Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to come here today to discuss the government's commitment to mental health and emotional support under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
The government is committed to a fair and lasting resolution of the legacy of residential schools and recognizes that bringing closure to the legacy lies at the heart of reconciliation and a renewal of the relationships between aboriginal people who attended these schools, their families and communities, and all Canadians.
This commitment is embodied in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. Implementation of the settlement agreement began on September 19, 2007, following the consensus reached between legal counsel for former students, legal counsel for the churches, the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit organizations, and the Government of Canada.
The Government of Canada is continuing to fulfill its responsibilities and obligations under the settlement agreement by providing mental health and emotional support services to former students and their family members participating in the common experience payment, the independent assessment process, and Truth and Reconciliation Commission activities. Canada will provide these support services throughout the life of the settlement agreement.
The government has provided the following health support services to former students participating in all phases of the settlement agreement: an endowment of $125 million to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation for community-based healing services; health and emotional support services to former students and their family members through Health Canada's resolution health support program; and additional initiatives designed to support survivors, including the national Indian residential school crisis line, at a cost of $5 million per year, and future care awards for treatment or counselling services through the independent assessment process.