Christchurch to Launch New Mental Health Response Teams

New Zealand is set to enhance its mental health crisis response with the introduction of four new co-response teams that will operate alongside police in Christchurch and other regions. The announcement was made by Matt Doocey, the Minister for Mental Health, on Thursday, as part of a broader initiative to improve support for individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Improving Crisis Response

According to Doocey, the current system often leads to a criminal justice response when individuals in distress contact emergency services. “It’s not right that when a concerned mum, dad, friend, or colleague calls 111 looking for a mental health response, they receive a criminal justice response,” he stated. “This Government is changing that by rolling out a better crisis response.”

Since November 2024, police have been implementing a “mental health response change programme,” which includes comprehensive risk assessments prior to police involvement in mental health transport requests. The initiative aims to reduce police presence in mental health facilities and establish higher thresholds for police response to assistance requests from health staff.

As part of Budget 2025, the New Zealand Government allocated $28 million to develop a total of 10 mental health co-response teams across the country. The initial four teams will be operational in Canterbury, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, and Counties Manukau by the end of June.

Collaborative Support for Mental Health

The co-response teams will consist of mental health professionals working in tandem with frontline police officers to address mental health-related calls. This approach is designed to provide immediate support to individuals in crisis and ensure they have streamlined access to appropriate services.

“I have heard from advocates, those with lived experience and families that having a uniformed police officer turn up during times of mental health need can be disheartening and distressing,” Doocey remarked. “Most of the time, these people have not done anything criminally wrong.”

Doocey highlighted the importance of this initiative, noting that approximately 73,000 mental health-related calls are made to 111 each year. By expanding co-response teams, he believes that mental health outcomes can be significantly improved for many individuals in distress.

Previously, an $8 million pilot project for co-response teams was initiated by a previous National Government in 2017 but was later discontinued. Doocey emphasized that the current government views these teams as pivotal in enhancing mental health crisis responses.

In addition to the co-response teams, the police change programme has introduced a 60-minute handover period from police to emergency department staff for individuals arriving in distress. If someone is held under the Mental Health Act in a police custody suite, they must be transferred to a health facility within 30 minutes.

As the government plans to announce six further locations for co-response teams, it is clear that this initiative aims to deliver faster access to mental health support, increase the number of frontline workers, and enhance overall crisis response capabilities in New Zealand.