Articles tagged with Matt Doocey
Showing 15 of 117 articles
New Youth Hubs in Hamilton, Nelson, and Hawke’s Bay Boost Mental Health Support
29 Jul 2026 | 1 month ago | 436 viewsThe New Zealand Government is investing $3 million to establish three Youth Hubs in Hamilton, Nelson, and Hawke's Bay to provide faster, easier access to mental health and addiction support for young people aged 16 to 25. These hubs will offer counseling, peer support, and specialist services in one location, designed with input from young people to better meet their needs and reduce system fragmentation. Additionally, a $1 million investment is enhancing youth acute respite services in Waikato and Hawke's Bay to provide timely support and prevent crises from escalating.
Tags: Mental Health Addiction Support Youth Hubs Matt Doocey Suicide Prevention Hamilton Nelson Hawke's Bay Waikato Youth Mental HealthAuckland Launches Third Mental Health Co-Response Team to Improve Crisis Support
28 Jul 2026 | 1 month ago | 380 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey launched Auckland's third mental health co-response team to provide timely, appropriate support for people in mental distress, reducing reliance on criminal justice responses. These teams, comprising police and mental health workers, operate during peak demand times and have already shown positive outcomes, including fewer emergency department referrals and increased wraparound support. Funded by a $28 million Budget 2025 investment, the initiative aims to roll out 10 such teams nationwide to improve crisis response for 111 mental health calls.
Tags: Matt Doocey Auckland Police Station Mental Health Minister Counties Manukau Waitematā Middlemore Hospital Wellington New Zealand Government Budget 2025 Mental Health ActFirst Psychology Assistant Students Train in New Zealand to Boost Mental Health Workforce
24 Jul 2026 | 1 month ago | 422 viewsPsychology Assistant students in New Zealand are training for a new role designed to expand the mental health workforce and improve access to support, with the first graduates entering the workforce next year. Funded by a $28.45 million investment in Budget 2026, these assistants will work under registered psychologists to provide low-intensity interventions and support, allowing psychologists to focus on more complex cases. This initiative complements efforts to nearly double clinical psychology internships by 2026, aiming to better meet the growing demand for mental health services across the country.
Tags: Psychology Assistant Mental Health Matt Doocey University of Canterbury Auckland University of Technology New Zealand Psychologists Board Budget 2026 Clinical Psychology Mental Health Workforce Health New ZealandGovernment to Publicly Report Youth Mental Health Support Access Speeds Quarterly
22 Jul 2026 | 1 month ago | 508 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced that the Government will begin publicly reporting the speed at which young people access mental health support in quarterly target results to increase transparency and accountability. Despite improvements, barriers such as lack of awareness and embarrassment persist, prompting initiatives like the Youth Mental Health Summit and increased funding for youth services. Current data shows that over 73% to 79% of young people are accessing various mental health services within target timeframes, with ongoing efforts to improve these outcomes.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister Youthline Mental Health Foundation New Zealand Gumboot Friday Youth Mental Health Summit young people mental health support governmentNew Canterbury Mental Health Co-Response Team Shows Positive Early Results
16 Jul 2026 | 1 month ago | 463 viewsA new mental health co-response team in Canterbury, combining mental health professionals and Police, has supported 35 people since May, showing positive early outcomes. This initiative addresses previous shortcomings where mental health distress calls received a criminal justice response, aiming to provide more appropriate and compassionate care. The model, proven effective in Wellington, reduces emergency department visits and police interventions, improving crisis support for those in mental distress.
Tags: Canterbury mental health Matt Doocey Police New Zealand crisis response Specialist Mental Health Services Mental Health Act WellingtonGovernment Invests $35M to Expand Forensic Mental Health Services and Beds by 2027
14 Jul 2026 | 1 month ago | 438 viewsThe government is investing $35 million in Budget 2026 to expand forensic mental health services, including adding inpatient beds, step-down beds, and increasing prison in-reach and court liaison staff to improve access and support. This funding builds on the previous year’s $51 million investment, collectively adding 14 new forensic inpatient and step-down beds and boosting frontline workers to enhance rehabilitation and community reintegration. The expanded services aim to reduce delays, improve patient outcomes, and increase safety for staff and communities, with new facilities expected to open in early 2027.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister Mason Clinic Porirua forensic campus Health New Zealand Budget 2026 Budget 2025 forensic mental health court liaison staffGovernment Invests $10M to Boost NZ Mental Health Telehealth Services
12 Jul 2026 | 1 month ago | 494 viewsThe New Zealand Government is investing over $10 million to strengthen mental health and addiction telehealth services, including funding for Lifeline, Youthline, and Whakarongorau to increase capacity and reduce wait times. This package will support approximately 16,000 additional calls and introduce an AI-enabled triage and referral tool to improve service efficiency and connect people to appropriate support. The funding provides Lifeline with operational certainty for 2026/2027 and expands Youthline’s capacity by 44 percent, addressing growing demand across the sector.
Tags: Lifeline Youthline Whakarongorau Matt Doocey New Zealand mental health addiction telehealth AI triage tool Government fundingNew Zealand Invests $9M in FASD Community Hubs for Early Diagnosis and Support
09 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 494 viewsNew Zealand is investing $9 million to establish its first community-based hubs for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) assessment, diagnosis, and support in Rotorua/Kawerau, Hawke’s Bay, and Gisborne, addressing significant local needs. These hubs aim to provide earlier intervention, comprehensive services, and family support to improve lifelong health, learning, and development outcomes for affected children and young people. This initiative builds on a previous $4.6 million government funding boost to prevent FASD and enhance support, tackling longstanding barriers to timely diagnosis and care.
