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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: January 2026

populations who are at greater risk of experiencing poorer mental health and wellbeing. Board members are appointed for their governance and mental health and wellbeing sector expertise but do not act as representatives or advocates for specific communities. They do, of course, draw on their perspectives

Published: 30 June, 2022

people are forced or pressured to do something. This can include forced medication, solitary confinement, forced electroconvulsive therapy, physical restraint, mechanical restraint, and environmental restraint such as locked units. Coercive practises also include influencing decision making in a

Published: 4 November, 2025

Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, is calling for a cohesive national mental health crisis response system by June 2027. “A highly effective crisis response system is at the heart of mental health and addiction services. When people are in crisis it is often where the

Published: February 2026

Download the report Acute options for mental health care insights paper Our insights paper on acute options that can provide an alternative to acute inpatient care. Report This insights report focuses on acute mental health service options that can provide an alternative to acute inpatient care

Published: 1 November, 2023

to seek help. This could be through a health service, online, calling a helpline, or other service. We will use the information we collected to advocate for changes to the mental health and addiction system in Aotearoa.  Keep an eye out for our mental health and addiction service monitoring

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

Published: 2 February, 2022

advocated strongly for addressing persistent inequities existing within the system and meeting the needs of people who are underserved by the system. “While the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill is a chance to prepare for a system that best serves those whose health outcomes are deteriorating, it is important

Published: 20 May, 2025

are failing to address well-established high rates of suicide and mental distress among our young people as a nation. There is overwhelming evidence to show that psychological distress and mental wellbeing for young people is declining over time. New Zealand’s high suicide rates was one of the

Published: 29 June, 2023

to draw on this workforce’s unique first-hand understanding of distress, addiction and recovery, and to substantially grow and better support this crucial workforce.  “There is a strong case for the peer workforce to play a greater role in supporting people experiencing mental distress or