Youth Package big plus in fight against suicides

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne today welcomed Prime Minister John Key’s announcement of the Youth Mental Health package, saying it contained positive changes that support and enhance ongoing work in youth suicide prevention.

“I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement. These initiatives will really help young people with, or at risk of, mild to moderate mental health problems,” he said.
Mr Dunne said he was particularly pleased that the Government had found short term funding for the Youth One Stop Shops.

“UnitedFuture’s confidence and supply agreement with National includes a commitment to looking at how Youth One Stop Shops can be further developed, and I am pleased to see progress towards that. It is about a realistic and practical range of help and support being made accessible to our young people in their communities and in their daily lives,” Mr Dunne said.

He said the package backs up work on developing a new and updated Suicide Prevention Action Plan this year.

“That plan will build upon these youth mental health initiatives and focus on critical actions likely to make the greatest difference in preventing suicide.

“As recently as last week I attended a forum with media representatives and suicide prevention experts where genuine steps were taken towards more balanced media reporting on suicide.

“This comes off the back of meetings I chaired last year between media, health and clinical professionals which came up with a set of media guidelines for the reporting of suicide.

“Today’s announcement is another significant step in addressing a complex issue that devastates too many New Zealand families and claims too many young lives,” Mr Dunne said.