Articles tagged with Mental Health Minister
New Peer-Led Mental Health Beds to Improve Crisis Support in NZ
1 week ago | 150 viewsNew Zealand is nearly doubling peer-led acute alternative mental health beds from 25 to 45 to provide faster, community-based crisis support outside hospitals, with 12 new beds opening in Auckland and eight in the lower South Island. This expansion is part of a $61.6 million government investment that also includes additional frontline staff, peer support workers, and Crisis Recovery Cafés to improve mental health crisis response nationwide. Trusted local organizations with extensive community experience will deliver these services, ensuring people in crisis receive timely, supportive care in a home-like environment connected to their families and communities.
Tags: Matt Doocey Pathways Ngā Kete Mātauranga Pounamu Uruuruwhenua Hauora Auckland Invercargill Alexandra New Zealand Mental Health Minister Crisis Assessment and Treatment TeamsNZ Government Boosts Funding and Extends Contracts for Community Mental Health NGOs
1 week ago | 195 viewsThe New Zealand Government is providing over $34 million in additional annual funding from July 2026 to support community mental health and addiction organisations, recognizing their vital role. To ensure greater stability, most providers are being moved from one-year to three-year contracts, allowing them to invest confidently in their workforce and services. This approach aims to improve access to mental health support, strengthen frontline services, and enhance crisis response for vulnerable New Zealanders.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister New Zealand community organisations mental health addiction services NGOs Health New Zealand funding uplift frontline workersNew Zealand Boosts Community Mental Health Funding with Longer Contracts
1 week ago | 180 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced over $34 million in additional annual funding from July 2026 for community mental health and addiction providers, along with a 3.16% funding uplift for most eligible NGOs. The government is increasing contract certainty by shifting around 83% of providers onto three-year contracts, replacing the previous predominance of one-year agreements to enable better workforce investment and service delivery. These measures aim to support frontline organizations that serve over 82,000 people annually, ensuring faster access to mental health services and a stronger crisis response across New Zealand.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister New Zealand community organisations mental health addiction services NGOs Health New Zealand funding uplift frontline workersNew Zealand Launches 10-Year Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for All
2 weeks ago | 215 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey launched New Zealand’s first Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, setting a 10-year plan with a detailed three-year Implementation Plan featuring 50 actions to improve mental health and addiction outcomes. Key focuses include launching AI Navigation for easier access to services, integrating mental health with housing and employment support, eliminating seclusion, and co-designing a youth mental health roadmap. The strategy was shaped by feedback from nearly 900 people and organizations, aiming to create a more effective mental health system.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister New Zealand Healthy Futures Act Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Mental Health Bill youth mental health addiction services AI Navigation public consultationAuckland Launches Third Mental Health Co-Response Team to Improve Crisis Support
3 weeks ago | 260 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey launched Auckland's third mental health co-response team to provide timely, appropriate support for people in mental distress, reducing reliance on criminal justice responses. These teams, comprising police and mental health workers, operate during peak demand times and have already shown positive outcomes, including fewer emergency department referrals and increased wraparound support. Funded by a $28 million Budget 2025 investment, the initiative aims to roll out 10 such teams nationwide to improve crisis response for 111 mental health calls.
Tags: Matt Doocey Auckland Police Station Mental Health Minister Counties Manukau Waitematā Middlemore Hospital Wellington New Zealand Government Budget 2025 Mental Health ActGovernment to Publicly Report Youth Mental Health Support Access Speeds Quarterly
1 month ago | 358 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced that the Government will begin publicly reporting the speed at which young people access mental health support in quarterly target results to increase transparency and accountability. Despite improvements, barriers such as lack of awareness and embarrassment persist, prompting initiatives like the Youth Mental Health Summit and increased funding for youth services. Current data shows that over 73% to 79% of young people are accessing various mental health services within target timeframes, with ongoing efforts to improve these outcomes.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister Youthline Mental Health Foundation New Zealand Gumboot Friday Youth Mental Health Summit young people mental health support governmentGovernment Invests $35M to Expand Forensic Mental Health Services and Beds by 2027
1 month ago | 312 viewsThe government is investing $35 million in Budget 2026 to expand forensic mental health services, including adding inpatient beds, step-down beds, and increasing prison in-reach and court liaison staff to improve access and support. This funding builds on the previous year’s $51 million investment, collectively adding 14 new forensic inpatient and step-down beds and boosting frontline workers to enhance rehabilitation and community reintegration. The expanded services aim to reduce delays, improve patient outcomes, and increase safety for staff and communities, with new facilities expected to open in early 2027.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister Mason Clinic Porirua forensic campus Health New Zealand Budget 2026 Budget 2025 forensic mental health court liaison staffGisborne Opens New Crisis Recovery Café for Mental Health Support
1 month ago | 410 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey officially opened Gisborne’s new Crisis Recovery Café, a safe, non-clinical space where people experiencing mental health and addiction challenges can receive peer support and connect with community services without a referral. The café, run by Te Kupenga Net Trust, operates weekdays and aims to provide an alternative to emergency departments, emphasizing the importance of wraparound support and peer workers who understand lived experiences. This initiative is part of a broader rollout of eight Crisis Recovery Cafés nationwide to improve mental health support through trusted community organizations.
