Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I certainly hope the Minister of health will provide something to my last answer -- to the question I provided -- sorry, in her last answer because I wish to come back on the same general topic and with respect to speech and language pathology.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister was very clear that we don't have enough staff, the staff shortage. I understand that; I am a realist. But that said, when you have family members who are in trouble and need supports, can the Minister allow or support families who choose to get services in speech and language pathology locally or through Alberta and bill back to the government because we're clearly short of staff to meet that need. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time what we are doing is we are taking -- anybody who needs those services, they'll go through the referral process. And I know that there are some wait times. I believe that I can share those wait times with the Members on the different areas. But like I mentioned, that right now what we are focused on is ensuring that the money that we have allocated in the budget where there's positions and they are not being filled, myself and the Minister Cleveland are working on a plan, you know, that is going to be able to fill that need. And I believe that we're hoping to have something in front of us to be able to look at, you know, before -- I believe before June this year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I will take whatever the Minister can provide, including that analysis I was asking about. Mr. Speaker, that said, Mr. Speaker, what is the department's strategy if there are no people to provide this particular service? Can the Minister broaden the particular support mechanism by allowing parents to access services privately, either locally or through Alberta? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said, that we do have those providers. They are triaged. They are in the territory. They are still providing services to families. The school also has services that they do provide to school-aged children and continue to do so. I know that -- and as I said that we are looking at ways to improve that through the work that we're doing together. But if there are families out there that -- you know, that need services, they just -- you know, they need to go through their practitioner. They can be referred, they can self-referral, and they can be triaged within our system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the health system has young people timing out and not getting services and supports. Mr. Speaker, parents can only wait so long, and that's part of the issue, Mr. Speaker, the formative years of being lost.
So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister address the time waiting -- time system by making sure that there's clear guidelines that young people are supported within a certain amount of time and if not, they can seek them in Alberta or privately. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will take that back to my department. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
