Published Wednesday 18 Mar 2020

A new interagency pilot to provide emergency front-line support for people who ring 111 requiring an urgent mental health response in Wellington, has begun.

The Wellington Co-Response team will deploy staff from Wellington District Police, Wellington Free Ambulance (WFA) and District Health Board Mental Health services to attend events requiring an urgent mental health intervention. 

The new co-response service enables people presenting in mental health crisis to receive the most appropriate response in the right setting for their needs. 

“The CRT can deliver timely, coordinated and specialist care at home or in a community setting, with an experienced mental health clinician as part of the team,” says Nigel Fairley, General Manager Mental Health Addictions and Intellectual Disability Service.

“This provides another layer of crisis support for people in the Wellington region, and complements our 24/7 mental health and addictions crisis contact centre, Te Haika, contactable on 0800 745 477.”