Today, the Minister of Health and Social Services, Julie Green, released a long-range human resources plan to address challenges to the recruitment and retention of health and social services staff across the territory.

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services System Human Resources Plan 2021-2024 outlines actions to further the 19th Assembly’s mandate priority to increase the number of resident health-care professionals in the NWT. It also includes strategies to address existing staff shortages throughout the system.

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to update Members on the work being done to recruit and retain health and social services staff in the Northwest Territories. This work responds to the mandate commitment of the 19th Legislative Assembly to increase the number of resident health care professionals by at least 20 percent.

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Mr. Speaker, June is Senior Citizens Month, a time for us to acknowledge and celebrate the important role Seniors have in our families and communities. Seniors teach us about culture, tradition, and history. Their wisdom is integral to making wise decisions that will impact future generations of Northerners. 

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When I became Minister of Health and Social Services in August 2020, I had the opportunity to add two personal priorities to the Premier’s mandate letter for me. One of the two was to reduce the toll of substance abuse on the residents of the Northwest Territories, by leading a whole of government, interdepartmental approach to developing evidence-based policies and programs and the development of a robust addictions treatment aftercare regime, including a territorial alcohol strategy.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Julie Green, provided the following statement on the 2021 Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s Report on Addictions Prevention and Recovery Services in the Northwest Territories.

The Government of the Northwest Territories released the 2021 NWT Community Counselling Program (CCP) Client Satisfaction Questionnaire Report.

Today is the World Health Organization’s World No Tobacco Day, which provides an opportunity to showcase the resources available to residents to assist them in living a tobacco-free lifestyle.

Residents interested in buyinglocally-raised meat in the NWT are in support the development of Meat Safety Regulations. That is one of the findings in the Department of Health and Social Services’ report, What We Heard: Development of Meat Safety Regulations Under the Public Health Act.

The Department of Health and Social Services is seeking feedback from professionals in the psychology field, and the public, on the proposed Psychology Profession Regulations. Input received from public and stakeholder engagement conducted helped inform the development of these proposed regulations. An Advisory Committee with representation from the Association of Psychologists of the NWT, and the Department, was established to help develop the proposed regulations.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Julie Green, is seeking nominations for vacancies on the Regional Wellness Councils for the Beaufort-Delta, Dehcho, Fort Smith, Hay River, Sahtu and Yellowknife regions.

The role of the Regional Wellness Council is to ensure residents from across the Northwest Territories have an opportunity to provide input into the territorial health and social services system. The councils help inform policy and programming decisions across the territory.