EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
At the same time, it’s in the program in that if a child is disabled and we don’t have the facility here, we have a contract from out of territory to place that child. That contract is also under this particular line item.
I would just like to ask the minister which contracts they have in place for children that have hearing or speech impediments and also for visually impaired individuals. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The contracts for those particular children that are placed out of territory are for that particular child’s needs, and then we have facilities in Nunavut that we operate that are homes for children with disabilities.
There’s a bit of difference in that.
The other thing that we have within Department of Health and Social Services, some of those services are also offered through the physiotherapy centre that was recently opened in Iqaluit, for assessment and for the hearing impaired there is physiotherapy treatment that these people will need.
So that is offered here. Speech language and audiology is offered here in Iqaluit.
I am just wondering if an individual has a visually impaired child, what services or contracts are available for them to seek assistance for their child. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Every individual’s case is different; every medical situation or case for a child, or adult is different. So we have to look at the assessments made by the doctors, or whatnot, on a case-by-case basis.
Once those determinations are made, then other considerations are made, as an example, whether that can be treated in the territory, or out-of-territory, and so on.
So it’s not that straightforward in that the assessments have to be made by the doctor and then the next steps are taken.
I guess for a blind individual that is blind, that can’t see, are there services that are offered here?
Does the government have an agreement with a facility in the south to be able to address the needs of someone with a disability like that?
Again, I can go back and say that the situation per patient is different.
Every situation is reviewed by the physicians and steps are taken to provide a range of options, or to look at the range of options to treat that particular patient.
Every case is complex and every case requires a different solution, different treatments, and so on.
So if the service is not here, then we have to look at how can do that, and how we can provide that service.
I can appreciate how complex an issue it could be to try and find help for a child that can’t see.
As the minister indicated, they take a look at it and there is an assessment done on an individual with a visual impairment that recommends going to an institution outside the territory, because we don’t have one here.
Is that something that is covered by the department?
Again, I’ll say it’s on a case-by-case basis.
Every situation is different; every patient’s needs are different.
Those assessments are made by the physician; whether that service can be made available in Nunavut or not, or if we require looking outside of Nunavut.
My question was…let’s say you have a physician that says there is an assessment done on an individual and the assessment indicates that the individual needs services that are not provided in the territory, is that something that would be covered under this area of the budget?
In that particular section, the funding for that contribution falls to residential care placement of that child, or adult, or patient. That would be paid towards that facility where that patient’s needs are being addressed.
So is it the department who pays that or the federal government pays that on behalf of the department?
Who determines whether or not that individual can be approved to go a facility? Let’s say it’s a residential school for the blind for example in the south, an assessment’s been done that indicates the child should be at a facility like that.
Where does that money come from and who makes the call as to whether that child is able to go or not?
Within the Department of Health, there is a committee that reviews the needs of cases where it’s complex. There is a team of doctors that review the cases that determine what the medical needs are of that particular patient, the team of professionals that decide that.
Sometimes it involves the...okay, it’s not the doctors, but from within the department that reviews the cases and then makes a decision what corrective measures are needed to address that particular patient. Sometimes it’s more than just health, but within the department, there is that committee that reviews the situation and makes that determination.
Let’s say the assessment is made that the young person should go to a residential school in the south because that’s the best place for this individual.
And I guess I can’t get an answer, or a government, or the Minister’s officials to you know...if that’s the case and those services aren’t offered in our territory, would that be something that would be covered if the assessment says that it’s in the best interest of this child to go this facility outside of Nunavut because it’s not available here?
Would that be something that the department would pay for?
I think we have to be very careful in how we discuss this in a public forum.
I think the member is making reference to something that’s out in the media right now and I have to be careful about that, but the situation about education and educational needs is a bit different than medical need. So I think those types of questions can be addressed more appropriately with the Minister of Education on what is covered through the education services.
I can only speak to what medical services that we can provide patients in need of medical attention in or outside of Nunavut.
I wasn’t speaking about any particular case, I was just saying in general if that would happen. It seems like, as the minister indicated, the case that’s in the media the poor gentleman that’s been bounced around by the government for the last four or five years now, has been bounced off to the former Minister of Health and the Department of Education.
I would think that a disabled child, who is blind, is a disabled child; that’s a health issue. Looking after that child’s needs is a health issue. I am a little disturbed to hear it pawned off by the minister as an education issue.
