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Where is all the mental health funding going and why is there a six-month waiting list for Christchurch university students needing help?��

Director of the UC Psychology Centre��Dr Neil Thompson said��there’s no doubt the pandemic and associated lockdowns have led to a rise in mental health problems.��

The centre offers support��to students and members of the public provided by trainee clinical psychologists under the supervision of qualified clinical psychologists��

Dr Thompson said there’s now��a six-month waitlist��and they’ve “had to�������Dz�����their�����Ǵǰ��.”��

This is tragic news. Many students can’t wait that long for professional support. What are they supposed to do? Wait until they hit rock bottom? Answer yes.��

An 18-year-old student contacted me privately on Facebook after I discussed this issue on my radio show on ��һ�ǿ�����talk ZB.��

She said her doctor was reluctant to put her on any waiting list, and it took 6 months to get help from the mental health unit at Princess Margaret hospital using the inpatient and outpatient service.����

Where has all the Government funding for mental health gone?��

In September 2019,��$8.68 million��was approved��for mental health services��in Christchurch��over three years. This was on top of $8.5m invested in Budget 2019 in response to the March 15 shootings.��

In April last year, the Government��announced $40 million��to fund��services already available at 22 sites across the country, including at��the University of Canterbury's health centre, making free mental health care available to more than 8000 students.��

Last month,��the Government��announced $10 million for new rangatahi services to access mental health and addiction support.��

Just days ago, the Government announced a funding boost to Youthline��of nearly one million dollars. You can’t accuse the Government of not trying. ��

Surely there are checks and balances in place to ensure this money is going to the right organisations at a speedy pace?��

It's a question the president of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors wants answers to.

Christian Macfarlane told me funding needs to be going to grass-roots organisations.

I wanted to ask the Health Minister how much money has been actually allocated,��but his office didn't return my email.��

The Government said improving mental health will be one focus for budget 2021 - but improving the speed of wish the money is dished out is equally as important.��