Webinar - Achieving equitable wellbeing outcomes for tāngata whaiora: what we know, what needs to change

Te Hiringa Mahara will host a webinar outlining findings from our 2025 Assessment of wellbeing for people who interact with mental health and addiction services.

Register now.

The assessment released on 25 June is our first assessment comparing the status of wellbeing for people who interact with mental health and addiction services when compared compared to the rest of the population . It found that people who interact with mental health and addiction services experience systemic disadvantage in access to the determinants of mental health and wellbeing. This includes: lower household income; fewer social connections; and poorer individual, family and whānau wellbeing.

The panel will discuss findings from the assessment, approaches to improving wellbeing for whānau Māori, and lived experience perspectives of social determinants.

Our speaker are:

• Alex El Amanni, Addiction Practitioner and Counsellor, Te Hiringa Mahara board member
• Laura Ross, Kaitohu Mātaamua o te Pūnaha Toiora | Principal Advisor Wellbeing System, Te Hiringa Mahara
• Professor Te Kani Kingi, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi

The session will be hosted by Dr Ella Cullen, Kaiwhakahaere Pūnaha Toiora Arataki | Director of Wellbeing System Leadership, Te Hiringa Mahara.

When:  12:30-1:30pm, Thursday 31 July

Where: Online

RSVP: via Zoom. 

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About our Speakers

Alexander El Amanni

Addiction Practitioner and Counsellor, Te Hiringa Mahara board member

Alexander was born in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. He has living experience of using mental health services. He also has lived experience of youth and adult addiction services; child, youth, and family custody; and the youth and adult justice systems and corrections processes.

Alexander has been working in the mental health and addiction sector since 2009. He graduated with a Master of Health Practice Honours degree in 2021. He is currently working in private practice as an addiction practitioner and clinical supervisor; and as a tutor in addiction studies at the University of Auckland. His previous roles in the sector have included consumer advisory and peer support roles; and roles in education, research, and governance. 

He is actively studying towards a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health.

Laura Ross

Kaitohu Mātaamua o te Pūnaha Toiora | Principal Advisor Wellbeing System, Te Hiringa Mahara

Laura Ross is Kaitohu Mātaamua o te Pūnaha Toiora, Principal Advisor Wellbeing System at Te Hiringa Mahara. She has a public health background and has worked in analytics and policy roles across the health system and wider government. She’s an analyst at heart and brings her own lived experience to her role supporting Te Hiringa Mahara to understand and use data and evidence for change.

Professor Te Kani Kingi (Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāti Awa, and Ngai Tai)

Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi

Professor Te Kani Kingi is the Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi, having previously been a Principal Analyst at the Department of Corrections and within the Mental Health Quality and Practice Team. Prior to this, he was an Associate Professor at Massey University in Wellington and concurrently held three roles as Director Māori.

He has extensive experience in executive leadership across the health system, not-for-profits, and wider government. For more than 30 years, he has researched and published extensively in the area of Māori health, with a specialist interest in health outcome measurement (psychometrics), Māori mental health, longitudinal research, public health and health service delivery. He is currently leading New Zealand’s largest dedicated programme of Māori mental health research – Te Aratiatia ki te Hauora.