I’m not even going to ask any more questions.
Mr. Chairman, it’s pretty sad to hear a young boy’s health, a disabled boy’s health, being bounced around like that.
I wasn’t even referring to that particular case, but since the minister mentioned it, this is exactly probably why a case like that is in the media now: dealing with the frustration of being bounced back and forth like a basketball by the government. I can sympathize with his parents in just trying to get the help they need for their child and being played games with by the government.
I think it’s an embarrassment.
I’m just going to leave it at that.
It’s disgusting.
I didn’t hear a question there, but minister if you want to respond to that. Madame Minister.
The matter is before the courts, so I will not respond to that in the Legislature. There have been some write-ups in the paper, and of course, there are always two sides to every story.
Having said that, the matter is before the courts and I will not respond to it, but I did make reference that it sounds particularly questioning, did sound very similar to some of the points that are being made through the media.
So we need to be careful and I am taking the precautious steps saying that we have to be careful of what we discuss in the Legislature of items that are before the courts. I just caution the member for that.
I’m not going to respond to it other than the fact that it is before the courts.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister. I’ll get back to you later, Mr. Tootoo.
Your time has expired, so I’ll move on.
I want to deal with the dental activities part of the program’s expenditures on this page to the promotion and treatment. I don’t know how well the treatment part is doing. I have seen some money, and it’s a welcome thing.
Certainly, we need to do more with school kids. Schools are doing part as well for other government departments, other government agencies within health services and so on.
I want to address the treatment issue part because it seems like even in the large communities like Rankin Inlet, the service currently provided by the private dental services is really never all that reliable, in my view, because the number of constituents have wondered whether or not the place is shut down, or they have no dentist in town and so on.
Could the minister indicate to the House exactly what the status of the current dental services is in Rankin Inlet?
From what I understand, the dental contract for the Kivalliq was recently renewed for an extension of three years.
I appreciate that extension. It is important.
I don’t know if the particular condition the government normally put into these contractors.
The dental services provided by the independent or the non-insured services, I am sure the fees these dentists charge the government is probably pretty normal. They are probably average, no less than any other dentists in southern cities would bill with the government forms or the public.
Am I correct in that their credentials are established and therefore they charge regular rates for dental treatment, or dentures for all that matter, for services they provide?
I am going to ask the deputy minister to outline what we have agreed to in the contract of the dental services.
The rate schedule or the fee schedule the dentists use to charge for each of the services is a rate schedule that the federal government sets and so it is constant across all of the provinces and the territories.
I appreciate that response. Having understood that uniformity right across the country, what I am amazed at sometimes is that these dental services provided to the public are not the same.
They are normally substandard, particularly the dentists and the services that they provide. Even the bonding of special materials that they use is not normally the best and average, and so on. I have many constituents that get pretty tired or fed up with going into that location because what they get are normally substandard dental implants and whatnot provided by the dentists.
Is there any particular way the government, in having the fact that they are charged the normal rates, that they should insist that they improve their products to the people in Nunavut, particularly the fact that they normally have to sign these bills even before they see the dentists in order to qualify that they will get at least an observation?
If my question is clear, can the minister at least indicate to us that she could insist that they be provided with the better products than what they normally provide?
I appreciate the member bringing up that issue. Within the territorial government, we regulate the service provided by our dentists and that can be something that we can look into. I think if there are specifics and specific areas the member wants addressed I am willing to look at that, but we regulate the services.
Mr. Curley: I know that many of our constituents and the public out there, particularly in the smaller communities, would appreciate having a better product provided to them.
The majority of dental services I know are normally not second rate and the fees or whatnot are pretty hefty for the services provided.
I would appreciate the minister, and I really think the government should have a responsibility to ensure whether or not the service provider really is satisfactory to the Nunavummiut and so on, particularly to unilingual people who normally have such a more difficult time because they can’t really communicate the way they would normally with their uncles or relatives as to how good their treatments that they receive from because they don’t have the clientele kind of a relationship with these professionals.
So would the minister undertake, again, do a maybe proper, at least a check into that and at least keep that ongoing because it is important.
I agree with the member. I will commit to providing a review of that and report back to, not to the member, but the House on those concerns.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Yes, I wanted you to be aware of that because my constituents are concerned about that.
