Mr. Speaker, I have a return to written question asked by Mr. Krutko on November 5, 2009, regarding income security services in Tsiigehtchic.
1. In the calendar year 2009, how often have
income support workers travelled to Tsiigehtchic to provide income support services?
A client services officer (CSO) travels to Tsiigehtchic one day each month to conduct face-to-face appointments with income security clients, specifically on income assistance and the Public Housing Rental Subsidy (PHRS). This service is delivered out of the local housing association office and usually takes place within the first 10 days of each month. Since April 2009 the service is delivered by the Fort McPherson-based CSO. In 2009 there were two months in which the CSO travelled to Tsiigehtchic twice: on April 7th and 30th to provide services for April and May, and on July 6th and 30th to provide services for July and August.
Ferry/ice crossing closures impact service delivery for approximately four to six weeks twice a year. For instance, in November 2009 services had to be provided via telephone and fax due to road closures.
2. How many clients did they see on these visits?
On each visit to Tsiigehtchic, the CSO assesses an average of three to four income assistance clients, and an average of 10 PHRS clients.
3. How much time, in hours, did they spend in the
community on each visit?
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) has a transportation agreement with Medical Services out of Fort McPherson. The CSO travels from Fort McPherson to Tsiigehtchic on the Medical Services bus and arrives in the community between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. -- after the first ferry in the summer -- and leaves the community between 3:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to catch the Medical Services bus on its return trip to Fort McPherson. On each visit the CSO thus spends an average of four to five hours in the community. It is important to note that Tsiigehtchic does not have any available overnight accommodation.
Approximately one week prior to the CSO’s visit to the community a public bulletin is posted in the band office in Tsiigehtchic. The local housing organization also puts a public announcement on the local radio station informing residents of the date and time of the CSO’s visit to the community. As visits usually occur during the first 10 days of the month, clients are aware of the schedule and services. Clients are not required to make
appointments, as the CSO has an open door policy when she travels to the community.
If a client is not able to see the CSO during the one-day visit, they can contact the Fort McPherson CSO by telephone at any time during the month. The CSO accepts collect telephone calls pertaining to income security programs from Tsiigehtchic residents. Thus, there is no need to wait until the following month to access services. On average, the CSO receives two to three collect calls per month from clients whom she met with during her visits to the community. These calls are primarily follow-up queries with respect to income assistance assessments.
Recently, the regional manager, income security programs, accompanied the Fort McPherson CSO on a monthly visit to Tsiigehtchic. At that time, the regional manager observed that current services appeared to be meeting the needs of the clients.