Mental health campaigner and New Zealander of the Year Mike King's Gumboot Friday fund, launched in April this year, has run out of money and he's pinning the reason to an influx in GPs referring patients to the service over long waiting times through Government initiatives.
The $1.3 million fund, raised from donations on Gumboot Friday in April, was set up to give the system a break. It offered anyone 19 years old or younger the chance to get counselling for free and quickly while they waited for access to Government-funded services.
Mike King’s gumboot fund was overwhelmed by people seeking help. (Source: Other)
There had been about 120 sessions allocated a month, but a surge of 1700 patients ($940,000 worth of counselling) turning to the fund was approved in September, meaning money ran out faster than expected. The next major funding drive won't be until April next year.
"My understanding is, speaking to people who were accessing the services, was their GPs were recommending they were coming to our fund because it was quicker than funded services," Mr King told TVNZ1's Breakfast today.
"Originally, it was meant to be anyone who is going to see their GP, they would be referred to funded services and we'd take up the slack.
"But if you're a doctor, why wouldn't you? If you've got a patient that's sitting in front of you, especially a patient with an eating disorder where you could be waiting up to eight, nine, 12 months to see someone, if you've got your patient's best interests at heart, why wouldn't you send them to a service that has a wait time of about a week?"
Mr King also said 45 per cent of those accessing his services were male - reflecting more closely the higher suicide rates being male - compared to 20 per cent male in funded services.
The mental health advocate spoke at the Government’s unveiling of its strategy. (Source: Other)
"What they're doing doesn't work, what we doing works, so why wouldn't you get in behind something that works?" Mr King said.
"Most of all we need an attitude change in this country. When I showed the minister [David Parker] the numbers of under eight-year-olds and the eight- to 11-year-olds, their immediate reaction was, 'Oh my god, I didn't realise this was such a big problem'.
"It's not a problem. This is probably the greatest thing that's ever happened," he said, adding that it showed young people felt they could seek help if they needed to.
"I think this young generation of kids are the most amazing generation of kids. Why? Because they are proactively taking care of their mental wellbeing."
Ambassador and New Zealander of the Year Mike King says it should be normalised to have – and deal with – problems. (Source: Other)
However, Mr King said it wasn't over yet. Gumboot Friday will be back next April, and in the meantime he asked counsellors not to turn people away.
"My message to counsellors: If you have a suicidal young person that's coming to you please see them, just see them. I mean, if you're putting profit ahead of people's lives then I don't think Gumboot Friday's the problem."
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