Doocey announced $61.6 million over four years will go towards additional crisis assessment teams and other services. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
The Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey has announced details of a funding boost to go towards more crisis response workers and services.
Doocey announced $61.6 million over four years will go towards additional crisis assessment teams, more peer support in emergency departments, more Crisis Recovery Cafés, and acute alternatives.
It would bring the total number of recovery cafés across the country from six to eight.
Doocey said the cafés offered a peer-led, non-clinical space where people in distress could get support, and the rollout of two new cafés would cost $2 million a year.
Alongside this, $7.1 million a year would pay for 40 additional frontline clinical staff for crisis assessment and treatment teams, which Doocey said would mean more New Zealanders getting faster access to clinical support.
He said the government would look at the areas of highest need, and had been assured by officials the roles would be employed by the start of next year.
Doocey was confident the workforce was available.
"What I'm looking at from the officials is to look at vacancy rates in our crisis assessment teams, but also the length of time people are waiting to ensure that we go into the areas with the most need."
Two new 'peer-led acute alternative services' consisting of ten beds each were designed to reduce inpatient admissions, and were funded at $4.8 million a year.
"People in crisis shouldn't be waiting too long for an inpatient bed. Peer-led acute alternative services provide more choice for people experiencing mental health issues, and get people seen quicker," Doocey said.
The Minister said the government had received "great feedback" about the peer support workers in emergency departments, and rolling out more would result in a better crisis response. Three more EDs will receive the workers, on top of the eight already launched, which will cost $1.5 million a year.
"When someone takes the brave step to reach out, whether it's you, your child, a friend, or a family member, we're committed to ensuring the right support is always there to answer that call. This package goes a long way in making sure that's possible," he said.
Labour's mental health spokesperson Ingrid Leary welcomed the funding, but questioned the timing.
"This has come too little, too late. It comes after a damning report that shows the lack of co-ordination with crisis response."
Leary pointed to the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission's report that found crisis response services were fragmented, inconsistent across the country, and difficult to navigate.
"The missing piece here is the co-ordination and strategy. There's no good throwing money at a problem if the co-ordination isn't happening, and we're seeing that in the crisis response space," Leary said.
The funding announcement comes after Doocey said it was up to Health New Zealand to decide whether a depression centre in Wellington should get funding.
Whakamātūtū, the Depression Recovery Centre, opened in central Wellington in 2024, but has warned it may be closing by Christmas.
Asked why the government could create an exemption to fund Gumboot Friday, but not Whakamātūtū, Doocey said it was because funding Gumboot Friday was part of the coalition agreement with New Zealand First.
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