Mental health and addiction specialists will begin working at emergency departments at four large hospitals this year, the government says.

The scheme will also be rolled out to a further four hospitals next year, and has the support of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission.

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced the scheme Thursday morning at a cost of between $300,000 $500,000 per hospital, using uncommitted funding from Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora.

A further $1 million over two years was earmarked to provide training, under a Level 4 NZ Certificate.

"If this proves to be a success, we see this initiative rolling out to all hospitals," Doocey says in a statement.

He says Peer Support Specialists have experienced recovery from mental health illness or addiction, and are already working across the sector.

"There is growing evidence of the positive impact these roles are having on those using mental health and addiction services.".

EDs have, however, become a bottleneck - with at least 13,000 people with mental health issues showing up there every year.

"With a lack of reliable data this number is likely to be highe."

The scheme will help those seeking crisis support at EDs, as well as freeing up clinical staff to deal with clinical work, he says.

The first service is expected to begin in July.

Te Hiringa Mahara, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, says it's a positive move and will reduce the stress people may experience while they are waiting.

"People who are experiencing mental distress who arrive at an emergency department will be supported while they wait. This will be positive for both the department and people seeking help," says the commission's chief executive Karen Orsborn.

"We have yet to see the detail of how this initiative will be rolled-out but we think a staged approach is a good way to start."

She says it's encouraging to see the expansion of the Peer Support Specialist roles, which had grown by 18 per cent, or 64 full time-equivalent positions, between 2018 and 2022 - but still only made up about 3.4 per cent of the mental health and addictions workforce.

It will be important to include Māori in the planning to bring a te ao Māori perspective to the Peer Support approach - which she says is critical to addressing workforce shortages and transforming models of care.

-RNZ.