Thank you, Madam Chair. Under the area of treatment centres for troubled youth. During the business plan review the committee made a recommendation that the department examine any and all possibilities to increase capacity in the NWT to deal with those children and adolescents with addictions and emotional and mental problems.

This recommendation was made because of the significant amount of money, Madam Chair, presently spent on southern placements and the infrastructure that is in place in Yellowknife that will be underutilized once the Territorial Treatment Centre is transferred to Hay River in 2007-2008.

The department's response indicates that, given the amount of money being spent on southern placements, it is economically viable to deliver these types of services in the NWT. The department is in the process of examining its options, and although they have not provided committee with any firm timelines, the committee will follow up during the review of the 2007-2008 Business Plans in September of 2006.

Rehabilitations Teams

The Standing Committee on Social Programs is very excited, Madam Chair, about the concept behind the rollout of the rehabilitation teams. Getting important services closer to the people they are intended to serve is the hallmark of a responsive health care system and responds to many of the concerns that we heard during our pre-budget consultations.

Members strongly encourage the department to be aggressive in staffing these positions. Recent media reports seem to indicate that audiologists are in high demand and that the NWT's pay scale may no longer be realistic or a sufficient incentive to attract experienced and qualified candidates. The department, within the context of the Collective Agreement, will have to look for solutions to this dilemma.

Once the teams are in place, it is expected that wait times for rehabilitation services should be dramatically reduced and that services to children in the school system will improve. It is extremely important that the rehabilitation teams establish a close working relationship with schools, educators and child psychologists.

Madam Chair, the one area of concern for the committee was the workload that the Yellowknife-based team would have in meeting the needs of the residents of the Tlicho, Sahtu and Deh Cho regions. Some members of the committee believe there should be regularly scheduled visits to each community within these regions, while others would prefer the workload to determine the service patterns. The department is encouraged to monitor the workload of all the rehabilitation teams to ensure there is a proper distribution of resources and that extra help is provided to those teams that require it.

Addiction Services

Madam Chair, in the area of addictions services. During the community pre-budget consultations, it became apparent to committee that there is not a lot of buy-in at the local level for the Mental Health and Addictions Strategy. Anecdotally, Members have been told there is a real disconnect between residents and the primarily southern-hired mental health workers. Many people told committee that if the government would give them the money, they would be able to deliver addictions programming at the local level for much less than what the government is currently spending.

Members suspect that the answers and solutions lay somewhere in between the current model and involving communities and regions more directly in the delivery of addiction programming.

Committee also heard that the spectrum of addiction services is failing, not because there is a lack for funding or infrastructure, but because there is a lack of coordination between the department, authorities and non-governmental organizations that are delivering addictions programming on behalf of the GNWT.

There is clearly a need for a coordinated approach at the community and regional level between governments and NGOs. The department is encouraged to take the lead in fostering and maintaining such an approach, and it is hoped that the second Chalmers Report will provide the department with the strategic direction it needs to improve addictions services at the community level.

Members of the committee are also concerned that there does not seem to be an adequate focus on addictions in the school curriculum. Many people have told committee that the school system, in concert with parents and the community, has to do a better job of communicating the consequences of alcohol and drug abuse to our children.

Madam Chair, I would refer the balance of the report to my colleague, Mr. Robert McLeod. Thank you.