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The government is expanding peer support through the 1737 mental health support phone line and plans to establish a dedicated 24-hour national suicide prevention crisis line function following an independent review of mental health and addiction telehealth services.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says the government has accepted all the review’s recommendations and is acting immediately on its findings.
“The review provides reassurance that core safety systems are in place, including triage, risk assessment, escalation processes, and clinical governance.
“But it also makes clear there is more work to do. Too many people are not getting through quickly enough, and we do not always have enough visibility of what happens after someone is referred or escalated to another service.”
Peer support through 1737 will be expanded from 2pm-10pm to 9am-midnight, seven days a week.
Five additional full-time equivalent peer support workers will be employed, with the expanded service expected to provide an additional 15,000-20,000 contacts a year.
Health New Zealand will commission Whakarongorau to pilot proactive follow-up calls for up to 1000 people experiencing acute distress after an initial telehealth interaction.
The pilot will test whether an additional point of contact can improve continuity of care and support.
The review found there’s no clearly designated 24-hour national suicide prevention crisis line function within the commissioned telehealth system.
Health New Zealand will provide that function through the upcoming procurement of national mental health and addiction telehealth services.
Doocey has asked officials for advice on introducing a mental health and addiction telehealth target aimed at improving wait times.
“When someone reaches out for help, they should be able to access the support they need without waiting too long,” he says.
The initiatives follow the recent announcement of more than $10 million in telehealth investment, which is expected to provide about 20,000 additional mental health and addiction contacts.
Lifeline, Youthline and Whakarongorau have received funding as part of that investment.
Doocey says the review is consistent with concerns raised by telehealth providers about higher call volumes, more complex needs and people being unable to connect when demand is high.
“Telehealth services are often the first place people turn when they need support,” he says.
“When someone reaches out, they deserve to know they will be heard, supported and connected to the right help.”
