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Ingrid Leary, Labour’s mental health spokeswoman.
photo: VNP/Phil Smith
Community mental health groups are being barred from applying for government funding due to “unfair criteria”, the UK’s Labour Party says.
Opposition mental health spokeswoman Ingrid Leary said few grassroots organisations were eligible to apply for the new Mental Health Innovation Fund.
She said the bidding documents showed that applicants would need to secure $250,000 in co-financing.
“It’s outrageous to say that community mental health organizations have hundreds of thousands of dollars in their bank accounts.”
Others in the industry pointed out that the fund’s criteria were too narrow – including requirements for a “social return on investment” analysis and “scalable” digital innovation – meaning only larger organizations (with more than 80 employees) would be able to afford the costs and meet all the compliance requirements.
“It suggests the minister is completely out of touch with reality and favours large organisations that can absorb costs, or he is once again pre-emptively picking winners as he did with the Gumboot Friday purchase,” Mr Leary said.
The government has been widely criticized $24 million over four years to Mike King Consulting Services There is no controversial procurement process in the budget.
The budget also Establish a $10 million innovation fund within two yearsThe amount is only half of the $20 million the National Party promised before the election.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey.
photo: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said Leary was “spreading misinformation” and criticised a move to allow organisations to “scale up” to help support mental health and addiction workers.
“When Labour was in power, many initiatives were announced but few were implemented.
“The Mental Health and Community Sector Innovation Fund is a reallocation of uncommitted funding from Wellington and provides it to grassroots community organisations across the country.”
Contrary to Leary’s claims, “there was no requirement in the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s tender document to have a minimum of 80 staff”, he said.
“The Mental Health and Addiction Innovation Fund is not the only initiative this government is taking to support mental health workers, but is part of a wider package.
“It is important to note that the Mental Health Community Sector Innovation Fund RFP (Request for Proposal) has been issued and is now open for competitive bidding. This process is fair and transparent, with all potential applicants having access to the same information.”
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