- Hon Matt Doocey
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey joined the Gumboot Friday team today, an initiative that is helping thousands of young people access mental health support faster.
"We are turning the corner with reducing wait times and increasing the workforce. Initiatives such as Gumboot Friday are helping drive that change," Mr Doocey says.
"In the first twelve months of Government funding, Gumboot Friday has been able to scale up and deliver more than 30,000 free counselling sessions. They have supported more than 10,000 young New Zealanders who might not otherwise have access to timely support."
Last year, the Government committed $24 million over four years to the Gumboot Friday initiative under the National - New Zealand First coalition agreement to scale up its support for young people across the country.
"This funding has given certainty moving forward for the organisation, for counsellors delivering the service, and most importantly, for young people who rely on it. It means Gumboot Friday can continue to scale up knowing they are backed by the Government.
"There are now more than 700 qualified counsellors registered on the Gumboot Friday platform, a 33 per cent increase over the last year. This is an additional 175 counsellors. This has given young people a greater choice of the counsellor they see and has ensured that if someone is reaching out, they are seen when and where they need it.
"There are not many organisations that can get our young people off waitlists into counselling often within just a few days.
"The Government is backing Gumboot Friday to deliver more. Funding for 2025/26 will deliver 40,000 individual counselling sessions, reaching as many as 15,000 young New Zealanders.
"Over the next 12 months, the organisation will be looking at how it can scale up and encourage even more young people to access free counselling.
"I want to acknowledge the tireless work of the team at I Am Hope. It's a powerful partnership between Government and a grassroots organisation that's making a real difference in the lives of many New Zealanders."
