Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
The "first-ever" government Action Plan to Prevent and Reduce Substance Harm was launched on Wednesday morning, bringing together current initiatives and introducing new actions that will be resourced with an additional $3m.
Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey said the combined initiatives represent the almost $20 million of new investment per year into addiction services so people can receive support, "no matter what stage of addiction they are in".
The NZ Drug Foundation welcomed the plan, saying it has many interventions the sector has long called for.
The plan sets out key actions for the health system to strengthen the health response to the increasing substance-related harm being experienced by New Zealanders.
- Prevention and early intervention: Strengthening health promotion, harm reduction, drug checking, early warning systems and early support across frontline services
- Access to services: Improving access to timely, flexible and community-based support so people and families have a range of options where they can get help
- Growing the workforce: Building a skilled, supported and culturally safe addiction workforce, including peer support and lived experience roles
- System effectiveness: Strengthening leadership, contemporary models of care, and better data and performance monitoring.
Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm said the plan had a strong focus on early intervention and peer-based support, and she was "delighted" to see some of the cost-effective and commonsense solutions her organisation had long called for.
She said many of the actions came directly from the summit the Drug Foundation convened with the sector last year, and it was a credit to Doocey and the Ministry of Health that those ideas were taken seriously.
Helm highlighted some of the new actions, such as establishing a community-based peer follow-up service for people who've been discharged after a non-fatal overdose or other drug harm event. She also pointed to improved access to overdose reversal medication and overdose prevention training.
Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm. Photo: Supplied/ NZ Drug Foundation
Helm said the interventions will save lives and save the health system money.
Doocey also celebrated more women and families affected by addiction now being able to have improved access to support, with increased investment announced today focusing on preventing and reducing substance-related harm.
"We are expanding pregnancy and parenting support services for women and families experiencing alcohol or other drug issues. These services work with pregnant women and parents who are often poorly connected to health and social services.
"This builds on work underway on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder to prevent harm, improve diagnosis and support, and strengthen services for families. I want New Zealand to be a country that supports alcohol-free pregnancies."
He also signalled the introduction of screening and brief intervention practitioners in seven hospitals, to identify people using meth, alcohol or other drugs early and connect them with support.
"Early identification is also critical to preventing addiction harm. We know we can't wait until someone is in active addiction or asks for help."
Doocey said progress was already being seen, with the addiction workforce growing by more than 11 percent since the government came into office.
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