N.W.T. looks to local solution for mental health services gap in Tsiigehtchic

After seven months of trying to hirea mental health worker in a tiny Western Arctic community, the Northwest Territoriesgovernment is trying a new approach.

The last community wellness worker inTsiigehtchic, N.W.T., left in late December 2017. Two job postings for the positionin the 160-person community have not resulted in a successful hire, N.W.T. Health and Social Services Authorityspokesperson David Maguire said in an email.

The government now plans to try hiring someone locally through a regional recruitment program.

It's a marvellous idea.All they need to do is ask for my help and I will help any way I can.- Larry Dalley, Tsiigehtchic SAO

Through the program, the government would put out an expression of interest to find someone in the community "with the ability and willingness to become trained as a community wellness worker through a combination of mentorship and formal training," saidMaguire.

"This option would limit recruitment to within the community, with the hope that finding a successful candidate locally will reduce turnover."

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Maguire saidthis vacancy seems to be a bit longer than the norm, but it's not highly unusual. Hiring and retention for critical jobs in Canada's remote northern communities has long been considered a challenge.

The regional recruitment process started in 2014 as a way to solve that problem byincreasing local employment, hiring more northern and diverse candidates, and improving retention.

The recruitment process for theposition in Tsiigehtchic is expected to start by August, Maguire said.

'It's coming to me as a surprise'

Tsiigehtchic's senior administrative officer, Larry Dalley, saidthe new efforts are welcome news, although he added, "It's coming to me as a surprise."

The community had gone so far as to secure funding from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs within the past two weeks for programming at its wellness centre, which is set to include "programs that deal with mental health," Dalley said.

Dalley added that Tsiigehtchic has also been considering bringing in mental health professionals from outside the community to fill what it considers to be a mental health service gap.

He saidthe community will continuewith that plan until he has a conversation with health officialsthat, he expects, "certainly might change things."

Currently there are four community wellness workers in the N.W.T.'s Mackenzie Delta.

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They createworkshops or groups about mental health and family violence, screenpeople's suitability for counselling and can also do some "supportive counselling" themselves, saidMaguire.

But they are different thancommunity counsellors, who have master's degrees and provide short and long-term outpatient treatment, addictions counselling and therapy.

The Beaufort Delta has 10 community counsellors, two of whom are supervisors. None of them are in Tsiigehtchic.

Maguire told CBCNews that until a community wellness worker is found for Tsiigehtchic, twoworkers from Fort McPherson are covering the gaps.

But Dalley said he was "not aware" that mental health workers outside the community were currently assigned to cover Tsiigehtchic.

Dalley said he was happy to hear the department was investing in his community.

"It's a marvellous idea," he said. "I will promote it and I will support it 100 per cent all they need to do is ask for my help and I will help any way I can."