Tags: Matt Doocey Te Kupenga Net Trust Gisborne Crisis Recovery Café Te Kāuta café Mental Health Minister Tairāwhiti peer support emergency departments addiction challengesNew Zealand Passes Landmark Mental Health Law Reform Ending Youth Seclusion
1 month ago | 349 viewsNew Zealand has passed landmark legislation to overhaul its mental health laws for the first time in over 30 years, modernizing compulsory care, strengthening rights, and ending seclusion for young people. The reforms introduce new protections to keep mothers and babies together during compulsory care, limit the use of seclusion for adults, enhance supported decision-making, increase family involvement, and restrict electroconvulsive therapy use. These changes, influenced by feedback from those with lived experience and recommendations from the Royal Commission, aim to improve safety, dignity, and recovery-focused care, and will take effect in two years.
Tags: Matt Doocey New Zealand Mental Health Minister Parliament Mental Health Laws Royal Commission of Inquiry Electroconvulsive Therapy Seclusion Mental Health Care Mental Health ReformNew Zealand Passes Landmark Mental Health Law Reform Ending Youth Seclusion
1 month ago | 443 viewsNew Zealand has passed landmark legislation to overhaul its mental health laws for the first time in over 30 years, modernizing compulsory care and strengthening patients' rights. Key reforms include ending seclusion for young people, introducing protections to keep mothers and babies together, enhancing supported decision-making, and tightening safeguards around electroconvulsive therapy. These changes, influenced by recommendations from the Royal Commission and input from those with lived experience, aim to improve safety, dignity, and recovery-focused care, with implementation set for two years from now.
Tags: Matt Doocey New Zealand mental health Parliament Mental Health Minister seclusion compulsory mental health care Royal Commission of Inquiry electroconvulsive therapy family involvementNew Zealand Expands Mental Health Co-Response Teams to Six More Regions
1 month ago | 459 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced six new locations for mental health co-response teams, expanding New Zealand's crisis response to prioritize mental health support over criminal justice intervention. Funded by Budget 2025, this expansion will triple the number of teams from five to fifteen, with a focus on serving both urban and rural communities based on data-driven need. The government aims to ensure faster, tailored mental health support nationwide, addressing previous funding cuts and building on positive outcomes from existing teams.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister New Zealand Budget 2025 rural communities crisis response emergency services Mental Health Act Wellington evaluationNew Zealand Improves Mental Health Access with Faster Support and More Workers
2 months ago | 449 viewsNew Zealand's mental health and addiction services are improving, with faster access to support and more frontline workers, as evidenced by meeting four out of five key targets and increased demand for primary care. The government has implemented significant workforce expansions, new training pathways, and enhanced crisis response initiatives, resulting in reduced vacancy rates and better timeliness of services. Independent confirmation from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission highlights ongoing progress, though challenges remain, particularly in emergency department wait times, as efforts continue to build a more effective mental health system.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister New Zealand Mental Health and Addiction Health New Zealand Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Clinical Psychology Psychiatry Crisis Recovery Cafés Peer Support WorkersGovernment Launches Rural Wellbeing Champions Programme to Support Young Farmers
2 months ago | 527 viewsThe Government is investing $98,000 in the Rural Wellbeing Champions Programme, embedded within the New Zealand Young Farmer of the Year Contest, to develop young rural leaders who can support mental health and wellbeing in their communities. This initiative, delivered in partnership with New Zealand Young Farmers and Farmstrong, aims to equip up to 150 participants with skills to navigate rural pressures and lead wellbeing conversations. The investment complements a broader mental health plan, enhancing support services and fostering resilient rural communities for the future.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mark Patterson New Zealand Young Farmers Rural Wellbeing Champions Programme Farmstrong Mental Health Rural Communities Young Farmers Government Investment Mental Health MinisterNew Tauranga Mental Health Co-Response Team Enhances Crisis Support
2 months ago | 566 viewsTauranga has launched a new mental health co-response team combining Police and mental health workers to better support people in crisis, replacing the traditional criminal justice response to 111 calls. This initiative, part of a $28 million Budget 2025 investment, aims to reduce distress caused by Police-only responses and improve outcomes by providing specialized mental health support. The program builds on successful models like Wellington’s, addressing high regional demand and correcting previous funding cuts under the former government.
Tags: Matt Doocey Tauranga Mental Health Minister New Zealand Police Mental Health Act Bay of Plenty Wellington Labour Government National PartySouth Island Needle Exchange Programme Launches to Reduce Substance Harm
3 months ago | 629 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey officially opened the South Island Needle Exchange Programme, New Zealand’s first harm reduction initiative aimed at preventing substance-related harm and reducing blood-borne infections like HIV and hepatitis C. The programme, delivered by the Te Waipounamu Collective, provides not only clean equipment but also health information, overdose prevention, and referral services to support people at all stages of addiction. This initiative complements broader government efforts, including increased investment in substance harm prevention, workforce expansion, and community-based support services, resulting in improved health outcomes and reduced addiction-related harms.
Tags: Matt Doocey South Island Needle Exchange Programme Te Waipounamu Collective Ngā Kete Mātauranga Pounamu Trust He Waka Tapu Poutini Waiora Te Piki Oranga Mental Health Minister HIV prevention