Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
In the 2017 Child and Youth Mental Wellness Action Plan 20172022, HSS identifies numerous actions in several departments that were to have been implemented to improve the situation for young people. As it's now 2022, can the Minister please provide an update on the plan such as what has been completed, how have the outcomes been measured, and will there be a report and update coming? Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Minister for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I'm not familiar with this report so I'll have to come back with that information. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. That's concerning, but I'll move on. Besides telephone Help Lines, what specific supports are provided to families and guardians to help them recognize the signs or symptoms of a mental health emergency in their children long before it gets to the point of suicide? Where do parents go for help when they find themselves in this situation? Thank you.
Yes, thank you. I appreciate the Member shining a light on this area. It's obviously every parent's worst nightmare is to fear that their child has suicidal thoughts or has attempted or completed a suicide. I appreciate her shining a light on that. I think that it's very important to do that.
We have, of course, the community counselling program that's available to individuals or people could attend in families. We also have a specific app, and of course that depends on having the right tools and the connectivity. But it's called the Strongest Family Institute, and it is specifically geared to helping parents with challenges that they face.
The Child and youth care counselling program, which I spoke about in response to another question, is one that is also available to families where they can attend together to talk about the issues that they face. So there are services that are in place and available immediately to families in need who are facing challenges. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. That's good to know that the families can also access the youth counsellors; it's not just for children.
My next question is does the Department of Health record statistics for children on overdose, suicide attempts, mental health assistance, medivacs, etcetera? If Ontario can provide us with the statistics that one in five children are having mental health problems, where are those statistics for the NWT? How many children are in our mental health system and how is their progress tracked and recorded? Thank you.
Yes, thank you. I'll return with that information. Thank you.
Thank you. Final supplementary, Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, will the Minister finally admit that we are in a mental health crisis here in the Northwest Territories after two years of this pandemic? Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I recognize that the pandemic has been incredibly stressful for almost everyone. It has produced a lot of anxiety, depression, loneliness, especially for people who live on their own like elders. And we have provided services throughout. The demand for services is uneven. At this point, we are able to keep up with the demand for services, and so I feel confident that we're not facing anything that we can't deal with. Thank you.
Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
