MLA outlines concerns over funding for Prince Rupert Family Counselling Service

During committee work at the B. C. Legislature this week, North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice raised a concern over what appears to be an evolving situation on funding for a counselling service in Prince Rupert.

As part of the discussion at the Committee of Supply on Spending Estimates for the Ministry of Children and Family Development, Ms. Rice offered up a quick review of the current status of Mental Health Services in the community and in particular a situation facing a group known as Northwest Band Family Counselling.

I received an e-mail about the Northwest Band family counselling group in Prince Rupert, which provides drug and alcohol counselling, family counselling to aboriginal people by aboriginal people. They're also getting funding from MCFD. They service non-aboriginals in our community, and they also service outlying communities from Haida Gwaii all the way up into the Gitksan territory over into the Stikine constituency

Ms. Rice concluded her review of their services by then asking Stephanie Cadieux, the Minister for Child and Family Development, for an explanation regarding the funding situation.

In her reply, the Minister observed that she was not immediately aware of the agency, or any potential funding relationship with the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Ms. Cadieux also noted  that funding for programs related to drug and alcohol counselling would not be  provided through the Children and Family Development Ministry, but rather through the Ministry of Health. She did however, advise that she would look into the situation and follow up with the MLA.

You can review some of the work of the Committee of Supply from the Committee Record of the afternoon session of March 13th, Ms. Rice's contribution to the discussion arrives at just before the 1735 marker.

The session is also available on the Legislature Video Archive, the question on the funding issue arrives at the 229 mark on the player (1735 on the clock)

There is also more background on developments at the British Columbia Legislature to be found on our Legislature Archive.