New Futures: A Strategic Framework

New Futures: A Strategic Framework
Date of publication: June 1998

Foreword
New Futures is an important and exciting development for mental health.

It addresses the needs of children and young people with mental health problems, focusing on those whose needs are severe. It puts specialist mental health services in context and provides a framework for the way in which effective and appropriate treatment can be provided.

We need services that provide good assessment and treatment for our children and young people and that work well with other agencies. We need increased skills for working with our distressed youth, and ways of sharing those skills in a way that works and makes sense. We need our services to be culturally sound and effective for our Mäori children and young people, as well as for those from Pacific and other nations. This document explores ways in which we can work together to achieve these goals.

The co-operation needed in good mental health services has been reflected in the development of New Futures. I would like to thank all those who have generously shared their views, aspirations, time and experience with the Ministry team working on this project. Children and young people have long been a neglected group in mental health, but now the spotlight is on them. I am confident that this framework will help to guide the Health Funding Authority and providers in creating a better mental health service for future generations of children and young people.

Janice Wilson
Director of Mental Health
May 1998

Document availability

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New Futures: a strategic framework for specialist mental health services for children and young people in New Zealand (PDF, 451 kB).

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