New Peer Support Workers Join Christchurch ED to Help People in Mental Distress

According to Minister Doocey, the initiative reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the mental health and addiction support network across New Zealand.

In a significant step forward for mental health services, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced the official launch of a new peer support initiative at Christchurch Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED). The program is designed to provide immediate, empathetic support to individuals experiencing mental distress, delivered by trained professionals with lived experience of mental health or addiction challenges.

Christchurch Hospital ED—one of the busiest in New Zealand—has become the fourth hospital in the country to offer this specialized service, following successful rollouts at Middlemore Hospital, Auckland City Hospital, and Wellington Hospital. According to Minister Doocey, the initiative reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the mental health and addiction support network across New Zealand.

“Christchurch ED is one of the busiest in New Zealand, and I am pleased that peer support specialists are now available to provide timely mental health and addiction support for people in their time of need,” said Mr. Doocey during his visit with Christchurch ED staff and peer support workers.

What Is a Peer Support Specialist?

Peer support specialists are trained individuals who draw on their own personal experiences with mental health or addiction issues to help others navigate similar challenges. They offer empathy, understanding, and a sense of hope to those in crisis—often connecting more effectively than traditional clinical staff due to their shared life experience.

“One of the initiatives I am most proud of a year into my role is the roll out of peer support workers,” Doocey stated. “These are people who can empathize deeply with others and provide genuine comfort in some of their hardest moments.”

He shared a recent conversation with a Wellington-based peer support worker who described the profound feeling of now being in a position to give hope to others—after once needing that same support herself. “That kind of lived experience can be incredibly powerful,” Doocey added.

Helping in the Moment—and Beyond

The peer support specialists not only offer emotional support during an ED visit, but also assist in guiding patients toward appropriate follow-up services and community-based mental health resources. Their role is not to replace clinical staff, but to complement and enhance the care being provided by offering a different kind of support—one rooted in personal understanding and recovery.

Early feedback from hospitals already offering the service has been positive, with staff noting how peer specialists are improving patient experiences and outcomes.

More Services Coming Soon

The Christchurch launch is part of a wider plan to deploy peer support workers in emergency departments nationwide. Waikato ED is set to join the program in the coming months, and three more hospitals will be announced soon.

This initiative is part of a broader mental health strategy that includes $1 million in workforce funding to support the training of peer support workers. That includes the Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Peer Support), along with additional training tailored for the fast-paced, high-stakes environment of an emergency department.

Each hospital-based peer support service is estimated to cost between $300,000 and $500,000 annually. Funding for eight such services was allocated from uncommitted mental health resources last year.

Looking Ahead: Crisis Cafes and Eating Disorder Support

Minister Doocey also highlighted future expansions of peer support roles, including the rollout of “crisis cafes” across New Zealand—safe spaces where individuals in mental distress can drop in for peer-led support without needing a referral.

Additionally, Doocey reaffirmed plans to grow the peer workforce in the area of eating disorders as part of the government’s refreshed strategy for eating disorder treatment.

“We know that one of the biggest barriers to getting help is workforce availability,” Doocey said. “That’s why we’re committed to growing the mental health and addiction workforce, including peer support specialists, so people can access the right support when and where they need it.”

The expansion of peer support into emergency departments and other services marks a shift toward more holistic, compassionate care within New Zealand’s mental health system—aiming not just to treat symptoms, but to connect with people on a human level during some of their most difficult times.