NZ Overhauls 111 Mental Distress Responses, Allocates $87M for Mental Health Care

In a significant policy shift aimed at transforming the way emergency services respond to mental distress, the New Zealand Government has announced a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s 111 response system. Budget 2025 earmarks a total of $87 million over four years to drive this transformation, focusing on a more compassionate and clinically appropriate approach to mental health emergencies and facility standards.

A Mental Health-Led Response to Crisis Calls

At the heart of this reform is a $28 million investment over four years to transition 111 mental distress call responses from Police-led to a dedicated mental health-led model. The initiative, championed by New Zealand’s first-ever Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey, seeks to replace the current default response by uniformed Police with multi-disciplinary co-response teams and enhanced telehealth services.

“This is a long overdue change,” Minister Doocey stated. “Our current system is not fit-for-purpose. Turning up to a mental health crisis with Police—who are not trained clinical professionals—can escalate distress. We need a system that supports recovery, not one that increases trauma.”

Under the new model:

• 10 new co-response teams will be established across the country.

• Capacity for mental health telehealth services will be significantly expanded.

• Police will still be dispatched when there is a direct threat to life or public safety.

Doocey pointed to evidence from trial programs showing co-response teams significantly reduced the number of people taken to police stations or emergency departments, leading to more compassionate and immediate care.

Major Boost for Mental Health Facilities: $50 Million Commitment

In addition to crisis response changes, $50 million will be allocated to improve safety, privacy, and dignity for people experiencing mental distress in mental health facilities. This includes funding for:

• Security enhancements at up to 12 smaller emergency departments.

• Upgrades and refurbishments of existing mental health units.

• In-depth facility assessments to align with modern mental health standards.

• Measures to reduce incidents and deaths in state care.

This portion of the investment is part of the Government’s response to findings from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, which highlighted the need for safer conditions in mental health institutions.

“Keeping vulnerable people safe is a bottom line for this Government,” Doocey said. “We are committed to lifting standards in mental health care to prevent more heartbreaking outcomes.”

Workforce Development and Training Support

To strengthen the mental health workforce, Budget 2025 includes funding to:

• Support psychology internships.

• Expand stage one psychiatry registrar positions.

• Invest in peer training to bolster lived-experience support roles in mental health services.

These initiatives are intended to ensure the sustainability of the reforms and improve the quality of care available to individuals experiencing mental illness or addiction.

Stronger Protections for Compulsory Care Recipients

Recognizing the vulnerability of people under compulsory care orders, the Government has also committed $9 million toward:

• Strengthening oversight and safeguards for people under compulsory assessment and treatment.

• Enhancing complaints mechanisms and investigation processes.

• Improving transparency and human rights protections for people with high and complex mental health, addiction, or intellectual disability needs.

“These measures are vital to ensure dignity and justice for people who are often voiceless in the system,” Doocey explained. “Too many families have suffered due to inadequate oversight. We must do better, and we will.”

A Cultural and Systemic Shift

The package represents a paradigm shift in New Zealand’s mental health system, moving from reactive, enforcement-based interventions to proactive, health-led, person-centred care. It also represents one of the most significant public mental health investments in recent years, aimed not only at better emergency responses but also at fostering a mental health system built on safety, dignity, and long-term support.

Looking Forward

As Minister Doocey emphasized, this is just the beginning: “We’re creating a system that doesn’t retraumatize people when they need help the most. We are investing in people, places, and processes that promote healing over harm. That’s the future of mental health care in New Zealand.”