EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I believe I did make a remark in one of the question periods that since the strategy was rolled out in the fall, we did indicate at that time that implementations would follow.
The three partners, particularly Health and Social Services, NTI, and the Embrace Life Council, were then working on the implementation plan.
There have been a number of meetings taking place since the fall.
I did receive a draft plan yesterday, I believe, put on my table. The three partners are getting close to signing onto the implementation strategic plan.
Once all of the partners have signed onto it, we are looking forward to rolling that out so that the communities can take part in activities that all of the partners have agreed to.
That’s as far as I can go right now.
It still needs signatures from the partners that I just mentioned.
Just so I have clarification because I know there is different wording; in some respects, it’s called the implementation plan and in other respects, it’s called the action plan.
In terms of the actual action plan, is it agreed to upon by all three supporting members?
Obviously the Government of Nunavut is the one that’s the lead in terms of providing and saying what would be happening, but then it has to be agreed upon by NTI, the RCMP, and the Embrace Life Council. I’m just wondering: are all three of the partners on board with this?
Mr. Chairman, I’m not particularly a party to the discussions on this.
I know it takes time to get more than one partner, or three in this case, to agree to the wording and that kind of timeline and everything else, but that is something that they are optimistic.
The information that I have from the officials is that they have until about the middle of March to finalize this implementation plan.
You were right, it’s called an action plan occasionally; it’s probably a matter of preference, really.
Ms. Voth: Just to add more remarks about the Suicide Prevention Strategy, before the partnership acceptance happens, the draft action plan is undergoing a terminology review and that’s being done through CLEY. So once the terminology review is completed, it will go forward for partnership acceptance.
In terms of the timeline that the minister was mentioning, by the end of April, the action plan will be completed and signed off by all partners.
I would say by the end of April that we would have it approved by the partnership.
On H-9 under Treatment, we’re looking to and your department is looking for approval of $248,000 to the Embrace Life Council and it has been pretty consistent for the last couple years as to the amount that has been passed on to the committee.
Is this sort of like a reoccurring amount that they don’t actually have to reapply for?
This is not new money for the Embrace Life Council; it is money that they’ve had access to for the last number of years. We provide funding in the amount of approximately $248,000 and that’s in the form of a contribution agreement and a secondment agreement to the Embrace Life Council.
We expect that that would continue on in this next fiscal year as well.
Again, that is not new money, that that’s money that has been available for the Embrace Life Council for the last number of years.
Thank you for that answer. Again I think this probably was a lot of the talk with the GN in terms of self-reliance.
Maybe this is a good example of community members and communities taking charge and actually building on different programs.
Obviously they are reporting and all of the mechanisms they have in place are working out because it hasn’t sort of changed and the relationship is there. In terms of reporting, is everything working out fine with that relationship?
I believe the partnership is one good example. They have gotten this far by developing the major strategic plan that we tabled in the fall and now they are working towards it.
Throughout the development stages, they did continue on with the training programs that in Qallunaatitut, it’s called ASIST and in Inuktitut, it’s called Uqaqatigiillu, training individuals practically in every community how to help with the awareness training for individuals willing to help out with this important issue, and so on.
That’s going to continue on. I believe that the partnership is really something that I am personally amazed with and I hope that once the implementation plan is developed, they will continue with this work.
I’m sort of jumping ahead on page 137 as well, one of the priorities for 2012-13.
I’m glad that the government is following up and I know that I have done Members’ Statements on it in terms of the review of the Mental Health Act, so it’s nice to see that these are priorities for the government as well.
I believe it was in 2002 that there was a mental health strategy completed. I’m wondering: how has that been working out from 2002 until now in terms of following that strategy?
Has that been very helpful in working towards reviewing this Act?
I believe that is a very important piece of document that is very thorough.
It covers quite a lot of cases that people who specialize in mental health can use as a guide.
In that document, there is also a reference for treatment centres, and so on, but it’s really quite an involved document and very professionally done, in my opinion.
That document is now being used to develop other programs that are needed, particularly for the treatment of substance abuse and treatment centres that the department is planning.
So it’s using that document to try and wiggle out of that document the implementation strategy and action plan that are needed, and therefore, eventually roll out and develop those centres so that we can begin to have people benefit from that instead of being sent down to various locations across the country.
The minister mentioned the idea of alcohol and drug abuse prevention or programs that are offered.
In the main estimates on H-9 under Treatment, there is $1,099,000 for alcohol and drug treatment programs.
I was just wondering if the minister could explain what that is going to go to. Is that to provide services and send people south to places like Mamisarvik or is that for more local and homegrown opportunities for people to receive treatment?