Even though we have dentists in our community, especially the children are constantly sent down to Churchill, and even though we have a regional hospital in Rankin Inlet, when the children require dental surgery, will the contractors be able to do dental surgery or do we still have to send these four-year olds out of the territory for dental surgery?
My question is: what’s the status of it now, and expand a bit on it in regard to children so that the children won’t have to be sent out of the territory.
In the cases where we have to send the patients out of the community for dental, that usually requires surgery.
And in communities, as you know, we cannot provide surgery and have to go to the bigger centres to treat children, particularly dental surgery and they require the full anaesthesia, then they have to go down to Churchill, or to Yellowknife, or to Iqaluit for that service.
So unfortunately, that service is not always available; it’s not available in the smaller communities, but the concern, I guess, here is that it requires surgery and requires us to travel out of the territory for that service.
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): I didn’t expect that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Very, very short questions, but first of all, my colleague was talking about foster parents and we heard that it’s $43 a day for foster parents.
Is that the same as the residential foster homes?
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Alagalak. (interpretation ends) Minister Aglukkaq.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq (interpretation): I didn’t hear his question. (interpretation ends) The residential care is different from the foster parents’ rate. Each child is placed in foster care and the foster parent is paid accordingly per child, whereas in residential care, we provide a contract to the people, the service providers, for live-in 24/7 care.
So there’s a bit of a difference there.
Yes, since it’s that case, this $43 per day, when we heard for the foster parents’ fee, is that for the residential facilities?
Could you elaborate further on the difference between residential care and a home foster parent? How much money are they paid?
I’ll try and explain the difference. The homes that we operate and contract out, I’ll use Chesterfield Inlet’s Naja Isabelle Home as an example. We have a contract for individuals to provide the services for that facility, and that’s a 24/7 facility for individuals that require 24/7 care.
Those individuals in care, it does not mean that the parents have given up parental rights to those children, but they’re in our care for medical reasons.
The second point is that the foster parents are paid the foster parent rate based on the number of children.
At the same time, if the foster parents have a foster child that has special medical or disability issues, then they are provided compensation for those special needs.
I don’t think you understood my question or maybe you can’t disclose the information on the figure.
I wanted you to disclose the number or the figure for home foster care; how much money they make per day.
The information that we received at $43 per day for one individual child, but on these foster homes, they have to take care of their foster children because a social worker has brought them over to the home.
How much money do they make for one child per day?
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Alagalak. Ms. Aglukkaq.
I apologize to the member if I misunderstood his question.
The information that I gave earlier to Member Peterson, the rates of $43, $45, $47, $50, those are daily rates per child.
You still haven’t responded to one question that I posed.
For a home, it’s a real private home, if they have a foster child, they would be paid the same amount per day per child?
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Alagalak. Madame Minister.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: Maybe I do not understand your question, but the rates I provided to that we released in June are rates per child, per house.
If you have more than two children, then you get $43 times two. If the children have special needs, then there is an additional allowance given to the foster parents per child and based on need.
So if I’m not answering the member’s question, I’m not sure if I understand his question.
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you, Minister Aglukkaq.
I have information here and I will look at the information that I have. I now understand the process.
On the same page, H-9, I have a question. Just to talk about it first, under Alcohol and Drug Program, many people don’t really agree to the process.
They are provided $100 when they have employment opportunities and this individual who works on that program doesn’t really understand how this funding would be used, whether it’s for how we can provide alcohol and drug counselling and programs.
But this individual who has to do alcohol and drug programs, this individual who works there, even the municipality don’t even know how and what this individual who works in that position. What they are supposed to do? They are supposed to provide services to alcohol and drug abusers.
For that reason, it states here, (interpretation ends) “Alcohol and Drug Program to provide alcohol and drug treatments.” (interpretation) Perhaps turn it into prevention instead of…(interpretation ends)…I really have a problem understanding exactly what a policy, or procedures, or guidelines that the hamlet may use to provide services to the community.
I wonder if the minister could provide me with an answer. What are the goals of this? Who supervises these employees of the hamlet because if you really don’t have experience providing supervisory, hamlet council really don’t have any experience providing supervisory to that particular person, but there’s a problem: employees of the hamlet need all this support and directions he or she needs.
H-9 identifies $949,000 and that’s contributions that we have with municipalities for A&D counsellors.
