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Published: 25 February, 2026

Te Hiringa Mahara is calling for increased urgency to improve access to specialist mental health and addiction services for young people after new analysis shows a continued reduction in the number of young people accessing services.   Despite 15-to-24 year-olds reporting increasing levels of

Published: 30 June, 2022

experience harm from gambling without meeting the criteria for having a gambling disorder. Harm reduction Policies, programmes, and interventions that have a primary aim of reducing the ‘harm from’, rather than ‘use of’ alcohol, other drugs or gambling (Lenton and Single, 1998). Holistic safety

Published: February 2026

happen to improve crisis responses in both the short term and the longer term.  Our key findings include: Crisis services are hard to navigate, fragmented and patchy, and many people don’t get the help they need. Fewer people have a recorded crisis activity, however, a higher proportion are urgent

Published: 21 March, 2024

be supported while they wait. This will be positive for both the department and people seeking help,” says Karen Orsborn, Te Hiringa Mahara | Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission CEO.   “Getting care from a Peer Support Specialist at the ED department can help reduce the distress that

Published: 20 May, 2025

of individuals, organisations, experts and communities. A rich body of knowledge, and a source of ideas for ways to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of coercive practices in mental health services, is now available under ‘related resources’ on Parliament’s website, for all to draw on. It is

Published: 4 September, 2023

Mahara. We are advocating for: Expand access to youth mental health and addiction services in all localities Reduce the number of rangatahi Māori and young people admitted to adult in-patient mental health services to zero A focus on addressing the drivers of wellbeing for rangatahi and young

Published: 27 June, 2023

More investment in kaupapa Māori mental health and addiction services is needed to ensure the support available meets the level of mental distress experienced by Māori. Despite funding increases over the past five years more needs to be done to achieve equitable funding. This is a

Published: 16 June, 2022

available across the country. We don't need to wait for new legislation to see care approached differently and coercive practices reduced. Coercive practices include: community treatment orders, where a person may be medicated without consent and have their freedom of movement curtailed; and

Published: 24 March, 2026

health needs are intertwined, and responses need to be holistic with a wellbeing focus Support empowers people and their whānau A greater focus on social determinants could reduce demand for primary and community health services. Further work to achieve this vision needs to include: Funding and

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