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Mental health and addiction

Mental health and addiction

We’re working to transform New Zealand’s mental health and addiction system.

Mental Health & Addiction nursing recruitment

The Ministry of Health, in partnership with VMLY&R, has developed a campaign to improve mental health, addiction and wellbeing outcomes by increasing the capacity of the nursing workforce.

The campaign ‘Are You Ready’ aims to:

encourage nursing graduates to choose mental health and addiction as a preferred practice area and as a professional career;
attract former nurses back into the profession; and
increase the number of Māori and Pacific peoples working in this area.

The campaign will run for 2 years and is part of a comprehensive mental health and addiction workforce development programme funded through the 2019 Wellbeing Budget.

Find out more: Nursing recruitment

He Ara Oranga response

The Ministry of Health welcomes the Government’s formal response to He Ara Oranga, the report of the independent Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction.
- Budget 2019 initiatives
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission
- Mental Wellbeing Long-Term Pathway
- Submission to the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction

Primary and community wellbeing

The Ministry of Health is working to expand New Zealanders’ access to and choice of primary mental health and addiction support.
- Commissioning Framework
- Designing and investing in a Kaupapa Māori services
- Expanding mental health support
- Integrated Primary Mental Health and Addiction service

Suicide prevention

Suicide is a serious concern for New Zealand communities. This section covers the suicide prevention work of the Ministry.
- Understanding suicide
- Understanding suicide data

Addiction

Information on the Ministry’s work on addictions, including alcohol and other drugs, and gambling.
- Alcohol and other drug policy
- Gambling

Mental health legislation

Find out about the legislation relating to mental health and addictions.

Monitoring, reporting and data

This section contains data and information about the performance of mental health and addiction services, including how many people are accessing services. This is an an important part of ensuring we are on track with service delivery and meeting the needs that exist.