But at the same time, we have received additional contributions through Health Canada in areas of prevention programs such as FASD, or prevention, or alcohol and drugs programs. So that category was under the area of healthy living.
The issue around the positions being in the municipalities of A&D workers, I think we need to re-examine that a bit more closely in that some communities are doing better than other communities in delivering the A&D program services and I will use Cambridge Bay as an example.
Cambridge Bay has been very proactive in developing programs for that particular type of services, and again, some communities are not there. And this is around an area that I think is weak in some areas and that needs some attention, and perhaps a review in how we need to address the delivery of this program.
At the same time, I think we also need to look at more closely how we provide the training. We do provide some training of A&D workers and the last training program took place in Rankin Inlet and that was offered to any A&D worker throughout Nunavut.
I agree with the member that in some cases we need to re-examine how that particular service or program is delivered.
Mr. Alagalak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) I have heard of these, you know, going out to one community, or getting together with the other workers trying to make their own directions and prepare what to do next and that, and making their own teaching materials, or prevention, or treatment materials.
(interpretation) This is a very difficult, challenging job and I’m sure these individual employees have to be provided some support and provide them with guidelines at their community.
I believe that there needs to be more information given out to the alcohol and drug workers.
I’m just talking about this issue and to also talk a bit about the same topic.
Last year, I talked about it in the House in regard to eyeglasses and trying to obtain your prescription glasses.
The case is still the same.
As a government, we use huge amounts of funds for the transportation of the contractors. Inuit already know that down south, you can get your prescription glasses within an hour or two.
Providing they have a prescription, they purchase their eyeglasses and within one hour, they get their glasses and they can see clearly.
This money or the funding we provide to the contractors, it seems like they’re just playing around. I don’t think the government is strict enough. I believe we need to rectify this situation because sometimes we have to wait five or six months for our prescription glasses.
They get their eye exam and they wait for many months.
The person who examines eyes, they should fax the prescription to the producers of eyeglasses and then send them out right away.
I think the minister has to rectify this situation.
I’m not going to ask questions in regard to this, but I believe that you have to reconsider. (interpretation ends) It’s costing the government a lot of money to provide that service to Nunavut. We need to improve that service.
The time the person receives glasses, they’re already outdated, or pretty close, and yet, under government policy, he cannot get another pair until after two years. Two years just about elapsed while he was waiting for one pair of glasses. It is ridiculous to try and baby the contractors who are doing that.
So I think there are a lot of services today available to those to make things go faster and better for those who need those glasses.
I didn’t hear a question there, so we’ll just move along. I’m giving members who have not had a chance to ask questions the benefit.
So, I’ll go to Mr. Kattuk.
I have a very small, simple question. It is just for clarification.
I’m not sure what the policy or procedure that health and social services has in communities. I just wanted to know; if someone were to keep a child, if the foster parent or mother were home, does the social worker have to approve for that child to be in the foster home?
If the social worker places the child in that home, we have to then approve it, (no interpretation) then we have to approve that home before we place a child in that home.
Mr. Kattuk: Thank you, Madame Minister.
So I cannot say I want that child, be it my niece or nephew or my grandchild, for a month or a week. If I agree with my son, or daughter, or my brother, or sister, to keep the child, it’s not like that?
Is that what I understood?
I appreciate the member’s question very much because I think that’s something that we need to say more often.
As much as possible, we would like see more children placed with families with the assistance that we provide under the Foster Parent Program. The idea is to try and deal with issues to reintegrate children with families. That’s part of the longer term.
In terms of having influence as to where those children are placed, definitely you have influence in recommending where those children can be placed.
My next question is the foster home, or the mother, or the father, will they be governed by the social worker, or your department?
Parents are getting the child welfare cheques. Where does that go? Does it go to the foster parents, or the original parents?
I am willing to answer that question, but I need the member to clarify if he’s talking about the income support cheques, or the Child Tax Credit cheques.
I guess I’m talking about Child Tax Credit cheques.
From what I understand of that federal program, the person that is now caring for that child must file an application to the federal government to have that Child Tax Credit sent to the person caring for the child.
That information, it’s been done before and I have seen that kind of information application forms before. It requires to an application to be made to the federal government to have that transferred to the person that is caring for that child.
These are the questions that I wanted to get an answer on, so I got an answer, so I’m done.
Chairman: Thank you, Mr. Kattuk. (interpretation) Are there any more questions?