Tags: Matt Doocey New Zealand FASD Rotorua Kawerau Hawke’s Bay Gisborne Associate Health Minister GovernmentGisborne Opens New Crisis Recovery Café for Mental Health Support
08 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 533 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey officially opened Gisborne’s new Crisis Recovery Café, a safe, non-clinical space where people experiencing mental health and addiction challenges can receive peer support and connect with community services without a referral. The café, run by Te Kupenga Net Trust, operates weekdays and aims to provide an alternative to emergency departments, emphasizing the importance of wraparound support and peer workers who understand lived experiences. This initiative is part of a broader rollout of eight Crisis Recovery Cafés nationwide to improve mental health support through trusted community organizations.
Tags: Matt Doocey Te Kupenga Net Trust Gisborne Crisis Recovery Café Te Kāuta café Mental Health Minister Tairāwhiti peer support emergency departments addiction challengesNew Zealand Passes Landmark Mental Health Law Reform Ending Youth Seclusion
04 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 448 viewsNew Zealand has passed landmark legislation to overhaul its mental health laws for the first time in over 30 years, modernizing compulsory care, strengthening rights, and ending seclusion for young people. The reforms introduce new protections to keep mothers and babies together during compulsory care, limit the use of seclusion for adults, enhance supported decision-making, increase family involvement, and restrict electroconvulsive therapy use. These changes, influenced by feedback from those with lived experience and recommendations from the Royal Commission, aim to improve safety, dignity, and recovery-focused care, and will take effect in two years.
Tags: Matt Doocey New Zealand Mental Health Minister Parliament Mental Health Laws Royal Commission of Inquiry Electroconvulsive Therapy Seclusion Mental Health Care Mental Health ReformNew Zealand Passes Landmark Mental Health Law Reform Ending Youth Seclusion
04 Jul 2026 | 2 months ago | 536 viewsNew Zealand has passed landmark legislation to overhaul its mental health laws for the first time in over 30 years, modernizing compulsory care and strengthening patients' rights. Key reforms include ending seclusion for young people, introducing protections to keep mothers and babies together, enhancing supported decision-making, and tightening safeguards around electroconvulsive therapy. These changes, influenced by recommendations from the Royal Commission and input from those with lived experience, aim to improve safety, dignity, and recovery-focused care, with implementation set for two years from now.
Tags: Matt Doocey New Zealand mental health Parliament Mental Health Minister seclusion compulsory mental health care Royal Commission of Inquiry electroconvulsive therapy family involvementNew Website Whetūrangitia Eases Stillbirth Registration and Support for Parents
30 Jun 2026 | 2 months ago | 415 viewsGrieving parents in New Zealand can now register their stillborn babies through Whetūrangitia, a dedicated website designed to provide a more compassionate and supportive experience compared to the previous SmartStart system. The new platform, informed by those who have experienced loss, offers tailored information, birth certificate ordering, and access to mental health support, with Budget 2026 allocating $5 million to enhance these services. This initiative aims to reduce distress and provide coordinated care for the approximately 700 to 900 families affected by perinatal loss annually, as well as those impacted by miscarriage.
Tags: Whetūrangitia Matt Doocey stillbirth grieving parents SmartStart bereavement pathway mental health support Budget 2026 perinatal loss miscarriageNew Zealand Expands Mental Health Co-Response Teams to Six More Regions
29 Jun 2026 | 2 months ago | 540 viewsMental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced six new locations for mental health co-response teams, expanding New Zealand's crisis response to prioritize mental health support over criminal justice intervention. Funded by Budget 2025, this expansion will triple the number of teams from five to fifteen, with a focus on serving both urban and rural communities based on data-driven need. The government aims to ensure faster, tailored mental health support nationwide, addressing previous funding cuts and building on positive outcomes from existing teams.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister New Zealand Budget 2025 rural communities crisis response emergency services Mental Health Act Wellington evaluationTaranaki Base Hospital New East Wing Opens, Boosting Patient Care and Capacity
24 Jun 2026 | 2 months ago | 548 viewsThe New East Wing of Taranaki Base Hospital has officially opened, marking a major milestone in the $462.6 million redevelopment to modernize healthcare services in the region. This new facility significantly expands capacity by 57%, integrating emergency, intensive care, maternity, diagnostics, and an Acute Assessment Unit to improve patient flow and treatment speed. The redevelopment also includes enhanced infrastructure like a rooftop helipad and an Integrated Operations Centre, ensuring better coordination and future-proofing healthcare delivery for Taranaki residents.
Tags: Simeon Brown Matt Doocey Taranaki Base Hospital New East Wing healthcare redevelopment emergency department maternity services neonatal unit Acute Assessment Unit hospital expansionNew Zealand Improves Mental Health Access with Faster Support and More Workers
23 Jun 2026 | 2 months ago | 554 viewsNew Zealand's mental health and addiction services are improving, with faster access to support and more frontline workers, as evidenced by meeting four out of five key targets and increased demand for primary care. The government has implemented significant workforce expansions, new training pathways, and enhanced crisis response initiatives, resulting in reduced vacancy rates and better timeliness of services. Independent confirmation from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission highlights ongoing progress, though challenges remain, particularly in emergency department wait times, as efforts continue to build a more effective mental health system.
Tags: Matt Doocey Mental Health Minister New Zealand Mental Health and Addiction Health New Zealand Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Clinical Psychology Psychiatry Crisis Recovery Cafés Peer Support Workers