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Published: January 2026

We are an organisation committed to being 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. Monitoring of Māori and whānau wellbeing

Published: January 2026

Our leadership team provides strategic guidance for Te Hiringa Mahara -- Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. The team includes Chief Executive, Karen Orsborn, and four directors who are responsible for our core workstreams.  Karen Orsborn, Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Karen is the Chief

Published: 21 March, 2024

The announcement today by the Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey that a new mental health and addiction peer support service will be set up in hospital emergency departments is a positive move.   “People who are experiencing mental distress who arrive at an emergency department will

Published: February 2026

Download Mental Health Bill submission pdf, 284 KB Since our formation Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has contributed to policy development to ensure Aotearoa New Zealand has mental health law based on human rights and eliminates coercive practices or reduces them to the

Published: 7 May, 2026

Te Hiringa Mahara is calling on the Government to explicitly recognise and address the mental health and wellbeing impacts climate change is having on New Zealanders, following the release of the Climate Change Commission’s latest report.  Aotearoa New Zealand has experienced significant

Published: 14 November, 2019

  Chair of the Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission presents at the Ministry of Health's forum on 'Enabling Wellbeing'. Check out the full presentation on the  Ministry's YouTube channel .

Published: 30 September, 2025

As an integral part of our advocacy work, Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission often comments on and makes recommendations in response to consultation documents, regulations, draft bills, and regulations that may impact on the mental health and wellbeing of people in Aotearoa

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: 5 June, 2024

On 5 June 2024, we released Kua Tīmata Te Haerenga | The Journey Has Begun —our latest monitoring report on mental health and addiction services. This report focuses on access to mental health and addiction services and options available over the five-year period from July 2018 to June 2023. &nbsp

Published: 31 March, 2026

Following the release of the Office of the Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services: Regulatory Report today, Te Hiringa Mahara is renewing its call for improvements to address concerning trends for Māori and Pacific peoples. The report shows Māori are 6.6 times, and Pacific peoples are 1.7