WHEREAS rates of mental illness in the Northwest Territories are disproportionately high in comparison with other Canadian jurisdictions and a high proportion of persons involved in police incidents suffer from mental illnesses;

AND WHEREAS implementation of the federal Safe Streets and Communities Act will dramatically increase the costs of policing, courts and corrections services;

AND WHEREAS introduction in other Canadian jurisdictions of mental health courts as diversion programs from the criminal justice system are proving successful in improving illness treatment success rates and providing cost benefits to the policing, court and corrections services;

AND WHEREAS the 16th Legislative Assembly

passed a motion on August 25, 2011, calling on the GNWT to begin research to examine options and potential benefits of a mental health court diversion program as an adjunct to the NWT Court System;

AND WHEREAS the Department of Health and Social Services is enhancing its approach to mental health program delivery through the development of a new strategy;

AND WHEREAS strategic cooperation between the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Social Services is essential for the effective delivery of mental health programming and the introduction of effective diversion measures;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that the departments of Justice and Health and Social Services work cooperatively to bring forward a plan for introduction of diversion measures including specialized courts and integrated case management for review in the 2013-2014 business plans;

AND FURTHER, that the same departments provide the Standing Committee on Social Programs with a work plan at the earliest opportunity that will describe how this objective will be achieved, and that reflects the individual departments’ responsibilities in achieving this goal, on which to base accountability;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days. Mahsi.