Applications for money from the government’s new mental health fund will open this month, according to Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey.
Minister Doocey and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced the initiative during their visit to Middlemore Hospital in Auckland, revealing a set of five ambitious targets for the mental health sector.
Prime Minister Luxon acknowledged the significant challenges Kiwis face in accessing mental health services, noting that despite progress over the past 20 years, many people still endure long waits to see a counsellor.
“Supporting New Zealanders with their mental health is a priority for this government,” Luxon stated. He emphasized the necessity of the new $10 million fund for mental healthcare innovation to address these ongoing issues.
Key Targets for Mental Health
Minister Doocey outlined several key targets aimed at improving mental health services:
Timely Access: The target is for 80 percent of people to be seen within three weeks.
Emergency Department Efficiency: A shorter stay in emergency departments for those with mental health issues, with an aim for patients to be admitted, discharged, or transferred within six hours.
Increased Training: The number of mental health and addiction staff trained each year will rise from 480 to 500.
“These targets will help lift the focus on mental health,” Doocey said.
Prime Minister Luxon added, “Let’s give it a go because we’ve got to do something different from what we’ve been doing.”
Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund
The $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund, part of the health spending announced in Budget 2024, will support new and innovative initiatives focused on increasing access to mental health support.
Minister Doocey highlighted that the fund will support initiatives that:
Increase access to mental health and addiction support.
Protect public specialist mental health and addiction services by reducing demand.
Develop capacity in the mental health and addiction workforce.
Return positive social returns on investment, backed by evidence.
Achieve positive outcomes for target population groups with historically poorer mental health outcomes.
Operate on a dollar-for-dollar matched funding basis.
The fund will be open to all NGOs and community mental health and addiction providers, including iwi-based and other Kaupapa Māori providers. Minister Doocey expects the first contracts to be in place before the end of the year.
Labour’s Response
Labour mental health spokesperson Ingrid Leary welcomed the announcement but criticized the lack of detail on how the targets will be achieved. She raised concerns about workforce resources, particularly given Health New Zealand’s hiring freeze and the shortage of funding and workforce numbers among local GPs.
“Promising 500 new mental health workers a year but failing to fund the 50 additional places for doctors to train at university as promised throughout the campaign period shows National doesn’t keep their word when it comes to health,” Leary said.
The government has already committed $24 million over four years to Gumboot Friday, providing free mental health counselling services to young people aged between five and 25.
Recent Reports Highlight Challenges
Today’s announcement follows a report from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission revealing a dramatic drop in New Zealanders’ access to specialist mental health and addiction services over the past five years. The “Kua Tīmata Te Haerenga” five-year monitoring report highlighted that thousands fewer people were able to access specialist help, underscoring the urgent need for these new initiatives and targets.
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