Phase Two of the Police Mental Health Response Change Programme is set to be extended with implementation across a third and final group of districts from Monday.

This includes:

• Health NZ districts: Northland, Taranaki, Whanganui, and MidCentral

• Police districts: Northland, Central

• Health NZ specific areas: Tokoroa and Taumarunui (Waikato), Taupō (Lakes), Wairoa (Hawke’s Bay), and Waitaki and Southern Lakes (Southern)

• Police specific areas within districts: Taupo and Tokoroa (Bay of Plenty), Wairoa (Eastern), and Central Lakes and Waitaki (Southern)

Police Assistant Commissioner Mike Johnson says we remain committed to our joint efforts towards making sure people have access to the right help at the right time, which works best for them.

“Police have always, and will always, respond when there is an immediate risk to life or safety.The change is about an increased health-led response, enabling our staff more time to get back into our communities do the work that only Police can.

Health NZ Director of Specialist Mental Health and Addiction Karla Bergquist says a range of mental health support is available for those who need it.

“This change is about ensuring people requiring mental health support receive the right care at the right time, while maintaining the safety and wellbeing of patients and our staff.

“I’d like to assure the public there is a range of services to help people in mental distress or those who are concerned about the mental health of whānau.

“If a person is in serious mental distress or crisis, support is available from their local crisis team [1]. If it’s a life-threatening situation or someone is in immediate danger of harming themselves or others, contact emergency services on 111.”

Karla added, “I’d like to acknowledge all our teams for their work to prepare for and implement these changes across the motu. It has been positive to hear from our districts that there are strong local partnerships between police and health to support Phase Two implementation, which has generally gone well.”

Notes:

Phase Two of the mental health response changes began on 14 April and have been implemented in stages.

Phase two changes include:

60-minute handover of detained persons in EDs – Police who have detained a person under section 109 of the Mental Health Act and transported them for an assessment, or are responding at the request of health staff for an assessment under section 41 or 110c, will remain in the ED for a maximum of one hour before departing – unless there is an immediate risk to life or safety.

Changes to mental health assessments in custody will ensure people in distress are assessed appropriately, preferably in a health setting. If someone is placed under the Mental Health Act while in a Police custody suite, they will need to be taken to a health facility within 30 minutes.

NZ Police and Health NZ districts are not the same (Police has 12, Health has 20), so there are some parts of a Police district which are not included in the comparable Health NZ district or vice versa.

Contact numbers for local crisis teams are available online at: info.health.nz/mental-health/crisis-assessment-teams

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