Yes, that program currently is being used for treatment programs in the south.
We don’t have the programs available today in the North, so we actually send them south to residential care and that would be for a few weeks.
That’s what the $1,099,000 is for.
In the business plan on page 137, the second priority for 2011-12 is to “Develop land-based and facility-based addictions treatment programs and services...” I’m assuming that’s for the territories, within the territories. Is that correct?
Hon. Tagak Curley: The answer is yes.
I know there are other MLAs who actually want to ask questions about where these facilities will be and which communities they will be in, so I’ll save those questions for them.
My question is in terms of answering my previous question about the $1,099,000 that is for treatment out of territory.
Where is the money coming from to build these programs in terms of facilities or operation dollars? I don’t see where it is in the main estimates.
If you could point it out for me.
I think what you will see in the business plan somewhere is that this year will be the planning and design, more like a planning year.
We’re not able to develop the plans specifically to the regions, although it’s a priority that we’re now taking seriously.
We’re working very hard to try and get these facilities established in at least two main regions, the Kitikmeot has been mentioned as one and Baffin.
The Kivalliq has a particularly very effective men’s program going, which they don’t mind using as mobile instead of one location, and that’s been going on for a number of years. Currently these are funded by community wellness programs, and so on.
They are able to benefit from some of the programs within the existing budget.
I was going to ask specific questions about the Qikiqtani General Hospital.
In terms of that building being opened up, I think one of the ministers today talked about the idea that the building itself is actually bigger than the requirements.
I just wonder: is that building being used at 100 percent capacity in terms of all beds filled, all floors occupied with patients?
We have to take that under consideration.
We have an implementation plan, so we are working with the implementation plan, but we will get you the details later on.
So in terms of knowing whether the hospital is actually working at capacity, your department is not aware of that.
Hon. Tagak Curley: Mr. Chairman, really, we’re not ready, obviously, but it’s a 32-bed hospital and thank goodness it’s not fully 100 percent utilized every day.
Otherwise, we would be wondering why all of the people are that sick every day.
It’s there, obviously, and ready to accommodate that many people.
Like my ADM says, we will provide you with more information.
Obviously we need to consult with our doctors.
Well, then maybe could you explain a little bit more of the implementation plan and how your department sees the hospital coming online?
Hon. Tagak Curley: We can do that.
I think, since it opened a few years ago, it has been providing an effective service of all kinds of residential services that it’s responsible for.
We are proud to again remind the member that it has received its full accreditation and certification from Accreditation Canada, which was really quite involved, because it does provide quite effective regional medical needs.
We will provide the member with the kind of question that he is asking.
I want to clarify too. I wasn’t talking about the efficiency of the staff and the quality of services being provided at the hospital.
I was talking and referring mainly to capacity and effectiveness of use of space.
We saw in Pangnirtung, a health centre sit for a year being heated and power being paid for, and we saw that in Gjoa Haven as well and somewhat in Igloolik with the long-term care facilities not being utilized.
We’re talking about cost-saving measures and tightening our belts. We’re paying for heat, hydro, and whatnot in these facilities.
I’m just wondering if there are better ways of using them.
One of the suggestions I was having is if we are sending people for treatment for mental health and whatnot, why can’t we assign certain beds within the hospital to accommodate those types of clients.
Hon. Tagak Curley: I share the first part of the member’s question that I wasn’t also responding to him about capacities only.
That’s not what Accreditation Canada normally uses on their checklist, if he goes onto their website and reads about it.
To compare this very modern, in some ways, very effective service of the Qikiqtani General Hospital to a local or regional facility or health centre that was built, it was full of particular structural engineering issues that were not fully completed and as a result, were delayed mainly because of the contracting issues.
Also, the inspections that were done with the help of CGS; there were compliance issues that were not fully in place, so it wasn’t the government’s fault that the Pangnirtung facility didn’t open on time.
There were a whole slew of deficiencies that we have had to wait because they were the responsibility of the warranty issues in place and we just couldn’t walk in.
The treatment facilities are not just… . If he reads the mental health strategic plan, it’s really quite involved. Doctors need to assess those individuals.
We’re not just going to fix individuals whom we label as requiring mental health help or whatever and just put them over to treatment centres. They have to be willing individuals. There are confidential and professional assessments needed.
We can’t just open up a bed there and say, “There you go.”
We need staffing, qualified individuals, people who can counsel and confidentially treat those individuals, and so on.
For us to be constantly undermined and that we’re wasting millions, I think it’s not appropriate sometimes.
