$3.3m funding for AI-enabled mental health and addiction triage and referral tool

NEWS  - eHealthNews editor Rebecca McBeth

More than $3.3 million in government funding has been announced to develop an AI-enabled triage and referral tool to help connect people contacting mental health and addiction helplines with the best service for their needs. 

The tool is part of a broader $10 million package announced by mental health minister Matt Doocey, aimed at strengthening mental health and addiction telehealth services across the country.

Doocey says the $3.35 million in funding is to develop and roll out the AI-powered tool across mental health and addiction helplines over four years. It will be designed to consistently identify callers' needs and route them to the provider best placed to support them.

"It can be disheartening to reach out for support while in distress and find yourself waiting for too long," Doocey says. 

"For someone reaching out, whether it be for the first time or not, that moment on the other end of the line can be incredibly important."

Health New Zealand director mentally well Lisa Gestro says the project is in its early development phase, with the final scope and procurement approach still being worked through.

"The key objective is to ensure people can access the right support as quickly as possible when they reach out for help," Gestro says.  

She says Health NZ will have greater clarity on the delivery model, lead organisation, and the specific activities involved as the project progresses. The work will be led by the National Mental Health & Addiction team working alongside Digital Services.

The broader funding package is expected to support around 16,000 additional calls and interactions and increase sector capacity by around 15 percent, with support available by phone, text and other digital channels.

Lifeline receives $1.2 million to support its continued operation through 2026/2027 and Youthline receives $2 million over four years to expand its government-funded capacity by 44 percent, enabling it to respond to around 4,400 additional contacts from young people. 

Whakarongorau also receives additional funding to help meet growing demand.

Acting chief executive Brian O’Connell says the announcement reflects a growing reality facing mental health services across New Zealand.

"People are not just reaching out more often, they sre reaching out with more complex needs, higher levels of distress, and increasingly difficult situations to navigate,” he says.

The additional funding will enable Whakarongorau to recruit more counsellors, increasing frontline staffing for 1737 and Whakarongorau is also continuing to invest in digital tools designed to improve access to support. 

Around 5,000 people access the 1737 Digital Hub each month, and new initiatives include an AI-powered Welcome Service and a Mental Health Navigation Platform to help people find the support that's right for them.

If you would like to provide feedback on this news story, please contact the editor Rebecca McBeth.

You’ve read this article for free, but good journalism takes time and resource to produce. Please consider supporting eHealthNews by becoming a member of HiNZ, for just $17 a month.

Read more AI & Analytics news

Return to eHealthNews.nz home page