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Published: January 2026

We have have created an up-to-date picture of the state of wellbeing for rangatahi and young people in Aotearoa.  View infographic online .    Download infographic (PDF 359KB).   Download infographic (Word 4.3MB) Topics covered in the infographic include rating of wellbeing

Published: 25 March, 2026

Following the release of the Government’s latest targets data this morning, Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is renewing its calls for increased urgency to improve access to services for young people. “While we are encouraged by workforce growth and acknowledge the

Published: 17 May, 2023

experienced admissions to adult facilities. “In the last year alone, 159 young people aged 12-17 years were admitted to adult mental health inpatient services – this is one quarter of young people who were admitted for inpatient mental health care. This is unacceptable. It needs to be zero. Adult and

Published: 4 November, 2025

. The challenge now is to connect those services into a cohesive national system that serves those who need it,” continued Orsborn.   The Commission reviewed a five-year period from January 2020 to December 2024 drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, and building on a scan of international

Published: 30 November, 2022

, and higher rates of access to youth services for rangatahi Māori.” While high quality access and choice requires culturally and socially appropriate service settings and delivery, it also requires a stable and well-trained workforce, sufficient staff, and professional sensitivity to do the job. “We

Published: 31 May, 2023

More people are accessing new services through the Access and Choice programme, however, there has been a decrease in people accessing specialist mental health and addiction services and other primary mental health services, and little or no change on other measures of service quality. This is

Published: 14 June, 2021

announce the appointment of Karen Orsborn as Chief Executive of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. The Board received many high-calibre applications and it’s an honour to have Karen take up this critical leadership role,” says Hayden Wano. Karen was previously Director Health Quality

Published: 24 March, 2026

development of primary responses to mental health and substance use needs. Think tank participants were: Kevin Hague, Hayden Wano, Karen Orsborn, Sonya Russell (Te Hiringa Mahara), Bryan Betty (General Practice NZ), Darryl Bishop (Ember Korowai Takatini), David Codyre (Tamaki Health), Glynis Sandland

Published: 1 October, 2020

established a Technical Advisory Network (TAN) to provide advice and expertise to develop the methods, measures and data sources for how we measure against He Ara Āwhina. This technical advisory network had a diverse membership that covered the broad scope of He Ara Āwhina, priority groups, and experience

Published: 23 October, 2024

. Alongside traditional inpatient care, there is a wide variety of peer-led, community-based, and Kaupapa Māori approaches we can draw on. Tāngata whaiora (people seeking wellness), have told us that an effective crisis response system has a number of important qualities. They want someone they can call