm prepared to have that conversation. The point I'm making to the Member is it's not my decision alone. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, those that come to grips with the fact they need treatment find themselves placed on waitlists for openings in southern treatment centres. And I know that, because I've got relatives that are they come to me and they got to wait for a month or two months or maybe even a few weeks or two days, and sometimes a day is too long. So, you know, we have to do something. So what do I tell them? I'd ask the Minister, what can I tell them to provide them some hope that we're going to be there to provide them the services that they need in a timely manner so that they continue to live? Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the best thing the Member can do is refer his constituents to the community counselling program. That's really the gateway to all services related to addictions and aftercare. And so I would invite him to do that. I also want to caution him that having a northern treatment centre is no guarantee that there won't be waitlists.
When Nats'ejee K'eh operated on the Hay River Reserve, there was a month of men's programming followed by a month of women's programming. So if you missed the intake for your gender programming, you could wait up to eight weeks until the cycle started again so that you could go into the treatment program that was appropriate for yourself.
And I also want to add that during the time that Nats'ejee K'eh operated, it was never more than onethird full. There were people who preferentially wanted southern treatment because they wanted to get away from the circumstances of their addiction in the North, and they wanted additional privacy.
So this is a very complicated conversation. It's not just a matter of writing up an RFP for a building. There are many considerations about how a treatment centre would work, how it would be funded, and who would use it. I appreciate the question. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
