For Mental Health Awareness Week, Health NZ removes supports for child mental health
Parents and whānau caring for mentally unwell children have their carer relief support stripped
Not content with making lives of disabled people and families harder, this National-led government has targeted another vulnerable group - parents and whānau caring for a mentally unwell child or adolescent. In a cruel blow, the announcement comes just in time for Mental Health Awareness Week (23-29 Sept)
Previously, full time family carers could access Carer Relief in order to take a break from their caregiving role. Being able to take a break is important to allow for physical and mental respite and to ensure the long-term health of carers. The work that parents and whānau do is unpaid and is over and above the regular parenting load.
![image of letter. text reads: Update on Carer Reliet Progromme We are writing to inform you of some important changes to the carer relief programme. As part of a recent review, we have carefully considered the original purpose of this initiative, which has always been to provide full-time carers with the opportunity for a well-deserved break. The programme was specifically designed for parents and carers of young people receiving services from Chid and Adolescent Mental Heath Services (CAMHS) who have been diagnosed with mederate to severe mental health conditions. After much consideration, we have decided to make adjustments to the programme to bring it back to its original intention. As a result, we will be discontinuing carer relief funding in its current form, moving forward only families that hold a community services card and have young people in their care, in treatment with CAMHS will be eligible for carer relief. We understand that this change may be conceming and we want to ensure that you and your family continue to receive the support you need. Therefore, we recommend the following services, which may be able to offer you assistance. . WINZ |0800-559-009) . Ministry of Education (04-463-8000] . Kia Roha formerly Life Unlimited (0800-008-011] . ADHD New Zealand (info@acd.org.ng) We appreciate the trust you have placed in our programme. While these changes may feel chalenging, we are committed to helping you navigate this transition. We heve attached the criteris for access to carer relief, however if you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out to Thank you for your understanding Nga mihi Clarissa Ventress Operations Manager Younger Persons Mental Health and Addictions Mental Health, Addiction & Intellectual Disability Service (MHAIDS] I Capital, Coast, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YJW-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Faaac865e-1c76-4562-88c1-67d23ada7c6d_804x1078.jpeg "image of letter. text reads: Update on Carer Reliet Progromme We are writing to inform you of some important changes to the carer relief programme. As part of a recent review, we have carefully considered the original purpose of this initiative, which has always been to provide full-time carers with the opportunity for a well-deserved break. The programme was specifically designed for parents and carers of young people receiving services from Chid and Adolescent Mental Heath Services (CAMHS) who have been diagnosed with mederate to severe mental health conditions. After much consideration, we have decided to make adjustments to the programme to bring it back to its original intention. As a result, we will be discontinuing carer relief funding in its current form, moving forward only families that hold a community services card and have young people in their care, in treatment with CAMHS will be eligible for carer relief. We understand that this change may be conceming and we want to ensure that you and your family continue to receive the support you need. Therefore, we recommend the following services, which may be able to offer you assistance. . WINZ |0800-559-009) . Ministry of Education (04-463-8000] . Kia Roha formerly Life Unlimited (0800-008-011] . ADHD New Zealand (info@acd.org.ng) We appreciate the trust you have placed in our programme. While these changes may feel chalenging, we are committed to helping you navigate this transition. We heve attached the criteris for access to carer relief, however if you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out to Thank you for your understanding Nga mihi Clarissa Ventress Operations Manager Younger Persons Mental Health and Addictions Mental Health, Addiction & Intellectual Disability Service (MHAIDS] I Capital, Coast, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa")
Te Whatu Ora's Carer Relief programme' re-imburses full-time carers for some of the costs incurred when they take a break. It is a subsidy that supports families to look after the primary caregiver. Carer Relief this is the only support parents and whānau receive for their mental and physical health:
Restricting support by requiring the full-time caregiver to have a community services card will cut carer relief for 120 families in the Wellington region alone. Listen to the RNZ interview on morning report for more on the impact on Wellington families.
While 20 hours is about typical, families used to be able to apply for more Carer Relief hours if they were needed. Families can no longer apply for extra hours. The subsidy rate has been reduced from $80/day to $71/day.
Needing to be a community services card carrier creates the most significant disadvantage for families, particularly those which rely on the Carer Relief package to provide care for the child (remember - these are children who have significant needs and require a high level of support over and above general parenting requirements).
Mental health does not discriminate. Many of the families receiving CAHMS services are not in a place where they would qualify for a community services card but are not of the resources to be able to fund care privately.
The service cuts this government has directed in order to issue tax cuts to the wealthy (NZ$3.7billion), provide extra profits to landlords (NZ$2.9billion), and support the tobacco industry (NZ$216million on heated tobacco product tax cuts; NZ$17billion loss of income from excise revenue) are now directly impacting on parents and whānau caring for a mentally unwell child.
A subsidy of $80/day for 20 days is only $1600/year. It’s not a huge amount of money - but for those parents who needed it, it was lifesaver. It meant they got to have a break and restore their own sense of wellbeing, alleviate the pressures on their mental health, and get basics like having a sleep in or being able to eat a meal uninterrupted.
That support has now been cut. And for what, exactly? For what?
When I look at the cuts and changes, they seem like anti-natal policies. This is in line with the move to 'adjust' euthanasia, reduce healthcare, cut public services, reduce incomes, increase individual property owner rights, criminal rents and transition ECE to childcare services to glorified babysitting services. The bigger picture is thoroughly dystopian. Thanks for continuing to write about the lived experiences and consequences.
Death by a thousand cuts…