Change is underway to bring mental health and wellbeing care closer to home, and make it easier to access, Te Whatu Ora says. 

A new mental health crisis support service, which is expected to be operational in Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago by December, will provide more local options to support people in mental distress including those who may otherwise have needed to be admitted to acute inpatient mental health services. 

Te Whatu Ora mental health, addictions and intellectual disability executive director Toni Gutschlag said the new service is designed to provide better crisis support and more options for individuals experiencing mental distress.

“Our goal is to enable local people to access services within their community and keep them with their support networks as much as possible, so this is a big step towards transforming mental health and addiction services in a part of our region that has historically been underserved,” Toni said. 

The new service will be available via a referral from local general practices or Te Whatu Ora Southern’s Specialist Mental Health and Addiction (MHA) team. PHOTO: Wānaka App

The localised model of care meets areas of need identified through the 2021 Time for Change – Te Hurihanga review, which found after interviews with more than 500 people in the district and survey responses from 800 more, that significant system and service change in mental health services was required.

The new outreach service (which will sit alongside the current 24/7 regional crisis response service) will include home-based support for people experiencing acute distress, as well as education and support for whānau and carers, and the workforce will include registered health professionals, social workers, and support workers.  

Value will also be placed on peer support from the perspective of lived experience and recovery, so peer support staff will be an essential part of the team, Toni said. 

QLDC mayor Glyn Lewers said the “much-needed localised service” was wonderful news. PHOTO: Supplied

Anyone requiring acute mental health care will be able to access the service via a referral from Te Whatu Ora Southern’s Specialist Mental Health and Addiction (MHA) team or general practices and the service will be delivered by social services NGO Central Lakes Family Services, which has branches in Wānaka, Queenstown and Alexandra.

“As a well-established and respected regional organisation, they already work closely with mental health services and key agencies so their skills, knowledge and experience will add huge value,” Toni said. “Together they will ensure each person under their care is assessed and treated with discretion and dignity, and that they feel safe and supported throughout their journey.”

The model is designed to scale accordingly and there will be regular reviews to understand community need and utilisation, Toni said. 

A second stage to the crisis support service - providing short-term residential care – is still a work-in-progress and more details will be released once a suitable location is secured, Toni said.

The local outreach model was developed by clinicians, iwi, primary health providers, community agencies, NGOs, tangata whaiora (people seeking wellbeing), whānau and government agencies who worked together to design the services.

It is part of a larger programme of mental health reforms underway designed to transform New Zealand’s mental health and addictions system over the next decade.

Both mayors within Central Lakes said they were in full support of the new service, with Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) mayor Glyn Lewers saying it was “wonderful news to have this much needed localised service” and Central Otago District Council (CODC) mayor Tim Cadogan saying “it will provide invaluable support for our communities”.