Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Bill 55 includes new provisions for “assisted community treatment,” also known as “ACT.” Essentially, this is mandatory outpatient treatment, where psychiatric care is provided while the patient is living in the community. For each patient, a treatment plan is created where the patient, health and social services professionals and family members or other support persons agree to implement and monitor the plan.

Ideally, community treatment reduces the traumatic impact of hospitalization and helps the patient reintegrate into the community following a period of hospitalization. However, as the committee discovered, there are potential shortcomings associated with this type of psychiatric care. First, despite its widespread use in other Canadian jurisdictions, community-based treatment appears to be controversial. A 2012 review of Ontario’s legislation found inconclusive evidence on the benefits of community treatment. Second, because the department has no plans to bolster resources in the communities, this option will only be available where sufficient resources already exist: in Yellowknife and, potentially, regional centres. Patients from small communities will either have to forfeit this treatment option or live away from home. Third, community-based treatment may inadvertently expose patients to criminalization if the treatment plan goes awry or the patient is not adequately monitored. Fourth, people who agree to monitor an ACT patient may be exposed to legal liabilities. Fifth, people who agree to monitor an ACT patient may experience burnout as the burden of care is handed over to family members and other unpaid caregivers. For all of these reasons, the committee cannot fully endorse the provisions pertaining to assisted community treatment.

Homelessness

On a per capita basis, the homeless population in the Northwest Territories is sizable, and appears to be growing. A significant number of homeless people are struggling with mental illness. The prevailing approach to homelessness and mental illness is to rely on emergency health care and on shelters for emergency housing. In the long run, this approach is costly and ineffective. As an alternative, “Housing First” is an evidence-based intervention model whereby permanent housing and wrap-around supports are provided to individuals who are homeless and living with a serious mental illness. Canada’s At Home/Chez Soi initiative was a five-year, five-city Housing First demonstration project. It examined quality of life, community functioning, recovery, employment, and related outcomes. Overall, it demonstrated that the Housing First model can be implemented successfully in combination with assisted community treatment. The committee believes that aggressive action should be taken to address homelessness, especially through the use of Housing First initiatives.

At this time, I’d like to turn the reading of the report to Mr. Dolynny.