Strategy to improve mental health outcomes on the way

Last week we welcomed the passing by Parliament of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (Improving Mental Health Outcomes) Amendment Bill. This amendment requires that the Minister for Mental Health produce a mental health and wellbeing strategy for Aotearoa New Zealand within 12 months. The Bill was passed into law with unanimous support from MPs.

When the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill was introduced in October 2021, we advocated for the inclusion of a mental health and addiction strategy under the legislation. While six other strategies were specified, mental health and addiction was not included. It is good that this omission has now been rectified.

We look forward to working with Minister Doocey and officials on the strategy, to focus effort toward improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes for people with experience of mental distress and addiction.

There were some provisions we drew attention to in our submission. We said it is important that Te Hiringa Mahara acts independently, providing free and frank advice. This is protected in the new law.

We have consistently highlighted workforce challenges over the last three years so it good to note the workforce is included as a specific element of the new strategy. A concerted and well-planned effort is required to support and grow our mental health and addiction workforces.

As enabled by the Bill, Te Hiringa Mahara will be providing independent advice to the Minister for Mental Health on the new mental health and wellbeing strategy . We will let the Minister know what we hope to see in the new strategy, and provide advice on how we expect to see people with lived experience of mental distress and addiction, the broad mental health workforce, and voices of communities sought out, heard, and represented in the strategy. We see an opportunity to bring together cross-government action on mental health through this strategy, something that we will be calling for and contribute to.

We acknowledge the efforts by Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey to introduce the Bill in August 2023, and more recently MP Katie Nimon’s work ushering the legislation through the parliamentary processes.

Visit the Health Select Committee page: Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (Improving Mental Health Outcomes) Amendment Bill

See our views on the draft legislation we submitted in April 2024: Speaking up about the Pae Ora amendment bill