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Government to invest $25m in Covid-19 student health services

  

NZ universities and local health providers invited to work together on mental wellbeing funding proposals

New Zealand’s health and education minister Chris Hipkins has announced $25 million to increase mental health support services for tertiary students affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The lockdown has been hugely disruptive for students. Many of them have had to relocate and move to online learning, isolating them from their peers and tutors,” he said in a government statement.

“Mental health is a priority for this government, and it’s never been more important to ensure that our young people have access to the help they need, when they need it.”

Hipkins said the government was “expanding and accelerating” existing mental health services at NZ’s tertiary institutions to help more than 300,000 students deal with the impacts of the pandemic.

“We are investing $25m to boost mental health support for tertiary students. The funding builds on the existing rollout of free primary mental health and wellbeing services for 18-to-25-year-olds, including the Piki programme in Wellington and programmes at Auckland and Canterbury universities,” he said.

The Piki programme, funded by the NZ Ministry of Health, offers counselling and other mental health services for young people living in Wellington.

Hipkins said the government would call for proposals to deliver the services at NZ campuses.

“Local health providers will need to work with tertiary education providers to develop a proposal that best suits the needs of their student community,” he said.

The services will be set up through a government process in which universities and polytechnics will work with district health boards and other health agencies to develop mental health support services that reflect the needs of local student campuses.

Hipkins said this approach would help to ensure flexibility in providing services that reflect “different contexts, needs and student demographics”.

“The rollout of services will likely give priority to where students currently have limited access or options for mental wellbeing services or where there is indication of higher levels of need.”

He said the initiative would focus on supporting students “with mild to moderate levels of distress” through services including therapy and counselling, as well as cultural and peer support.