Correspondent: Jennifer Moore
A new initiative by the New Zealand Health Quality and Safety Commission, “Connecting Care,” aims to improve transitions between health and social care for patients with behavioral health conditions. In August, teams of providers from New Zealand’s 20 district health boards, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and primary care providers began partnering with patients and their families to identify pathways that would improve transitions. The project focuses on transitions from specialist services to community teams, from specialist care to primary care or NGO services, and from youth to adult services. The initiative is the second national project introduced under a five-year mental health and addiction quality improvement program.