Northern premiers announce funding
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Monday, June 22, 2015
Kugluktuk/Coppermine
Funding from the federal government to improve health care in the North can be used to finance on-the-land addictions and mental health treatment the premier said last week.
"We're very pleased that the pan-territorial funding under the Territorial Health Investment Fund can be used to support this initiative," Bob McLeod said.
In 2014 the federal government created the fund, worth $70 million over three years, to increase health services in the territories and reduce the reliance on outside health-care systems and medical travel.
McLeod's comments came June 16 at the end of a meeting with Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna and Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski. The three met in Taptuna's home community of Kugluktuk last week for the Northern Premiers' Forum. They held a conference call with media about the meeting that began late and only took a limited number of questions.
McLeod also highlighted the newly introduced Mental Health Act, which will completely replace the existing NWT legislation.
Under study by a committee through the summer, the proposed law makes it easier to admit someone to a treatment centre for mental health care, establishes a review board that examines whether someone is mentally competent and whether care can be provided without permission, and allows for community-based treatment.
The government hopes to pass the legislation in the fall sitting prior to the election.
Taptuna said mental health is one of the key items on the agenda of the Arctic Council.
"It's a significant social issue that we're facing and we'll continue to work with our colleagues on how to best address that," Taptuna said.
Pasloski said with the mental health funding the territories are all testing pilot projects to see what works to best to address mental health issues and treatment in remote communities.
"We're certainly excited about the partnership with the Salvation Army to not only provide a new facility for emergency shelter beds but also for the creation of transitional housing, which would be a first in the Yukon," he said.
The meeting comes ahead of a meeting of provincial premiers in St. John's, N.L. Yukon will host the Northern Premiers' Forum next year.
