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Published: 24 September, 2021

-appropriate acute care for when people do become unwell. These services and solutions give us choice as to how we are cared for and supported.” The Commission believes there is a need to look at new and different ways of how people are cared for in inpatient settings to improve how existing bed capacity is

Published: 30 June, 2022

does not cause harm. Distress A state of experiencing thoughts, feelings (e.g. hopelessness), and / or experiences (e.g. hearing voices) that are challenging for the person or whānau affected by them. The use of the term distress includes the following terms used by other agencies: mild, moderate

Published: August 2025

Statement, updated in 2025, outlines what we will do to uphold these commitments to lived experience communities. In all our work, we prioritise the voices and interests of people who experience mental distress, substance harm, gambling harm or addiction. Through our Lived Experience Position

Published: 16 February, 2024

Recommendations in the Meeting the mental health needs of young New Zealanders report released yesterday by the Auditor General show there is a long way to go to ensure every young person who needs support can access it.  “We’ve got to do everything we can to ensure rangatahi and young people

Published: 5 June, 2024

picture of the system available. More New Zealanders are accessing mental health or addiction support from a GP or other primary health provider. The Access and Choice programme, newly established in 2019/20, provided support to around 186,000 people in 2022/23. However, the number of people

Published: 15 December, 2025

When people gathered at the Hauora hinengaro: He ara tūroa conference in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland in early November, it was a first for more than one reason. The day-long event was the first-time people from across the mental health and addiction sector have met to look at how crisis responses are

Published: 1 October, 2020

mental health services and addiction services, what we should include in our monitoring approach, and how we should go about our monitoring work. Ninety-seven individuals and groups gave feedback through a discussion document, at lived experience focus groups, as well as hui and talanoa with Māori

Published: 5 June, 2024

important questions about why there is a disconnect between an increasing need for mental health and addiction support and a decrease in people accessing specialist services. We continue to hear about barriers, such as long waiting lists, not knowing how or where to get support, the stigma of

Published: 17 June, 2020

The Mental Health Commissioner has today released a report , providing insights about mental health and addiction services. Chair of the Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, Mr Hayden Wano, says that this report is timely and signals how Government can enhance the response to He Ara

Published: 10 March, 2026

the world. There is no turning back the clock. Yet the downsides of the online world for young people are well known and how to address these is now playing out on the international stage. With France recently following in Australia's footsteps by introducing an age-based ban on social media, this