Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when any family comes into contact or children come into contact with child and family services, the role is between the family -- the family protection worker or the family preservation worker to work with that family to bring forward their concerns. If there's protection issues, then the child protection worker works with the family to ensure that there's a safe place for the child. They'll work within the system, usually working with the families. If there's children that come forward which is, you know, more than likely, if the children are raising...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when hiring certified paramedics into the past work and the ongoing work, we have many, many services that we provide in the Northwest Territories that do not currently have a regulatory body, like respiratory therapists who manage patient airways in the Northwest Territories, lab technologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, imaging techs, x-ray techs. There's many, many -- mental health addiction, like, counsellors. They work within what their jurisdiction of their licensing is, and so within the -- as long as they're in good standing, then...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that's a really important part of the work that the child and family services has shifted to. I think within that area that's the importance of -- the 75 percent of the kids remaining with their family, that is where they're going to get their culture. That's where they remain with their family. The next part is extended family. If it's a child protection issue within their immediate family, it's extended family and they work to support children. And that's why they now have the family volunteer agreements with family members. And this was something that we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as per the process for when children, you know, are accessing child and family services, when families come into contact with child and family services, it's when there is either a child protection issue or the family themselves are coming and requesting assistance to support them. When there is a child protection issue, the child protection issue is investigated and the child protection worker -- the child and family services does everything in their power to try to work with the family to provide supports for the child to stay within their family or, you...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Paramedics that are operating in the health centres are overseen at all times and are part of the collaborative team. When they are the only resource in a health centre due to being an emergency service, paramedics will consult with physicians on physician orders, and community health nurses do have the ability to initiate some treatment under the protocols that they have without physician orders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as per the -- you know, the comments about, yes, this is a -- it's going to analyze -- it's analyzing because of the overspend in the supportive living area. Every year, we're spending, you know, millions and millions of dollars on supportive living, and so when we got this report it's also recommending to spend many, many more millions. So we have processes that we need to go through for that in order to implement all those recommendations; however, we have -- within health, we have child and family services recommendations, we have health care, you know...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, no. Persons with disability access supports, like any other Northwest Territories resident, based on what their assessed needs are. So within health, if they have certain needs, then health will look within their system to support those needs. Many GNWT departments provide supports, so this is not just a health services area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in December, myself, the public administrator, the deputy minister, we briefed committee on the public -- the Minister's work plan. There, however -- so there are many areas that the public administrator has been directed to work on. There are some things that are -- some deliverables that have had extended timelines due to certain aspects, but I don't agree with the comment that there are many -- there are many of the things that are in progress. There are a lot that have been completed. There is still some work that, you know, is delayed. Thank you, Mr...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the health authority's preference is to bring specialists to the Northwest Territories; however, all the specialists are not always available to travel to the Northwest Territories as they service Alberta residents at the same time. So within access to care, we provide them with the travel to Alberta for that care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my deputy minister and the public administrator are working on this, you know, and I believe that they will be coming forward to me with this information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.