Pilot Program Expands Peer Support for Mental Health and Addiction in Emergency DepartmentsPilot Program Expands Peer Support for Mental Health and Addiction in Emergency Departments Five New Zealand hospitals have been chosen to participate in a pilot program that will provide peer support services for individuals seeking mental health and addiction treatment in emergency departments. This initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to enhance access to essential mental health and addiction support. Minister of Mental Health Matt Doocey emphasized the vital role that peer support specialists play in offering assistance to patients in need. These individuals can provide emotional support, connect patients with community resources, and assist those who arrive at the hospital alone or with companions and police officers. The success of the Peer Support Specialists program at Nelson Hospital serves as a testament to the program’s effectiveness. Minister Doocey noted that the government aims to extend this model throughout New Zealand to provide wider access to these valuable services. The five emergency departments selected for the pilot program include Auckland City Hospital, Middlemore Hospital, Waikato Hospital, Wellington Regional Hospital, and Christchurch Hospital. Minister Doocey highlighted the importance of listening to the perspectives of those working in the field and acknowledging that solutions to mental health issues may already exist within the sector. The government’s focus is on providing support to foster these ideas. This initiative complements other government efforts to improve mental health and addiction support, including the $10 million Mental Health Innovation Fund and $24 million in funding for Gumboot Friday, which aims to provide free services to young people. By expanding peer support services in emergency departments, the government is taking a significant step towards enhancing access to timely and effective mental health and addiction treatment for New Zealanders.
Five hospitals have been selected to trial a new peer support service for mental health and addictions treatment in their emergency departments. It is part of the government’s commitment to improving access to mental health and addictions treatment support for New Zealanders, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said.
“Peer Support Specialists in EDs will help provide mental health support to patients who need it. They will also be able to connect patients with community services and provide support to those who arrive at hospital on their own, with family or with the police,” Minister Doocey explained.
Minister Doocey highlighted the success of the Peer Support Specialists at Nelson Hospital, which is a model of effective support for people with mental health issues. “This is a program that works and something our government wants to see implemented across New Zealand so that more people can benefit from the services they provide,” he said.
The five emergency departments selected to trial this new mental health and addiction peer support service are Auckland City Hospital, Middlemore Hospital, Waikato Hospital, Wellington Regional Hospital and Christchurch Hospital.
“When I talk to people across New Zealand and listen to those on the ground, I am convinced that the ideas to solve the problems in mental health already exist within the sector, they just need to be given the opportunity to be supported,” Minister Doocey said.
This initiative supports the government’s priorities to improve access to mental health and addiction support, grow the mental health and addiction workforce, emphasize prevention and early intervention, and improve the effectiveness of mental health and addiction support.
“This pilot builds on the recently announced $10 million Mental Health Innovation Fund, which aims to scale up new and innovative mental health services, and the $24 million over four years of funding for Gumboot Friday, which will provide free mental health services to an additional 15,000 young people aged 5 to 25,” Minister Doocey said.
