59063 (2025). Arena Williams to the Minister for Mental Health

59063 (2025). Arena Williams to the Minister for Mental Health: How will Government policies support mental health for young people under 24 in 2026?

Hon Matt Doocey: The Government’s Mental Health Plan focuses on faster access to support, more frontline workers, and better crisis responses, with youth mental health embedded across all three pillars. In 2026, young people will benefit from improved access to timely support, particularly through expanded community‑based and youth‑focused services. The Government continues to back trusted organisations such as Gumboot Friday, enabling thousands more young people to access free counselling when they need it. In addition, the Mental Health Innovation Fund is supporting youth‑led and community‑based services, with matched funding for organisations including Youthline, the Sir John Kirwan Foundation, and Youth One Stop Shops, improving access to early and culturally responsive support. Health New Zealand is also undertaking targeted work to strengthen youth‑specific primary mental health and addiction services through the Access and Choice programme, improving connections with specialist services and continuity of care. The Government has introduced mental health targets, and it is promising to see the improvements already being made. This demonstrates that a clear focus on reducing wait times for young people can deliver real results. Alongside this, the Government is expanding the successful secondary school‑based programme Tūturu as part of the action plan to combat methamphetamine harm. The Government has also prioritised growing the frontline mental health workforce, resulting in significant growth in the infant, child, and youth mental health and addiction workforce in recent years. This expanded capacity will support services to meet demand from young people