Glen Abernethy

Mr. Speaker, our government made a mandate commitment to ensure that effective supports and programs are in place for persons with disabilities. The NWT Disability Review and Renewal Project is part of that commitment. Through this work, the government has identified the challenges residents with complex disabilities, such as autism or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD, have in accessing assessment and diagnostic services across the territory. Identifying these challenges is an important step towards putting effective supports in place for persons with these disabilities.

Children living...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled "Follow-Up Letter for Oral Question 119-18(3): Medical Travel Coverage." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Going back to the previous question, I really cannot say that we will have a set mandatory time before an individual can be released. Like I said before, it really depends on the nature of the condition of the person presenting with. Everyone is different. If we were to set a mandatory time, we might end up keeping people there well beyond when they should. I think what is important is that we have some clinical standards in place that talk about what certain criteria an individual must reach before they can be released as opposed to setting a time. I think that gives us the same result but...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can let the Member know that the department and the authority take stroke symptoms very seriously and want to make sure that residents who are presenting with stroke-like symptoms are dealt with appropriately. It is kind of a difficult question to answer because it is important to note, Mr. Speaker, that an individual can present for a large number of reasons and stroke-like symptoms do not always necessarily mean a stroke.

However, if a person does present in one of our smaller communities where there are no doctors, with stroke-like symptoms or a stroke...

Mr. Speaker, we heard from youth that our programs and services need to be flexible and they need to be adaptive to their needs, to the children's needs. Initial work to prepare for review has already taken place. This work is focused on determining the best scope and outcomes for the review. It is anticipated that the review will include an examination of the needs of youth, including health and mental health needs, behaviours of concern, trauma, supervision needs, education, employment, housing, social supports, and any others that are deemed important. The review will also include an...

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and welcome Tim Moorhouse, of Chestermere, Alberta, who is chair of the Canada FASD Research Network. I truly appreciate the hard work he and the CanFASD Research Network do each year to support FASD education and awareness in Canada. Welcome to the House.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize the members of the Anti-Poverty Advisory Committee as visitors to the gallery today. The committee has been meeting this week to review applications for the Anti-Poverty Fund and prepare funding recommendations. This committee has been in place for two years now, and...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Annual Report of the Director of Child and Family Services 2016-2017." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in October 2014, I tabled in this House, Building Stronger Families: An Action Plan to Transform Child and Family Services. I am pleased to provide an update on our accomplishments on this action plan.

The goal of Building Stronger Families is to improve the quality of child and family services offered by our government, with a view to achieving better outcomes for children and families when they receive services under the Child and Family Services Act.

On April 1, 2016, new amendments to the Child and Family Services Act came into effect. Those legislative...

With Building Stronger Families, which is our new approach on Child and Family Services, our first priority is really to try and keep families together and not result in apprehension situations. We have already started to see a decrease in the number of apprehensions, more voluntary agreements, more mediation, and fewer families being taken apart. However, yes, from time to time, we will still need to bring children into care.

Our work is directed by the Child and Family Services Act and all of the relevant standards within. Our focus is obviously in the best interest of the child and...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we're getting a proposal from the NWTHSSA right now on what they think it's going to cost to upgrade some of the equipment. I will certainly pass along through the deputy and the CEO the support that the Member has given for our staff. I agree. We have amazing staff doing amazing things, and I don't think anybody should think that the problem we have or the improvements we're trying to make are based on the quality of the staff. It's policies. It's procedures. It's guidelines. We need to make sure that we are always offering our employees the training that...