Uncertainty Still Clouds Future Of Suicide Prevention Office

The PSA is calling on the Government to make good on its
promise made four weeks ago and reassure New Zealand the
Suicide Prevention Office will remain open.

“If mental
health is such a priority, why has the Government failed to
provide concrete evidence the Office will keep operating as
before?” said Duane Leo National Secretary for the Public
Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga
Mahi.

“Will there actually be a Suicide Prevention
Office operating out of the Ministry of Health?

“The
Government made a rapid u-turn on the proposed closure of
the Suicide Prevention Office four weeks ago, but the
silence since then has been deafening.

“Despite
meeting with Manatū Hauora Ministry of Health last week, we
are none the wiser as to what is happening.

“There are
five permanent and two fixed-term roles in the Office, so
the question remains, what resource will the Office have in
the future? Will there still be a Director? Will there still
be a Senior Advisor Māori which was to be axed completely?
How many roles will there be?”

The
proposal was presented to staff on Thursday 4
April.

“The Prime Minister himself told Parliament
that the ‘Minister made it very clear that he expects the
functions of the Suicide Prevention Office to
continue’.

“What does that really mean? One of the
core functions of the Suicide Prevention Office is
leadership – if there’s no Director how can the Office
provide leadership?

“Given the haste with which this
whole cost cutting drive is being managed and forced on
ministries, it beggars belief that the Government hasn’t
come up with a new plan to keep the Office open four weeks
after the embarrassing back down.

“If the
Government can order cuts that could see thousands of public
servants dismissed, surely deciding to keep this small but
vitally important Office open and fully staffed as before
with existing full-time roles, can’t be that
hard?”

Note:

The Suicide
Prevention Office was established in 2019 under
recommendations of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health
and Addiction. The inquiry stated “Better, stronger,
sustained leadership is required to reduce our rates of
suicide.” The proposal, now abandoned, included closing the
Office, disestablishing four positions, and shifting two
remaining full times roles to other teams in the Ministry.
The role of Director for the Office is proposed to be axed
along with the Senior Advisor
Māori.

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