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Published: 13 December, 2023

Having a workforce equipped to handle the challenges across all population groups is a top priority. We are calling for a detailed workforce plan to reduce clinical vacancies, and create a greater role for peer support, lived experience and cultural workforces.

Published: 5 June, 2024

The hard-working mental health and addiction workforce needs to be acknowledged. Working in a field that faces workforce shortages and high vacancies and involves managing more complex issues is not easy.

Published: November 2025

Without shifts in system leadership, other changes in policy, workforce, and investment are unlikely to be sustained over the long term.

Published: April 2026

The report makes five recommendations: Health NZ develops a mental health and addiction workforce plan to address service capacity and workforce shortages by June 2025 (inclusive of clinical, peer and cultural workforces, Māori and lived experience leadership, and across primary, community, and specialist

Published: 15 December, 2025

Having a plan to support the workforce and address workforce shortages, government funding for improved prevalence information, and better data systems will now provide a solid foundation from which effective changes can be designed and implemented.

Published: 31 May, 2023

“The workforce has grown for specialist adult mental health and addiction services over the last five years, but workforce vacancies have doubled. We want to see a clear strategy and roadmap to address the ongoing workforce shortages.

Published: 19 April, 2024

[BB2]  We agree with the proposed content of the strategy, with the addition of further clarification on the wellbeing and workforce aspects of the strategy. By adding workforce we will ensure consistency with the workforce elements of the other strategies in the Act.

Published: 18 February, 2025

This included a call for Health NZ to develop a mental health and addiction workforce plan to address service capacity and workforce shortages by June 2025. “We will be keeping a close watch on access and will publish further information in the coming months.

Published: 12 September, 2023

We also released a report on the peer support workforce.

Published: 31 May, 2023

vacancies in specialist adult mental health and addiction services have doubled between 2018 and 2022, and we want to see a clear strategy and roadmap to address growing workforce shortages Coercive practices continue to be widely used, particularly for Māori and Pacific peoples.