New Youth Mental Health Service Opens in Central Otago

The service is designed to work alongside existing health, education, social and community providers rather than create another separate layer of care.

Children, young people and families across Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes now have a new way to find mental health and addiction support without having to work out which service to approach first, following the official launch of Hono ki te Ora.

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the service creates a single point of connection for people seeking help, giving families somewhere to start while staff identify the health, community or specialist support that best matches their circumstances. The model is built around a "no wrong door" approach, meaning young people should not have to contact several organisations or repeatedly explain what they are going through before finding suitable care.

One Place to Start When Young People Need Support

Hono ki te Ora supports children and young people aged between five and 24 across Central Otago and the Queenstown Lakes district, with young people and families able to contact the service themselves rather than needing to enter through a particular part of the health system. Referrals can also come from schools, GPs and community organisations, giving professionals who already work with young people another route for connecting them with appropriate support.

The service is designed to work alongside existing health, education, social and community providers rather than create another separate layer of care. Staff can help identify what a young person needs and connect them with the provider best placed to help, which is intended to reduce the confusion families can experience when different services have separate entry points and referral processes.

Doocey said difficulty knowing where to seek help has contributed to unmet mental health needs among children, with around one in three children reporting that not knowing where to go or who to speak with was a reason they did not receive the support they needed.

Growing Region Faces Challenges Accessing Services

Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes was prioritised for the service because the area is growing quickly and attracting more young families, creating greater demand for accessible health and community support across towns that can be separated by considerable travelling distances.

Geography adds another challenge for local families, with the Central Lakes area described as one of New Zealand's most isolated communities when access to major hospitals is considered. More than 70 per cent of New Zealanders who live over two hours from a major base hospital are located in the region, making locally coordinated services particularly important for people who may otherwise face lengthy travel to find appropriate care.

Hono ki te Ora operates from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday, providing a dedicated contact point during the working week while building connections with services already operating throughout the region.

80 Referrals Received During First Three Months

The service began receiving referrals in May and recorded 80 referrals during its first three months, with every young person referred receiving some form of support from the team. Its workforce has now been fully recruited, while relationships with schools, healthcare providers and community organisations have been strengthened as the service becomes established.

Thirty-five children and young people are currently receiving active support, while others have been connected with services considered better suited to their needs, including specialist care where required. The early referral numbers suggest families and local organisations are already using the new pathway to find help, giving young people a clearer starting point when they need mental health or addiction support.