One Year Progress Update on the Addictions Prevention and Recovery Services Work Plan
Press Release
February 15, 2024
In February 2023, the Addictions Prevention and Recovery Services Work Plan was released. Since the plan’s release, 50% of the action items in the Work Plan have been completed.
The Work Plan contains 24 action items for strengthening addictions and wellness programs for residents of the Northwest Territories (NWT). The items in the plan respond to the Auditor General of Canada’s recommendations, delivered in 2022.
The recently completed action items include:
- Combined the Community Counselling Program Service-User Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Addictions Recovery Experience Survey into a single Mental Wellness and Addictions Recovery Experiences Questionnaire with expanded demographic categories.
- Administered the Mental Wellness and Addictions Recovery Experiences Questionnaire across the NWT using a mixed method approach (online and paper-based surveys).
- Developed Standard Operating Procedures and tools to support providers in the implementation of the aftercare planning approach.
- Engaged in discussions with community leadership and Indigenous organizations on how to appropriately incorporate Indigenous qualifications into job descriptions.
- Completed a review of best practices, status of existing demographic data collection, and assessment of the ability to expand the collection of demographic data across addiction recovery programs and services.
The GNWT recognizes the importance of transparency and accountability and has developed an online action tracker that enables residents to stay informed of the progress made on each of the action items in the Work Plan.
Quote(s)
“The GNWT is committed to making progress on the Addictions Prevention and Recovery Services Work Plan. We want to create a strong and easy-to-use system of support for anyone dealing with addiction. Our goal is to give people the tools and the help they need to move towards a healthier and happier future.”
– Lesa Semmler, Minister of Health and Social Services
Quick facts
- The Addictions Prevention and Recovery Services Work Plan acts on issues identified through the 2022 Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG) Report and Standing Committee on Government Operations.
- The Work Plan identifies five areas within the addictions prevention and recovery system needing improvement to address the seven recommendations from the OAG:
- Increased understanding of residents’ self-determined mental wellness and addictions recovery needs to inform program planning and priority setting;
- Enhanced partnerships with Indigenous Governments and communities to ensure a continuum of services that better meets the needs of residents dealing with addictions;
- Improved access to culturally safe addiction prevention and recovery services;
- Increased consistency in coordination of addictions services and aftercare; and
- Enhanced ability to track community-identified and service user-identified outcomes.
- To date, 12 action items have been completed, 9 are on track, and 3 are delayed.
Related links
For media requests, please contact:
Andrew Wind
Manager, Communications
Health and Social Services
Government of the Northwest Territories
andrew_wind@gov.nt.ca
(867) 767-9052 ext. 49034
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