Setting out programs that include an expansion of integrated service delivery, NWT Premier RJ Simpson on Wednesday said this is “the time to move from strategy to implementation” for his government.
Simpson opened the week-long summer sitting of the territory’s legislature by recapping a list of achievements and new programs across the GNWT.
Of note, he said integrated service delivery – which seeks to give people straightforward access to help by demolishing bureaucratic barriers – will soon expand to communities beyond Yellowknife.
A GNWT “governance and service integration unit,” established in the 2023-24 financial year, “will establish five regional integrated service delivery sites in Yellowknife, Fort Simpson, Inuvik, Hay River, and Behchokǫ̀,” Simpson said on Wednesday.
“Teams in these communities will coordinate support services across sectors such as housing, mental health, income assistance, and child and family services,” the premier continued.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
“Central to this work is wraparound training offered to the GNWT, Indigenous governments, and non-governmental organizations, designed to create collaborative, holistic support plans for individuals with complex needs.”
Integrated service delivery has been praised in Yellowknife and its expansion was a pillar of a strategy to address homelessness rolled out in 2023.
The GNWT has introduced members of staff dubbed pathfinders who help people navigate a labyrinth of paperwork and programs related to justice, health, social services, education, and housing.
“Engagement, partnership and breaking down barriers are the core of the Governance and Service Integration Unit’s mission to improve access to services and outcomes for residents across the territory,” Simpson said.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
The premier’s speech – in the same week that western premiers gather in Yellowknife – spanned the economy, environment, public safety and healthcare.
He said cabinet had created a committee involving regular MLAs from smaller communities – one that sounds similar to a committee created in 2017 – to “bring the perspectives from small community MLAs directly into the cabinet decision-making process.”
“This collaboration will make our work stronger and more responsive to the needs of all residents,” Simpson said.
He concluded by promising to demonstrate progress in the remaining two years or so of the current government’s life.
“This is the time to move from strategy to implementation – from building trust to delivering results,” Simpson said.
