Mental Health Minister, Matt Doocey, has launched the Government’s new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, setting a clear 10-year direction to improve mental health and addiction outcomes for all New Zealanders.
The Strategy is backed by a detailed three-year Implementation Plan which contains 50 actions to deliver faster access to support, more frontline workers, and a better crisis response, said the Minister.
Some key areas of focus for the Plan include:
- Launch AI Navigation to enable people to easily access mental health and addiction services.
- Scale integrated services across mental health, housing and employment.
- Implement a national plan to eliminate seclusion.
- Co-design a dedicated youth mental health and addiction roadmap with young people.
“In opposition, I said it was a huge mistake for a mental health strategy not to be included in the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Act, so I introduced a Member’s Bill that was pulled from the biscuit tin in 2023 to fix the previous Government’s shortsighted actions,” Mr Doocey says.
“Ultimately, mental health deserves the same long-term direction and accountability as the rest of our health system.
“As New Zealand’s first Mental Health Minister, I am pleased to deliver the country’s first Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy under the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Act.
“Through public consultation we heard from almost 900 people and organisations across New Zealand. I want to thank each of these people for the role they played in shaping this release. Their voices will help deliver a mental health and addiction system that works better for New Zealanders.”
The Strategy and Implementation Plan can be found here.
