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Published: May 2026

over the past decade. The research is clear that supporting young people earlier, before distress escalates, can reduce the long-term impacts on their mental health, wellbeing, education, employment, and family outcomes. It also reduces the demand on the mental health system which is under pressure

Published: January 2026

have a seat at decision-making tables. Expand access to youth mental health and addiction services in all localities.  Eliminate admissions of rangatahi Māori and young people to adult in-patient mental health services.   Invest in youth specific acute options for rangatahi Māori and young people

Published: 25 August, 2022

Wano said. “We have listened to the voices of communities, iwi, hapū, whānau and young people with experience of care who have contributed to the legislative process. We know there is compelling evidence of harm experienced by young people in care,” Mr Wano said. “Young people who experience State

Published: 20 May, 2022

We commend the Government’s Budget 2022 investment in specialist mental health and addiction, particularly the investment in community-based crisis services, specialist child and adolescent mental health and addiction services, and Kaupapa Māori services.  "We see this latest announcement as a

Published: 24 September, 2021

is in place come 2023 / 24.” says Board Chair, Hayden Wano. “In particular, we’d like to see focus on the growth of kaupapa Māori services, and support options for our Pacific communities, as we know they disproportionately experience mental distress or addiction. We also echo calls for greater focus

Published: 14 June, 2021

from 1 July after leading the Commission’s establishment efforts as Acting Chief Executive since it opened in February. Throughout 2020, she also led the early set-up phase as Head of Secretariat for the Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (Initial Commission). “It’s with great pleasure I

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: 22 March, 2022

that there has been little evidence of improvement in services or changes in wait times for specialist mental health services over the past five years. Wait times for young people to access specialist mental health services continue to be well below target and wait times for addiction services have

Published: 30 November, 2022

Considerable progress has been made with the Access and Choice programme rollout over the last year, despite significant challenges for the primary care and mental health and addiction sectors in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is according to the second report on the programme by Te

Published: 16 June, 2022

significant distress. The Commission urges the Government to be bold in work under way to transform mental health law, and to invest in culturally appropriate, community-based acute services to provide genuine choice for people and whānau, alongside the option of inpatient care. People with personal