Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
The Child and Youth Care Counselling Initiative is one of the Government of the Northwest Territories' programs intended to increase mental health supports for children and youth. The initiative was administered by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment until its multiphased multiyear transition to the Department of Health and Social Services.
In its action plan, in response to the 2020 Auditor General's report recommendations, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment committed to improving mental health counselling services to children and youth to improve JK to 12 student outcomes in the Northwest Territories by supporting the regions with 42 child and youth care counsellors and seven clinical supervisors. (Action Plan page 21 commitment 4.6).
I submit the following questions to the Minister of ECE:
Can the Minister explain what engagement or consultation the Department of Education, Culture and Employment conducted with counsellors already working in the school system prior to implementing the new child youth care counsellor positions?
Can the Minister detail the qualifications typically accepted for child and youth care counsellors in place in our school system?
Do school principals get to evaluate the child and youth care counsellors?
Is there a way for school administrators to speak formally to the effectiveness of this program operating in the schools? And,
What evaluative feedback mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of the child and youth care counsellor’s program?
