NZ Fast-Tracks Peer Support in EDs, Rolling Out Mental Health Care Early

“We committed to rolling out peer support workers in eight hospitals, and I’m pleased to say we’ve delivered that milestone five months early,” Mr Doocey says.

New Zealand has accelerated the rollout of peer-led mental health support in emergency departments, delivering a key mental health reform milestone five months ahead of schedule.

Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey today announced that Tauranga Hospital has become the latest emergency department to implement peer support services, completing the Government’s commitment to establish the service across eight hospitals over two years—well ahead of time.

“We committed to rolling out peer support workers in eight hospitals, and I’m pleased to say we’ve delivered that milestone five months early,” Mr Doocey says.

The programme embeds trained peer support specialists—people with lived experience of mental distress—directly into emergency departments, offering real-time, human-centred support to people presenting in crisis.

From a systems and service-design perspective, the model reflects a growing shift toward experience-informed care, complementing clinical treatment with relational, trust-based support at the point of highest need.

Mr Doocey marked the milestone by meeting peer support specialists from Ember, the organisation delivering the service at Tauranga Hospital. Ember already operates peer support services in emergency departments across Auckland and Waikato and brings established operational expertise to the Tauranga rollout.

“For people arriving at ED in mental health crisis, the experience can be overwhelming,” Mr Doocey says. “Having a peer support specialist—someone with lived experience who understands what they’re going through—can make a real difference.”

Hospitals already using the service report consistent benefits:

• People feel more heard and supported during crisis presentations

• Improved connection to follow-up and community-based care

• Stronger continuity of support after discharge

Peer support specialists also play a critical role in bridging hospital and community services, helping reduce repeat presentations and improving long-term recovery outcomes.

Since launching at Middlemore Hospital in September 2024, the service has expanded rapidly to:

• North Shore

• Auckland City

• Waikato

• Wellington

• Christchurch

• Dunedin

• Tauranga

The early completion highlights the Government’s focus on scaling interventions that demonstrate measurable impact, while also strengthening the mental health workforce.

“As New Zealand’s first Minister for Mental Health, I’m determined to better recognise and strengthen the peer support workforce,” Mr Doocey says. “Their lived experience brings incredible value to our mental health system.”

Call to action: scaling lived-experience innovation

As pressure on emergency departments continues to grow, the peer support model offers a blueprint for integrating lived experience into frontline health services—combining compassion, speed, and continuity of care.

For health system leaders, service designers, and digital health innovators, the rollout signals a broader shift toward people-powered innovation in crisis care—where outcomes are improved not just through technology or infrastructure, but through human connection.

“This is about backing what works,” Mr Doocey says. “When people take the brave step of asking for help, support must be there—when and where it’s needed.”