Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, adults with disabilities and their families face persistent barriers to access and accommodation when more than one GNWT program must work together. There is currently no single coordinated access and accommodation pathway across GNWT programs, resulting in delays, service gaps, and ineffective accommodation.
This problem is systemic, not just case specific. I have heard from multiple constituents about these issues. It was raised in the 2023 Supported Living Review, and it was raised by another MLA already this sitting, so I think it's clear these issues are affecting numerous people in the territory. Programs commonly involved in fragmented access are home and community-based care and personal support services, respite, and short-term placement within long-term care facilities, GNWT-funded community and disability support programs requiring individualized accommodation, and GNWT-administered income and disability-related support programs.
These programs operate across departments and service delivery streams without a unified access point. In the absence of effective coordination and accommodation mechanisms, caregivers are routinely required to fill operational and staffing gaps in GNWT service delivery in order to prevent service breakdowns. This includes caregivers absorbing responsibility for personal care and supervision, transportation, coordination between multiple programs and departments, and continuity of supports during service transitions or delays.
In practice, Mr. Speaker, unpaid caregivers are being relied on to silently absorb service gaps created by fragmented disability and care programs, allowing systemic failures to remain hidden from public reporting and accountability.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT already has a proven model for managing clients facing complex situations and dealing with issues that span multiple programs and departments. The integrated service delivery team at executive and Indigenous affairs has been a welcomed solution, and I have had positive experiences with constituents who access this team for support and referring constituents to them. That team is specifically tasked to support clients with housing and social support needs, but I wonder if a modification or addition to that service could be made to the team to specialize in disability support related issues I have raised today. I request unanimous consent to conclude my statement, Mr. Speaker.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker and colleagues. Alternatively, perhaps system navigation support and coordination for persons with disabilities and caregivers is something the department of health could establish, modelled after the ISD team. Regardless of who does it or how it is done, what is important is that we close these service gaps. I am not asking for a new program here, Mr. Speaker, just that we better coordinate access to the programs we are already offering. Thank you.