Health New Zealand

Peer‑Led Acute Alternative Service Southern District

We are procuring the design, establishment, and delivery of a new 6‑bed, peer‑led acute alternative service that operates 24 hours a day and provides a short‑stay, community‑based alternative to inpatient mental health admission for adults experiencing acute mental distress in the Southern district.

The service will:
• Be genuinely peer‑led, with lived experience at the centre of service design, leadership, and delivery
• Operate in a home‑like, residential setting in either Central Otago / Queenstown or Southland / Invercargill
• Be fully integrated with Mental Health and Addiction Specialist Services, including crisis and inpatient teams
• Provide clinically safe, culturally responsive, recovery‑focused care that supports people through an acute episode and back into their community

This is a new service, to be co‑designed locally in partnership with Health NZ, Hauora Māori Services, lived experience representatives, and other key stakeholders.

We are seeking a provider (or partnership/consortium) who shares our commitment to transforming acute mental health responses through a peer‑led, recovery‑focused, culturally responsive alternative to inpatient admission. At the heart of this service is choice, dignity, safety, and connection for tāngata whaiora and their whānau.

This is a unique opportunity to be involved in an exciting initiative in the development of a peer-led acute alternative service. The continuing expansion of peer-led services, within the Southern region, continues the work commenced under the Te Hurihanga Time for Change programme. This service also aligns with the broader peer-led service initiatives being implemented across Aotearoa New Zealand. This opportunity enables your organisation to become a part of this unique and expanding workforce provision within the wide Mental Health and Addictions services.

Department/Business Unit: Comissioning