Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think that during the process of the consultation that should be looked at as well. I think, Madam Speaker, though, in honesty, it's a bigger discussion that we have to have at Cabinet table. I do realize that different departments have different zones. Some have five regions, some have seven regions, and I think there might even be nine regions in some. So I think it is a discussion that we have to have. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

My question is to Minister of Health and Social Services. What funding has been allocated to each of the commitments and activities in the work plans? Thank you

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the work plan hasn't yet been approved so I don't have a budget for it. Thank you.

The Minister talked about, okay, they're not renewing the contract with Poundmaker's, and there's five other options. Why only five? Shouldn't there be more if we're trying to help and work with the people? Because it is the people's choice of where they want to go, and Poundmaker's was the only one that we can think of that served the Indigenous communities. Now people don't have a choice. So I'm just wondering is the Minister consulting and working with the Indigenous government, the Indigenous people? She said there were some people at the meeting that she attended, but that's not good enough. Like, is she working because the OAG report states that. It says all over in the OAG report that to work with the Indigenous governments, consult with the Indigenous governments. And I'm just wondering, I don't think that is happening but I just want to ask that. Like, is she working with the Indigenous governments on this selecting? Like, who are part of the decision-making. Is it just the Department of Health and Social Services making the decisions? Are they working with the Indigenous government? Thank you

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, one of the things that we committed to in the response to the OAG recommendations is to engage with Indigenous governments to identify barriers to people attending addiction services and take a look at our standards and policies for contracts to make sure that they are culturally safe. So this is work that we plan to do in response to the OAG.

But in the interim, I had a meeting with the NWT Council of Leaders, which included leadership from the Member's region, to talk about addictions and aftercare. That happened at the end of September, and another meeting is planned for the end of November. And so I certainly am looking forward to continuing the conversation about how to strengthen our system. If the Member has particular people she would like me to meet or talk to, I would welcome the opportunity if she would invite me to her community. Thank you.

Yes, can the Minister provide a list to us of how many people attended southern treatment program for drugs and alcohol since 2019; can she provide the list to us? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I can provide that information.

Thank you. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.

Well, I still have one more question for another Minister. But can the Minister -- can she come with me on a constituent tour in Tlicho region? Can she come with me so she can meet and talk to the Indigenous government, to the people, to the elders, to the youth, on the addiction and treatment program? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there's a meeting arranged for the end of November with the Tlicho government and the chief of Behchoko, to which the Member has been invited, to talk about addictions and aftercare. So I'm looking forward to having that conversation. In terms of a constituency tour, I will repeat again that if she invites me and organizes the constituency tour, I am happy to come. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Just bear with me here.

Technical difficulties? It's okay, it's your guys' time.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have issues -- you know, people on the street have issues with, you know, addictions and health issues. We also have people who are in isolation that have those similar issues. And what I see that would be beneficial for, at least the community of Hay River and because it's a regional centre, is if we had access to medical social services people. And I would ask the Minister if there are any such positions within either the NTHSSA or the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority at this point? Thank you.

Thank you. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you for the question. NTHSSA offers adult services which is social work services for people who are not children or youth, often people who are street involved. That position does not exist at the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority right now. I think there are some of the staff in the authority who are assisting people who need these services off the side of their desk, so not a proper medical social worker position. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Can the Minister give me, I guess, a brief explanation of exactly what the duties would be or what the responsibilities would be for a medical social worker? And she said that they were sort of being provided off the side of a desk, and has that been beneficial. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, some of the things that the medical social worker would do is to assist the person to get into housing, assist them to get into treatment, assist them to obtain income support, assist them to obtain referrals for medical care if such referrals are necessary, referrals to counselling, completing Jordan Principle applications, getting them set up with a proper ID - whether that's a birth certificate, a general identity card, or whether it is a driver's licence. So this is a position that facilitates people's access to services that may be provided directly by that individual but may also be provided by other service providers within the government. And so I think that the point here is that the person who is without services has a navigator to assist them to find services appropriate to their situation. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Can the Minister also confirm if the medical social workers would be required to have, I guess, clients just attend the health centre or their offices where they're working at, or would the person be able to go out on the street and to where actually, you know, clients are and, you know, people who probably wouldn't normally attend to the hospital, because I guess I'm just thinking about Hay River and the number of people on the street there and, you know, some of the things that she did mention is probably things that we as MLAs already do in the community. So, you know, I'm just wondering, you know, if there's flexibility there. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this is a very important role, and I appreciate the Member's efforts to do this work as well, for his constituents. I don't see reason that the medical social worker would not go and see people where they are, but I'm not familiar with their work flow, but it makes sense that it would be broader than just having people attend the health centre or the building that flooded downtown in order to obtain services. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, would the Minister commit to finding the funding for the placement of two medical social workers with the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority? Thank you.