News article
The Ministry of Health’s Mental Health and Addiction directorate has today published a number of reports and data sets. Some of this material is regulatory reporting and we have also included our year in review document.
We are releasing this information proactively to share some highlights and challenges and to provide some general context around our wider work programme.
The Year in Review has been assembled to cover the financial year from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021. This period saw a significant amount of change as we continued work to transform the sector to ensure everyone can get the mental health and addiction support they need, where, when and how they need it. The Year in Review has been compiled to add a bit of context to this work.
COVID-19 related impacts feature prominently in some areas, with many services needing to pivot to join the wider health and psychosocial response. Having said that, these are dynamic times and I’m proud of our sector’s contribution to the wider efforts to contain and reduce harm from COVID-19.
Beyond COVID, it must be said there have been some genuine highlights in the last financial year and as we head toward the end of the our momentum continues to build. The phased roll out of our Access and Choice programme is now helping thousands of people every month, we launched Kia Manawanui Aotearoa –Long Term Pathway to Mental Wellbeing, and consultation to repeal and replace the Mental Health Act is well underway.
My hope is the work detailed in these reports will give you heart that change and progress are happening at pace, and that momentum will not be lost.
Ngā mihi nui
Philip Grady Acting Deputy Director-General, Mental Health and Addiction