The fact is that we ended up paying for power and heat for those facilities, no matter who was to blame.
I’m just saying that the hospital is open now and I was just curious to find out whether it was effectively being used in terms of cost-saving measures.
The minister has committed to getting back to us on the implementation plan for the hospital, so that’s good.
My next question on page 137 in terms of the priorities for 2011-12, it’s the fourth bullet where it talks about implementing phased-in components of the Clinical Quality Assurance Program.
I was wondering if you could explain what the Clinical Quality Assurance Program is.
Especially the Department of Health and Social Services, any care or any service we provide, we have to provide within a lot of guidelines.
What it is about is ensuring that our standards are met when, for example, a hospital or a facility is being accredited and that we are able to meet Accreditation Canada’s requirements. So we have to ensure that we comply with those standards and requirements.
My next question would be: in terms of it being phased in, in terms of different components, when will it actually be totally in place and implemented 100 percent?
Quality assurance and risk management is ongoing; it happens on a day-to-day basis.
In Nunavut, we have quality standards that we operate to and it is continuous. We provide service and we continually try and improve as possible, so there is no start date and end date.
We check ourselves forever and ever with the idea of continued quality service improvement.
It’s never a perfect service.
Talk about being caught off guard.
I asked this question previously to the Minister of Health and Social Services but I wish to raise it again.
I want to note that I am proud of this initiative as we are all aware that residents in many communities have addiction problems, whether that is alcohol or other substances.
In those communities where they don’t have too many residents addicted to these substances, I had asked if the healing programs could be provided.
In looking at the future, have you made any plans to provide a facility that will help with addictions? Most people travel out of Nunavut to attend to these programs, but in most cases, they are going to a place that has countless opportunities to purchase these substances, whether it is alcohol or another substance.
When they are in these addiction programs, it can make it extremely hard to fight their addictions since the substances are readily available and that has occurred in the past.
Will the government be looking to fix these challenges when they are looking at a healing centre that can be placed where there is no alcohol or other substances while they are in the program?
If that was understandable, that is my question to the minister.
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you. (interpretation) Mr. Chairman, based on my previous response, the plan we wish to undertake is detailed in our business plan.
It includes details on how the funds are to be allocated and it will be spent in our last term this winter.
We will be specifically gearing it towards facilities, and we have thought of placing one in Cambridge Bay as well as in Iqaluit.
With respect to the ongoing Coral Harbour Healing Circle, we want to see it supported and certified so that they can go to the other communities that are requesting their assistance.
In the upcoming winter, we will start trying to incorporate that into the mental health wellness program. The division is actually in Cambridge Bay. They have a director now, Norman Hatlevik and the fact we had nobody to fill this position meant this was the reason for the delay of the business plan.
We are hoping this winter that we will be able to provide more detail on how funds are to be allocated towards these facilities in the immediate future and to ensure that patients don’t have to be shipped out of the territory to get treatment and to offer this as a government.
I believe this was an issue that we discussed in cabinet and it was supported by my colleagues.
I do agree with the hon. minister.
As a community, we have a vision to become self-sufficient and self-reliant so that we don’t need outside help.
This is a vision to try to initiate that and it will all pretty much stem from the creation of the men’s group.
They were trying to provide a better future for men in our community, but you have to involve all of the residents in the communities, especially when you talk about addictions and mental health issues.
I believe we have to keep it open specifically in our own community at first because it’s very expensive to ship healers out to various regions.
We have to be a little selfish because we have to ensure our community is healthy and better their lives. This allows the healers to work with all of the residents.
Due to that reason, I just wanted to get more details from the minister on this matter and I thank the minister for his prior response.
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you. (interpretation) I’ll respond briefly.
We are very grateful to the Coral Harbour group.
Deputy Minister Campbell and I went there recently in September and we had Acting ADM Greeley accompany us when we met with the hamlet representatives.
They reported on their plan and how they were looking at providing that service in Nunavut.
We will be keeping the funding support for Coral Harbour in our allocation.
We don’t want to just leave organizations that are operating efficiently behind when we’re trying to deal with all of these health issues.
There will be a review done as to what assistance they require in trying to attain a facility for mental health and a treatment centre.
It’s quite obvious that some patients will suffer from mental health issues and there are a lot of people who are unwilling to admit that they have a problem and therefore, they’re not willing to apply for assistance or to ask for assistance.
The hospital is not a mental health facility; it’s mainly dealing with sicknesses and health issues.
It’s not specifically built for mental health.
