Glen Abernethy

That’s part of the work that we’re doing in the design or the implementation in each of the different communities or regions where we deliver this service. We need to track the types of things that are happening and put in an evaluation framework so that we can make some evidence-based decisions moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Every region, every community in the Northwest Territories is different and has their own unique realities. The plan was originally to put them in Hay River one year, Beaufort-Delta the second year and then move forward with Yellowknife. We are also exploring the possibility of putting it in other communities and regions. Only recently the Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority has approached us with an indication that they would be interested in doing midwifery services there. We are working with them to see when we might be able to roll that out. We do have a midwifery coordinator...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have already indicated to the Member, we are going to have a Traditional Foods Facilities Action Plan and Recommendations, January 2015, for review by Regular Members and consideration so that we can move forward and do exactly what the Member is asking us to do. January 15th is well before the writ drops in the 17th Legislative Assembly.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member as well as other Members have actually asked this question before. Following up from those requests for information and the desire to have more traditional foods in our facilities, which we agree is an incredibly important thing to do, our traditional foods help to promote healing, healthy eating and all those types of things. So the Department of Health and Social Services is currently doing some research and developing an action plan to improve the availability of traditional foods within our facilities.

The Traditional Foods and Facilities Action Plan and...

We have gone to the Beaufort-Delta and started having some initial conversations with the people in the health centre there. They raised concerns that are unique to their own hospitals or health centres. We want to make sure that the Midwifery Program works in the regions and communities based on the protocols that already exist in those areas. That would have to be true coming into Yellowknife. We would have to make sure it works in the system and in the infrastructure that we have here.

The Deh Cho is different, once again, in that they don’t actually have a hospital. They have regional...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member indicated earlier, the position is no longer called a breast cancer patient navigator or a cancer patient navigator. The new one is, actually, the cancer care coordinator, which still has a key patient advocate role and we are currently trying to fill that position. We are going through some internal recruitment at Stanton to find somebody to take on that role. So we are recruiting as we speak. Thank you.

Once again, I will pass that information along or that question along to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and I will get a more fulsome response. At the same time, all residents of the Northwest Territories are able to receive the services we provide, which includes counselling, mental health and addictions services. We do have a number of contracts with different providers for individuals who have substance abuse challenges. Those services, all services, all services that are available in the Northwest Territories are available to all residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we disclosed in the previous contract how much we had contracted for the services for the previous day shelter. The information of what we are spending on this day shelter is out and available, but as we move on, we would be happy to provide the Member with actual costs at the end of each fiscal year, as well as committee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The day shelter at this point in time is providing some basic services, basically a warm place for people to go as well as some referral functions. We had been talking with the provider about having more opportunities for people to come into that particular facility and offer referrals and other services. The NWT Disabilities Council intends to expand their services to include a process for more referrals and management of the day shelter. They also intend to have some adult service workers scheduled for regular office hours come in and visit as well as some individuals from public health to...

The Aboriginal Health and Community Wellness staff members are working with the group, the Breast Health/Breast Cancer Action Group that the Member has mentioned and they’ve been having continued dialogue. So there has been some conversations both ways. We are hoping to have the cancer care coordinator position filled in the immediate future, but it’s hard to say for sure whether we’ll find somebody. We are currently staffing. The staffing process usually takes a month or two. We’re hoping to have it filled within that period, but we have had problems staffing similar positions in the past. So...