Uncertainty Still Clouds Future Of Suicide Prevention Office

The PSA is calling on the Government to make good on its promise made four weeks ago and reassure New Zealand the Suicide Prevention Office will remain open.

"If mental health is such a priority, why has the Government failed to provide concrete evidence the Office will keep operating as before?" said Duane Leo National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

"Will there actually be a Suicide Prevention Office operating out of the Ministry of Health?

"The Government made a rapid u-turn on the proposed closure of the Suicide Prevention Office four weeks ago, but the silence since then has been deafening.

"Despite meeting with Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health last week, we are none the wiser as to what is happening.

"There are five permanent and two fixed-term roles in the Office, so the question remains, what resource will the Office have in the future? Will there still be a Director? Will there still be a Senior Advisor Māori which was to be axed completely? How many roles will there be?"

The proposal was presented to staff on Thursday 4 April.

"The Prime Minister himself told Parliament that the ‘Minister made it very clear that he expects the functions of the Suicide Prevention Office to continue’.

"What does that really mean? One of the core functions of the Suicide Prevention Office is leadership - if there’s no Director how can the Office provide leadership?

"Given the haste with which this whole cost cutting drive is being managed and forced on ministries, it beggars belief that the Government hasn’t come up with a new plan to keep the Office open four weeks after the embarrassing back down.

"If the Government can order cuts that could see thousands of public servants dismissed, surely deciding to keep this small but vitally important Office open and fully staffed as before with existing full-time roles, can’t be that hard?"

Note:

The Suicide Prevention Office was established in 2019 under recommendations of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction. The inquiry stated "Better, stronger, sustained leadership is required to reduce our rates of suicide." The proposal, now abandoned, included closing the Office, disestablishing four positions, and shifting two remaining full times roles to other teams in the Ministry. The role of Director for the Office is proposed to be axed along with the Senior Advisor Māori.

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