Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the development of the action plan the Member has referenced, and we actually engaged with youth from across the Northwest Territories, and they made it very clear that privacy is of particular interest and importance to them. Youth have been very vocal about the fact that they do not feel that their privacy is always respected when using the healthcare system, so ensuring proper protection and rights of privacy and confidentiality is an extremely important part of the work that the health and social services system is doing. We want to make certain that our system in the Northwest Territories is set up with standards of practice to ensure that youth feel safe in seeking healthcare, regardless of where they go in the Northwest Territories.
In 2017-2018, the Department of Health and Social Services has been working to research the current legal context and the best practices around privacy, confidentiality, and legal rights of children and youth, related to mental wellness. This work has included consultation with the chief health privacy officer. They are doing a jurisdictional scan as well as examining connections to professional standards and codes of conduct from many jurisdictions across the country. In 2018-2019, the department will work to develop the standards of practice that will guide Health and Social Services systems staff respecting and protecting the rights of youth to privacy and confidentiality. This work will all be followed by training for staff across the Northwest Territories.