The parents of Nicky Stevens, who died in 2015 while in the ‘care’ of Waikato DHB’s acute mental health facility, have welcomed the focus of the 2019 Budget on Mental Health.
“It is a great feeling to see, after years of advocacy by thousands of people, and after decades of poor mental health touching most New Zealand families, that this Government has treated mental health as the Number One priority in their 2019 Budget,” said Dave Macpherson, Nicky Stevens’ father.
“While of course there is considerable detail yet to be worked out, and many new programmes will take some time to get fully under way, our whanau is hopeful that at last this country is heading in the right direction as far as mental health is concerned.”
“New Zealand faces shocking and growing suicide statistics, poor mental health touching up to a third of kiwis, and a creaking and outdated service model.”
“The $1.9 Billion spend over five years is a must-have, not a nice to have, and we thank the Government for their decision,” Macpherson added.
Nicky’s mother, Jane Stevens said, “we are very supportive of the concept of a free, universal frontline service that will, we hope, start to be the fence at the top of the cliff we have needed for many years.”
“Arguing over who is responsible for picking up the pieces at the bottom of the cliff, as the mental health sector has been doing for years, has been like listening to Nero fiddling while Rome burnt.”
“We will want to see that these services are well-grounded in all communities, with a strong degree of community, patient and whanau involvement,” she added.
“While it is obvious that some acute mental health facilities need a re-bore, if not a complete engine change, it is good that these are not the primary focus; although we do wonder if there has been an overpromising there.”
“We also strongly support the re-establishment of a standing Mental Health Commission, with the added ‘Wellbeing’ focus.”
“This should never have been disestablished by the last Government, who we hope have realised that their 2013 move cost them significant credibility across the country,” Ms Stevens added.
“Perhaps our biggest remaining concern is how the communities, especially including Maori and Pasifika, and the families currently at the coalface of this crisis, are involved in the decision-making about the implementation of the Government’s budget initiatives.”
“While mental health professionals will certainly have a useful place in the decision-making yet to come, it will be vital that the voices that have not been heard for 20 years are bought into the room,” Ms Stevens finished.
Dave Macpherson is TDB’s mental health blogger. He became a Waikato DHB member after his son died from mental health incompetence.