
Matt Doocey said he had received the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission’s five-year report, which showed the Access and Choice programme reached over 207,000 New Zealanders in 2023-24 — below the target of 325,000 people.
"The programme has helped fill a gap in the mental health and addiction space and increased early access and options available for people in need of mental health support," Mr Doocey told the Otago Daily Times.
"I acknowledge there is more work to do to reach the goal of 325,000 people a year accessing the service.
"One of the ways I believe we can do this is ensuring people know what services are available to them, which I see digital tools playing a greater role in."
A digital mental health hub aimed at improving access to mental health services nationwide would be rolled out in the coming months, Mr Doocey said.
The proposed hub would provide a “centralised, highly accessible platform connecting digital tools, virtual care and support services to better meet the needs of all New Zealanders".
Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission chief executive Karen Orsborn said the Access and Choice programme intended to address mild to moderate mental health needs, which had previously been a "gap" in the system.
"This was intended to be that easy access.
"It is about brief intervention services, so it has that mix of health practitioners who are registered health professionals and health coaches.
"The health coaches tend to help people with a wider wellbeing need.
"It is about giving people tools and supports to address the issues that they're presenting with."
Ms Orsborn welcomed Mr Doocey’s interest in increasing digital accessibility for mental health needs.
"Digital offerings would allow more coverage to a wide range of people and extend the programme to GP clinics that do not have the programme embedded into what services offer.
"This is particularly relevant for reaching remote, rural areas.
"Virtual services have been shown to work best when supported by a practitioner with whom people have an existing relationship.
"These can add to what is offered rather than replacing in-person services."
While it did not reach some of its targets, Ms Orsborn felt the Access and Choice programme nonetheless had many successes.
"We are seeing 42,000 young people accessing all of these services.
"That's a really good news story, but there's much more to be done to look at the interface or the relationship and pathways between youth services and specialist mental health and addiction services for young people."
The programmes also appeared to be picking up more Maori and Pasifika health consumers than ever before, she said.