The Department of Health and Social Services defines special needs as "any physical and/or mental disability."
1. The annual cost of the department for special needs assessments and treatment in 1993-94 was $14.581 million.
2. The percentage of this cost spent in the NWT was approximately 80 per cent or $11.535 million.
3. The annual cost for the operation and maintenance of group homes for special needs adults in the NWT was $947,500 for 1993-94.
4. The number of special needs adults living in group homes was 24 in 1993-94.
5. A number of psychological assessments of mentally challenged clients are carried out in the NWT by southern-based psychiatric consultants who visit the regions on an intermittent basis.
Psychological assessments are also available through a psychiatrist who is resident in Yellowknife.
6. Clients are also referred for full psychological/psychiatric assessments at hospitals in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal.