Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey says rural communities are best placed to tackle the mental health challenges many people face – and he wants to empower them to do so.
Doocey told the Farmers Weekly In Focus podcast that the previous government’s centralisation strategy had removed local decision making and he wants to give it back.
“We want to restore that local decision making. We want to bring back that regionalisation of healthcare, specifically in mental health.
“I’ve been very clear that I’d like to return regional ringfence mental health funding, because then there’s a level of accountability to the local area.”
The government has announced more funding for mental health services and key targets it wants to see achieved. They include:
• Faster access to specialist mental health and addiction services: a target of 80% of people accessing specialist mental health and addiction services being seen within three weeks.
• Faster access to primary mental health and addiction services: a target of 80% of people accessing primary mental health and addiction services through the Access and Choice programme being seen within one week.
• Shorter mental health and addiction-related stays in emergency departments: a target of 95% of mental health and addiction-related emergency department presentations being admitted, discharged, or transferred from an emergency department within six hours.
• Increased mental health and addiction workforce development: a target of training 500 mental health and addiction professionals each year.
• Strengthened focus on prevention and early intervention: a target of 25% of mental health and addiction investment being allocated towards prevention and early intervention.
Doocey said early intervention is the key to better mental health outcomes.
“That’s actually one of the biggest barriers to timely support in New Zealand at the moment – strengthening prevention and early intervention – because we know that if we can do a lot more earlier, we can prevent people getting into crisis and needing more specialist and expensive treatment and improving the effectiveness of services.”
Doocey is talking with regional providers about how they can ensure the targets are met.
“I led a round table in Palmerston North last night with local community groups. From what I hear from the NGO and community sector, they’re primed, they’re ready to go, and the prime minister’s been very clear. He wants to get money out of Wellington to grassroots organisations.”
Strengthening the wider health workforce in the regions is also a big part of the solution.
“When you look at Dr Shane Reti’s announcement for a third medical school, that’s a good example of that. We’ll have a focus on GPs to ensure we are providing a health professional workforce in our rural and regional communities in New Zealand as well as the metropolitan areas. That’s why we [advocate] bringing back a regional lens within Health New Zealand, to understand the needs of their community and respond with the appropriate workforce. And I think what is also potentially a real opportunity is enabling the local NGO and community sector as well.”
Suffering from depression or stress, or know someone who is? Where to get help:
Rural Support Trust: 0800 RURAL HELP
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757
Lifeline: 0800 543 354
Need To Talk? Call or text 1737
Samaritans: 0800 726 666
Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234
