Leading conversations about safety, risk and mental health: Summary of engagement insights
Early in 2026 Te Hiringa Mahara undertook engagement with 17 key agencies and groups to understand the role we and other agencies can play to support meaningful conversations on safety, risk and mental health.
We explored what it will take to move beyond fear and blame, strengthen trust, elevate the voices of tāngata whaiora, whānau and communities, and move towards shared understandings and culturally grounded, rights-based approaches.
With the new Mental Health Act (2026) coming into force in 2028, there is renewed impetus to build a shared language and clarify roles and responsibilities of agencies and stakeholders. There are important but not well-understood issues that can have a big influence over how people receiving care will experience the new law.
A short report on our engagement with key stakeholders is available to read and download.
Background
In 2018 He Ara Oranga report found that mental health professionals in Aotearoa New Zealand had developed a risk-averse culture and defensive practice affecting the experience of care for patients, health professionals and the community, and causing harm.
A recommendation in the report called for a national discussion to re-examine beliefs, evidence, and attitudes around mental health and risk. As well involving health professionals the report called for agencies like Health, the New Zealand Police, coroners, and people with lived experience to be involved.
What we heard
In 2026 we talked with these and other key agencies and groups to understand current issues in relation to safety, risk and mental health. The discussions we had built on longstanding and recent dialogue on these issues.
We heard that it is not a single conversation but multiple conversations that are required, and it is crucial to hold space for diverse perspectives to help build shared understandings.
The agencies and groups we spoke with said they see themselves as both enabling and contributing to meaningful change requiring collaboration, clearer roles, visible accountability, shared learning and stronger attention to inequities.
To achieve success involves moving away from blame, fear and coercive practice towards healing, learning, accountability, culturally grounded, and rights-based approaches, greater recognition of whānau Māori and family contributions, and learning-oriented responses to harm and better outcomes.
Taking a broader approach will help contribute to a robust equitable mental health system in Aotearoa New Zealand that centres people with lived experience and their whānau.
Next steps
There is an opportunity to leverage the new Mental Health Act to reset the narrative.
The areas we have identified where further discussion could focus are:
- building a shared understanding of mental health risk and safety
- developing shared language
- exploring what it will take to move towards healing, learning, accountability, culturally grounded, and rights-based approaches.
In the first half of 2027, Te Hiringa Mahara will clarify the role we can play alongside others to advance national conversations on safety, risk and mental health.