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8TuesdayApril12014ByMARIACHURCHTheSaltRiverFirstNationSRFNhasformallyaskedtheTownofFortSmithtohelpfunditsband-runhomelesssheltersayingthefacilitywhichisopentoallmembersofthecommunitycouldclosewithoutassistance.SaltRiverschiefandcouncilmetwithtowncoun-cillorsataspecialmeetinglastweektodiscussthehomelessshelteramongotherjointinitiatives.Addressingthecouncil-lorsSRFNChiefFriedaMartselossaidtheFirstNationisntlookingforthetowntoincludethehome-lessshelterinitslong-termbudgetbutwouldliketoseeamunicipalcontributiontothecommunitysonlyop-eratingshelterforhomelessindividuals.Itstimethatotheror-ganizationscontributetothisservicethatweofferatSaltRivershesaid.Werenotaskingforanarmandalegweareaskingforacontribution...Idontthinkthecommunityrec-ognizestheimportanceofthisshelter.TheSRFNhomelessshel-tera10-bedroomfacilitythatopenedin2009wasoriginallybuilttohousebandmembersonlybutorganizersdroppedallrestrictionsandwelcomedthecommunityshortlyafteropening.SaltRiverbuiltititsSaltRiverpropertybutitshousedeverybodyrightfromthebeginningMartselossaid.GovernmentfundingdroppingCurrently84percentofthehomelesssheltersnearly300000per-yearoperatingbudgetisfundedbySRFN.Theremaining16percentofthebudgetissplitbetweendonationsandfundsfromtheGNWTdepartmentofEducationCultureandEm-ploymentECE.InpreviousyearsECEhasgivenasmuchas50000totheshelter.Thisyearthatnumberdroppedto10000.SRFNcouncillorKenLavi-olettesaidFortSmithtowncouncilneedstomakecon-cretedecisionsaboutfund-ingthesheltersoon.ImnotsureSaltRiverisgoingtobeabletoprovidethisserviceifwedontgetanyhelp.Impreparedforcounciltomakesomeharddecisionshere.Ifyoudontitbecomesyourproblemhetoldthecouncillors.Sometowncouncillorsex-pressedconcernthatSRFNwasntabletoaccessfundsthroughtheterritorialwell-nessfund.MartselossaidthebandhasgonetoHealthandSocialServicesforfundingbutwasrefusedbecausetheshelterdoesnottintotheirspeciccriteria.Inresponsetoarequestforinformationonterritorialfund-ingforhomelesssheltersHealthandSocialServicesdirectedthequestiontotheNWTHousingCorp.NWTHCwhichpro-videsfundingthroughapplica-tiontotheSmallCommunityHomelessnessFund.InanemailtoTheJournalNWTHCspokespersonCaraBryantsaidshecouldnotpro-videinformationaboutsuc-cessfulorunsuccessfulfundingapplicantsbecauseofprivacyconcerns.HomelessnessnotmunicipalmandateFortSmithcouncillorChrisWestwellsaidfundingforso-cialservicesisatoughissueforallmunicipalitiessinceitisnottechnicallyintheirman-dateandeveryonewantstopassthebuck.Theresponsibilityforsocialservicesincludinghomeless-nessshouldliewiththeterri-torialgovernmentFortSmithcouncillorDonWebbtoldtheFirstNation.Weareseeingmoreandmoreoftheterritorialgovern-mentdownloadingtherespon-sibilityontomunicipalitiesandweknowitsaslipperyslopeWebbsaid.SheltersinYellowknifeare100percentfundedbyterrito-rialandfederalfundsheadded.Theymightbehangingyououttodry.MayorBradBraketoldSaltRiverthelackofconcretede-cisionsatthemeetingwasnotanindicationoffutureinac-tion.HesaidcouncilplanstodiscussSaltRiversshelterandreconveneagainatajointmeetingwiththebandtoplanforthefuture.DontdragitonfortoolongLaviolettewarned.Itsonlysolongthatwecanholdon.SaltRiverasksforhelpwithhomelessshelterFirstNationsayssheltercouldcloseiffundingkeepsdecreasingHealthWellnessHomelessnessPhotoMariaChurchByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheplannedrelocationofthecommunitycounsellingprograminFortSmithtothenewlyrenovatedhealthcen-trethisspringhasraisedcon-cernsamongsomeresidentsaboutthecondentialityoftheserviceinahospitalsetting.AtpresentcommunitywellnessworkersarebasedoutofaseparatefacilitytheJackTaylorBuildingbutareexpectedtorelocatetothehealthcentrebyJune.Whiletherelocationwaspremeditatedinthere-designofthehealthcentreandpartoftheplansincetheFortSmithHealthandSocialServicesAu-thoritytookovermentalhealthandaddictionsprogramminginFortSmithin2004someworrythemovewillseecli-entsleavetheprogramonceitentersahospitalsetting.PeoplehavetoldmethatifitmovestothehospitaltheywontcomebacksaidClaytonBurkewhorecentlyaddressedaletterofconcerntothehealthauthorityhos-pitalboardThebachaMLAMichaelMiltenbergerandtheHealthandSocialSer-vicesminister.Burkewhowasontheboardofdirectorsfortheoriginalcommunitycoun-sellingprogramwhenitwasfederallyfundedlocatedatUncleGabesFriendshipCentreandoutsidetheaus-picesofthehealthauthor-itysaidhismainconcerniscondentiality.Confidentialityisnotmaintainedshouldpeoplehavetogotothehospitaltoseeacounsellorhesaid.Ifyouhavetositinawaitingroomarealikeaclinicandsomeoneasksyouwhatyourethereforwellyoudontwanttotellthem.Thosearethingsthatarekeytotheconden-tialityofaprogram.Hesaidconsultationshouldhavebeendonewiththepub-licandtheprogramspartici-pantsbeforethedecisionwasmadetomovetheservices.DavidPoitrasaformercounsellorwiththeprogramandamemberoftheMinis-tersForumonAddictionssaidhetoodoesntunderstandthereasonforthemovetoahospitalsettingwhichwillbemoreintimidatingforpeoplewithaddictionsmakingthemovetogethelp.IknowwhenIwasad-dictedtherewasalotofshameanditwashardtoreachoutforhelp.Ithinkaplacelikethehealthcentrecouldbeareallyintimidatingplaceforsomeonereachingoutforthersttimehesaid.ItsbeensittingwhereitisnowforanumberofyearsandIthinkthecommunityiscomfortablewithit.Poitrasechoedthecon-cernsaboutcondentialityaddingthatthenewlyreno-vatedspaceishardtonavi-gateandcouldturnpeopleaway.Ifyourereallythinkingaboutpeoplethatarereach-ingoutforhelpyouneedtomakeitaseasyaspos-sibleforthembecauseitsabigbigstep.CondentialitywouldbeabigissuebutIthinkevengreaterthanthatwouldbetheplaceitself.Itssointimidatingtogothere.Iwenttheretolookforthephysiotherapyandhadahardtimetondit.IfIwaslook-ingforthewellnessprogramIwouldprobablyhavejustgivenuphesaid.Thepeoplewhoaremak-ingthisdecisionIdontthinkhaveanunderstandingofaddictions.IntakeprocessstillinplanningstagesThoughtheowoftheintakeprocessforthecounsel-lingprogramatthehealthcen-treisstillintheworkshealthauthorityCEOPhyllisMawd-sleysaidthehealthcentresuc-cessfullydealswithavarietyofprogramsandservicesthatrequirerespectforcondenti-alityandthatthecounsellingprogramwillbenodifferent.InrespecttocondentialityFortSmithHealthandSocialServicesdeliversanumberofhighlysensitiveandconden-tialprogramssocondentialityisakeyfundamentalprinciplebehindalltheprogramdeliverysothiswillbenoexceptionintermsofcondentialitycon-siderationsandworkowandpatientowMawdsleysaid.Werejustintheprocessof-nalizingthoseworkowplans.Whileareceptionistcur-rentlydoesintakesolelyforthecounsellingprogramattheJackTaylorBuildingthemovewillseethatcasualpositionelimi-natedinfavouroftheexistingcentralizedreceptionsetupatthehealthcentre.Nootherpo-sitionswillbeimpacted.Mawdsleysaidthenewspacewasconstructedtogiveeachwellnessworkerhisorherownofceandincludesalargeroomformeetingsorgroupsessions.Shesaidthenewspacewillbemodernmoreaccessibleandputallthecommunityshealthandsocialservicesunderoneroof.Itisntanythingnewitsbeenintheworksforalongtime.Thestaffhavebeenquiteawarebecausetheyvebeeninvolvedwiththeplanningallalongaswellasmorerecentlypickingoutthenewfurnitureforthespaceanddeterminingwhatscomingoverandwhatisntshesaid.ThoughtheAlcoholicsAnonymousgroupwhichhasbeenregularlyusingtheJackTaylorBuildingtomeetdespitebeingseparatefromthepur-viewoftheauthoritywillnolongerhaveadesignatedmeet-ingspacewithinthecounsellingprogramspaceMawdsleysaidtherearemulti-purposeroomswithinthehealthcentrefacilitythatwillbeopentopublicuse.Everythingthatwasavail-ableattheJackTaylorBuild-ingwillbeavailableattheFortSmithhealthcentreshesaid.Mawdsleysaidthepublicwillbeapprisedofthedetailsoftherelocationclosertothemovedateviamaildropsandadvertisements.Ifyourereallythinkingaboutpeoplethatarereachingoutforhelpyouneedtomakeitaseasyaspossibleforthembecauseitsabigbigstep.CondentialitywouldbeabigissuebutIthinkevengreaterthanthatwouldbetheplaceitself.Itssointimidatingtogothere.DavidPoitrasMinistersForumonAddictionsHealthWellnessMentalHealthCounsellingrelocationcausesconcerninFortSmithSaltRiverFirstNationleaderssaytheirband-runhomelessshelterwhichopenedtotheFortSmithcommunityin2009isfacingclosureiftheydontreceivefundingfromgovernment.