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Published: 3 April, 2025

  At the five- year mark, the Access and Choice Programme has proved to be a valuable addition to the mental health, addiction and wellbeing support services available to people throughout the country. Today Te Hiringa Mahara – the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission released a report that

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: 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: 28 October, 2021

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (the Commission) has today released its independent report into the progress of the  Access and Choice Programme  being developed and implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Health. The programme, developed in response to

Published: 13 December, 2023

New Zealand’s first Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey, has a big job ahead of him. Te Hiringa Mahara | Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission chair Hayden Wano outlines our top priorities to transform our mental health and addiction system.  The announcement that New Zealand will have

Published: 5 July, 2022

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has a new name – Te Hiringa Mahara.   The name, Te Hiringa Mahara – Te hinengaro tūmata tōrunga pai o te whakaaro nui (Igniting minds through positive energy and thoughtfulness), was unveiled at a ceremony in Wellington today.  Board Chair

Published: 8 June, 2022

We welcome the transformational approach taken in the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill, which passed its third reading yesterday. The Commission’s Chair Hayden Wano says the Government now has the means to ensure better mental health and wellbeing outcomes for future generations. “It is very good to

Published: 17 September, 2021

Commission calls for the Justice Select Committee to listen carefully to the voices of rainbow communities The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (the Commission) appeared in front of the Justice Select Committee yesterday to speak to its  written submission  on the Conversion

Published: 24 July, 2024

Tēnei te mihi aroha, te mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa - Our compassion and acknowledgement to you all   He hōnore, he maumahara ki te hunga tamariki kua mate - we honour and remember the children no longer with us He hōnore, he maumahara ki te hunga tamariki, taipakeke e ora ana, e wahakōrero

Published: 27 June, 2024

More evidence of the state of New Zealand youth mental health — Youth and rangatahi wellbeing and access to services assessment — has been released today and shows that while most youth and rangatahi are doing well, there is a steady decline in youth wellbeing in comparison to older age groups more