Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Yakeleya on October 18, 2004, regarding the cost and uptake of alcohol and drug programs in the Sahtu.
- What is the average cost to have a client participate in an alcohol and drug treatment program in Hay River, NT?
The Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre receives its operating budget of $1.5 million -- 2003-04 -- from the Department of Health and Social Services. It does not charge a fee for services to NWT residents. The Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre charges $130 per day for clients from Nunavut.
In 2003-04, 136 NWT clients attended the treatment programs at Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre. Therefore, the average cost per client was $11,029. If all spaces are used, 240 clients would be treated at an average cost of $6,250.
- How many clients in the past year, 2003-04, have participated and completed the alcohol and drug treatment program in the North?
During 2003-04, the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre provided services to 161 clients, of which 136 were from the NWT and 25 were from Nunavut.
- How many clients were referred to southern treatment programs in 2003-04?
In 2003-04, 101 NWT clients -- adults, children and youth -- were referred to southern residential addiction treatment programs. Of these, 64 were adults, ages 19 and up; and 37 were children and youth, ages 12 to 18.
- What are the costs for southern treatment programs?
In 2003-04, it cost $595,115 for individuals to attend southern treatment programs. This amount includes $138,356 for medical travel.
- What are the costs of a mobile treatment program in the NWT?
The department discontinued mobile treatment programs in 2002 because of the poor evaluation results determined by Chalmers and Associates, which are documented in A State of Emergency - A Report on Addictions Services in the NWT, May 2002. The 2000-01 budget for mobile treatment programs was $490,000.
- How many family treatment programs are there in the NWT that deal with alcohol and drug treatment programs specifically?
At present, there are no family treatment programs in the NWT that have a mandate specific to addictions as a primary diagnosis. There are several programs whose mandate is "family" which address addiction issues, as many social and mental health issues stem from substance abuse. The YWCA's Women and Children's Healing and Recovery Program focuses on families that have been exposed to violence and particularly on women who are suffering from trauma and addiction issues. Also, the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre also provides a 14-day treatment program for couples.
- How many children between the ages of 14 and 24 received alcohol and drug treatment in the Sahtu?
Six children/youth, ages 12 to 18, attended addictions treatment in southern facilities; 16 adults, ages 19 and up, attended treatment programs at the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre; and 11 adults, ages 19 and up, participated in addiction treatment programs outside of the NWT. The adults were referred to programs in the South because the Nats'ejee K'eh treatment team assessed the complexity of their cases to be beyond their expertise.