Another area I wanted to touch on is the whole area of treatment services. The Tl'oondih Healing Camp, which was built by the Gwich'in Tribal Council to a tune of over $2 million, is still available for providing programs and services. Right now, they kind of contract the facility out to different groups and agencies that want to deliver a certain program. They do support core programs by way of the different treatment programs where they have accessed funding through the aboriginal healing program.

Due to the concerns that have been raised in this House that we only have one treatment centre in the Northwest Territories with 39 beds, we should start taking advantage of those facilities that are elsewhere, besides the present facility that we have been using and sending clients to southern Canada. If anything, we should be working in conjunction with these different organizations who have these facilities and offer the use of these facilities for treatment. I feel that the Inuvik region is not using it as much as they could be.

You have the different aboriginal groups who have been using it for their programs. Yet the regional health board has not been using it to facilitate it for different programs. Also, we could save a lot more money keeping it in the region than having to send them to Hay River or southern Canada. Have they looked at or started dialogues with the different treatment service providers who are in the North to see if we can access their facilities, rather than having to continue depending on southern facilities?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I do agree with the Member that if we could provide all the services in the North, it would be more ideal. Some of the referrals to southern institutions and southern placements are because people may require a very specialized treatment for perhaps more than one addiction and it becomes rather complex.

As I mentioned this morning in question period, we are working on an addictions and mental health framework that has been identified as a priority in our department's overall strategic plan. We do need to look at the issue of addictions and mental health in a holistic manner and look at the linkages with some of our other social workers. We will be working with the standing committee very shortly on this strategy. Thank you.

The Minister mentioned three vacancies in the Inuvik region. Could you identify where those vacancies are in Social Services?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I indicated before, that information was as of November 2000, and I do not know where those vacancies are. I should also point out that the vacancies may have changed by now, but we could try to get the most current information for the Member. Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I have noticed that there has been a fairly significant growth in the amount of money expended for children in care. I was wondering if we could get a bit of an explanation for that, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the increase is attributable to forced growth in foster care by $358,000; increased funding for Trailcross in Fort Smith of $100,000; funding for NGO forced growth, $32,000; and forced growth for southern placements, $132,000.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know we have been fairly successful in repatriating adults in care from southern institutions to the North. Hearing the Minister talk about forced growth of more than $100,000 for southern placements as part of the increase here, what are the chances of seeing some repatriation of southern placements for children in care?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, there are currently 20 children accessing specialized southern placements. At any given time, there is also four on a waiting list. The efforts in terms of repatriation again is similar to the challenges that we face in repatriating adults, or in offering services to conflict kinds of problems here in the North. In some instances, there is a certain, very specialized expertise required in addressing the needs of some of these children who have severe behavioural problems.

As far as repatriation opportunities, we will continue to review them within the scope of our Continuing Care Strategy. This review will include looking at current and future facility-based needs. Thank you

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister listed off a number of challenges to repatriation, ranging from qualified personnel to provide the treatment to facilities. I would just like to get a sense of the balance. How much of the challenge relates to not having either the budget to provide capital facilities or not having access to facilities already in the North?

Mr. Chairman, it is very difficult to clearly identify what is facility related and what is perhaps human resource related in terms of specialized care. Not all of the 20 children who are accessing specialized southern placements have the same problems. You could have a number of different kinds of reasons why these children are present for care in southern facilities. In some instances, it may come down to the volume of children that may require these and whether or not it is possible to build facilities, programs or expertise around those numbers. Thank you.