If you look at the community health centres, they’re specifically for health and they’re not geared towards mental issues.
All medical facilities are primarily for medical purposes and not for mental health.
I thank you for being open to comments.
I just want to add to some of the questions and comments made by my colleagues with relation to some of the issues that were brought up.
What about the patients who are sent south for treatment for addictions?
There is no support because when these people return back to Nunavut, they are supposed to be getting support services and follow-up treatments.
In most cases, when there is no follow-up for people who have undergone treatment, they tend to go back to their old habits.
When we’re talking about people who require addiction treatment, are there any other options where we can provide more support for these people, Mr. Chairman?
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you. (interpretation) During our preparation and planning, I have received letters and correspondence from various bodies and individuals.
They reminded us that these are some of the issues we have to consider, especially when people are sent out for addiction treatment.
It seems like they’re just left to their own whiles once their treatment is over.
We were reminded and we want to be reminded that these are issues we have to deal with, but again, this is not the first time that we have heard about it and as we’re trying to deal with these issues at the local level, I imagine that the rate of addictions may increase because with the number of different drugs and alcohol becoming available, more of our residents may become susceptible to addictions.
There is quite a bit of gap in that area and we are aware of that.
With respect to the wellness program which is run in Rankin Inlet, I have seen the benefits of that program, especially when creating groups, like the Alcoholics Anonymous group. The wellness group in Rankin Inlet has created a couple of organizations.
I imagine that this will occur throughout other communities.
We will keep that in consideration.
I also thank the minister for providing that response.
Furthermore, in looking at your business plan for 2011-12, it’s obvious that the operations for the hospitals or community health centres will not be increased.
This relates to community health centre operations.
Does this mean that your prior budget for operating these community health centres is static and doesn’t require an increase?
That’s what I would like to know, Mr. Chairman.
As you realize, competition for GN budget dollars is strong.
In order for us to achieve different staffing levels at the community health centres, we have to provide a very strong business case to the Department of Finance, and that is not something that can be developed overnight.
We have undertaken the process already of creating a database of health levels in different communities, so we have a good understanding today of the health issues in the different communities.
We are working on a model of a number of staffing levels that we do need in each community based on the health status and based on the population levels, etcetera.
That has not been completed to date.
This has been spearheaded by our Deputy Minister, Alex Campbell.
That work needs to be completed in order for us to take forward to the Department of Finance to support different levels of staffing within the community health centres.
I hope that answers the question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I also thank Ms. Voth for her response.
I imagine that my colleagues have a few questions left and I want to leave them some room to ask their questions.
I would like to comment on this particular issue that is related to liquor management as well as the review of the Liquor Act.
In the old days, there used to be personnel specifically focusing on addictions and mental health issues.
Perhaps we could revisit that and reconsider the old approach of dealing with addictions under this particular division.
Ms. Ugyuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation ends) I know that they’re reviewing the Child and Family Services Act.
When a child is apprehended and once the child becomes a permanent ward, the child is usually adopted by a home that wants a child.
How much are we paying for those services? I know in the past that the department has paid monthly for adopting a child.
Hon. Tagak Curley: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I’m going to need your help.
I thought we covered social services already.
It is not even under that area. I thought we were under H-7 now, under Treatment.
Chairman: Yes, you’re correct, we’re under Treatment.
I’m sorry. (interpretation ends) I’ll ask that as a written question.
I was one of the first people to put up my hand and one of the last to be recognized.
Mr. Chairman, as some of my colleagues stated earlier, a lot of our patients are sent to the south for medical treatment and our patients are housed in boarding homes.
If the boarding homes are full, hotels are used.
Can the minister tell us what percentage of time that the boarding homes are to maximum capacity and hotels have to be used to house boarding home patients?
Maybe it’s because you’re in a southern island, I don’t know, but anyway, Minister Curley.
Hon. Tagak Curley: Mr. Chairman, I cannot answer that question.
I would have to check the record.
It depends on the spike in the number of sicknesses, obviously, and I know that in Winnipeg, in some cases, it differs every year, but there are times.
We have to do more and check our records a bit more to provide the whole details. I’m not sure which particular regions or communities he is talking about.
In particular, I was talking about the Winnipeg facility. It seems quite often patients are housed in hotels because the facility is full.
My line of questioning was going to be around what is the cost difference between housing a person in a medical boarding home and housing a person in a hotel.
I’m just wondering if you do a comparison and find out if it’s cheaper to keep them in the boarding home or if it’s cheaper to keep them in hotels. I’m just wondering if you track that kind of expense.
I think the information is available.