Auditor-General report echoes concerns raised in years gone by

Echoing the same concerns raised for decades, the NZ Association of Counsellors hopes the Auditor-General’s youth mental health report is the last of its kind for “unmet need” for youth mental health.

President Sarah Maindonald welcomes the Auditor-General’s assessment of how well government agencies understand the mental health needs, and how well they are meeting those needs, of young people.

It is a critical piece of work that she hopes the new Government will pick up and run with, especially with the country’s first Mental Health Minister appointed, and accepts all nine of the Auditor-General’s nine recommendations.

Despite a $1.9 billion investment in mental health support for young people with mild to moderate mental health needs, the Auditor-General found people in need of specialist mental health support are waiting longer to access specialist care.

“While there is no single solution to the multi-faceted problem that is mental wellbeing and psychological distress, addressing the fragmented, inequitable and inconsistent resourcing will help support services to respond to a wider range of health, cultural and social needs,” Maindonald says.

“Removing barriers to, and providing more funding for, counselling is a primary solution to bolstering the country’s mental health challenges in earlier intervention and the mild to moderate field.

“Amending the ratio of school guidance counsellors to students to 1:400 in every secondary school would also drastically increase the supportive network needed to develop youth’s resilience.”

NZAC highlighted the need to develop a whole-of-government approach to addressing youth mental health in its Briefing to the Incoming Mental Health Minister.

Additionally, NZAC raised their hopes for a multidisciplinary and sustainable approach to staffing school mental health services, most of which are bearing the brunt of the psychological distress suffered by youth.

A “strong system leadership” – as described by the Auditor-General – can be supported by the communities best placed to achieve the greatest mental health and wellbeing outcomes, Maindonald says.

“Immediate planning is required to meet current and future demand, including for culturally appropriate care.

“But our youth need action, not platitudes and promises.”