Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For years the mental health worker position in Fort Liard has been filled by temporary contract workers. Residents are tired of professional staff turnover at the Deh Cho Health and Social Services office in Fort Liard. They’re always dealing with inconsistent service delivery.
It’s hard enough to build trust and to share painful, intimate details and it’s harder still when you’re constantly facing someone new. Getting help with your mental health isn’t like getting your car repaired or your house painted. Residents need dedicated, full-time mental health workers who can provide a complete range of referrals and treatment options.
It’s great to see the government making headway with its Regional Recruitment Program, but here’s the tricky part: The Department of Health and Social Services now handles its own recruiting, so finding full-time health care workers in places like Fort Liard is outside the mandate of the Regional Recruitment Program.
It’s difficult to untangle the reasons for high staff turnover. One factor isn’t specific to the North; there is a nationwide shortage of health care professionals. Another factor is leadership. Evidence clearly shows that people don’t stay in jobs if they don’t have strong leadership. This should be on the government’s radar as it tackles health care governance. There’s also the question of competitive benefits and training opportunities.
These are proven ways to build capacity and keep staff engaged and upbeat. These are smart ways of heading off the constant staff turnover.
The final consideration is that work done by health care professionals in the small communities often leads to burnout. This government isn’t doing
enough to find seasoned employees and professional couples who are genuinely able to handle the intensive workload and make a commitment.
Residents in my communities want this government to build a strong and steady northern workforce. Quite frankly, there’s no greater urgency than in the area of mental health and addictions. Thank you.
