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Published: 20 May, 2025

In this article Sonya Russell, Director Mental Health and Addiction Sector Leadership, outlines progress by Parliament to repeal and replace the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.  With its 17 April report on the Mental Health Bill, the Health Select Committee has

Published: January 2026

Te Hiringa Mahara aims to hear and reflect the voices of communities, people with lived experience of distress or addiction, whānau and supporters, and groups who experience greater barriers to wellbeing. We are committed to prioritising the aspirations of tāngata whaiora and tāngata mātau-ā-wheako

Published: 10 December, 2020

The consultation phase to provide feedback on the development of a framework to monitor mental health services and addiction services is now closed. The Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission provided people with an opportunity to have their say on the He Ara Āwhina service-level monitoring

Published: 12 May, 2023

Feedback has been very positive in the media from the Ministry of Health and Te Aka Whai Ora on our latest report into wellbeing during COVID-19.  Our latest report shows Māori-led initiatives played a key role in protecting the health and wellbeing of communities, supporting connection with

Published: 15 December, 2025

Our Chief Executive Karen Orsborn outlines the progress with the first set of recommendations made by Te Hiringa Mahara. The full report can be downloaded .  The Commission has a system oversight and leadership role that includes making recommendations, monitoring progress and holding agencies

Published: 30 April, 2026

Te Hiringa Mahara is calling for greater investment in early intervention and secondary prevention for young people experiencing distress. New evidence shows timely, lower-cost support can stop distress escalating, lift wellbeing and ease pressure on an overstretched system.  The 2024/25 New

Published: 29 May, 2025

New analysis shows a 10.5% reduction in the number of people accessing addiction treatment services over the last five years raising concerns about whether there is sufficient capacity to respond to an increase in demand.  “Recent reports show drug use has increased, yet over the past five

Published: January 2026

We commit to being an organisation grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We have made a strong commitment to achieving better and equitable mental health and wellbeing outcomes for Māori and whānau. This is front and centre of who we are and what we do. Te Tauākī ki Te Tiriti o Waitangi | Te Tiriti o

Published: 27 July, 2021

  Recently, our Chief Executive, Karen Orsborn, had a chat with Gladys Hartson from Pasifika Wire  - a news and podcast site for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa.  The story  and podcast interview was published late yesterday. Karen spoke to Gladys about the purpose and

Published: January 2026

  Māori, who make up 17% of the population and have higher rates of mental distress than other population groups, have been advocating for equitable funding for Kaupapa Māori services for decades.   What needs to change? We want to see: Equitable investment in Kaupapa Māori services