That's me. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. As a bit of background, when children are learning -- struggling to learn to speak or communicate or read, speech language pathologists can provide critical assistance and tools for these kids. And HSS is responsible for providing speech language pathology services that include hospital-based services, travel clinics, preschool therapy, school-aged therapy, and elder care. While only a few years ago, we used to have fully staffed SLP teams in Inuvik, Fort Smith, Hay River, and Yellowknife. Now those teams outside Yellowknife seemed to have disappeared and we've lost half of our staff in Yellowknife. And yet another speech language pathologist --
-- Member from Yellowknife North, can you please get to your question. Thank you.
(audio) government know what's the reason for particularly poor retention of staff in speech language pathology and occupational therapy within the past five years? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is a nationwide shortage of these professionals as well and us, as well as every other jurisdiction, is struggling to compete for this small pool of professionals to fill these positions. But NTHSSA is working with human resources to explore additional recruitment and retention options. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So the problem is that only a few years ago, we did actually have staff in these positions and now they've left. So it's not simply a matter of we were never able to staff these positions, it's an issue of retaining the staff that we had only a few short years ago. So what is the department planning to do to address this poor retention to ensure that we can offer the full range of critical services in this area? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned the NTHSSA is working with the human resources to explore additional recruitment and retention options. Last month representatives from the NTHSSA travelled to the University of Toronto job fair to promote speech language pathologists opportunities in the Northwest Territories. The territorial manager of the occupational therapy also travelled to the national occupational therapy conference with a recruitment booth. The rehab leads are working continuously with a talent organization for recruitment campaigns, refreshing that they don't yield any candidates, but they've hired two new SLP grads in the fall of 2023 and they're working towards three new grad OT job offers for 2024. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll just note that the Minister listed some excellent recruitment initiatives, and I think what I've pointed out is the problems with retention, which as I mentioned the other day is a different strategy and a different problem. But I'll move on to my next question, which is so due to shortages of staff, the health authority has pulled back school-based support since 2021. How does the department plan to reinstate school-based services for speech language pathology across the territory to ensure that all kids can gain the tools to be able to speak, communicate, and read? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in-person appointments for urgent referrals within the Northwest Territories and telehealth appointments will continue with the staff that we do have. Services will be maintained for students with priority needs. But we also, I want to let the Members know, that NTHSSA and the department are working together with the Department of ECE as they explore ways to support the learning needs of children who may be impacted by the reduction of school speech and language and OT services. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So while there's limited access to Yellowknife students for speech and language consultations, there's almost no care being provided by the government to students in other regions. And many of the regions outside the North Slave have reached out to private companies to receive services and reached out for funding through Jordan's Principle. How does the department justify having entire regions have to reach out to private companies in order to receive any services at all? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, when regions -- you know, depending on who is reaching out for those services in the different regions, for us, you know, we are working on the recruitment portion of it. But if there independent Indigenous organizations that want to access those funding, the boards that want to access those funding, you know, they can be way more strategic on how they're providing services in their regions. They're more flexible in how they can hire people. So right now what I can -- all I can really say is that the department is preparing a review of the speech and language pathology service to understand what the current gaps are and identify opportunities for improving the services, and that is the same thing that I'm also working with my colleague from ECE to ensure that the focus that is in the school, how are we supporting those students. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.
