Health New Zealand is today releasing our plan to grow the mental health workforce in New Zealand. 

Having a strong and well-resourced health workforce is key to improving health outcomes for all New Zealanders.

This is particularly true for the Mental Health Workforce and we are pleased to be able to release this document today.

Our new plan aims to achieve:

  • An increase to the number of psychiatry registrar training positions Health NZ offers annually from around 33 in 2024 to 50 from 2025 onwards
  • More Health NZ psychology intern positions over three years, from 50 currently to 60 next year, up to 80 by 2027
  • More Health NZ-funded New Entry to Specialist Practice (NESP) places available to train specialist nurses, social workers and occupational therapists by 30% over three years (to a total of 475 by 2027)
  • An increase to the number of mental health and addiction nurse practitioners Health NZ trains each year by 83% from 2025 onwards (to a total of 22 per year)

Our plan builds on the lessons we have learned in our first two years of operation and targets some of the key areas of need in the mental health workforce.

This plan is a vital step in our journey. It aims for a sustainable increase in the number of mental health professionals we have, and it provides a series of actions that will help us train and employ them.

Read the Mental Health & Addiction Workforce Plan 2024 - 2027