Search

Published: February 2026

published 30 June 2022 and describes what an ideal mental health and addiction system looks like. This will be used to assess, monitor, and advocate for improvements to the mental health and addiction system of Aotearoa, including services. He Ara Āwhina amplifies the most important voices – tāngata

Published: November 2025

As an independent Crown Entity, Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is required to publish a Statement of Intent (SOI) covering a period of four years, an annual Statement of Performance Expectations (SPE), as well as an Annual Report. Statement of Intents Statement of

Published: March 2024

  Watch our second recording in the Te Huringa Tuarua webinar series - 5 October 2023. Find out how we can realise the potential of the peer support workforce in Aotearoa New Zealand.   We released our peer support workforce insights paper in June this year. This paper brings

Published: February 2026

Wellbeing Commission will be publishing on the Access and Choice programme, as the five-year roll-out period is now complete. Te Hiringa Mahara released reports in October 2021 and November 2022 to provide independent updates on the implementation of the programme. This report builds on our two previous

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: January 2026

In 2025 we finalised an updated organisational strategy. This covers the four years to 2029 and sets out how we will achieve our vision and mission. The 2025-2029 Statement of Intent reflects this refreshed direction. Agreement to a new strategy followed a thorough review process, consultation and

Published: 14 June, 2021

Commission set to move forward on advancing Aotearoa’s wellbeing agenda The Chair of the Commission Board, Hayden Wano, has today announced the appointment of its new Tumu Whakarae - Chief Executive for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. Karen Orsborn steps into the Chief Executive role

Published: 1 October, 2020

and Pacific communities. People told us: Support starts and continues with people and communities, not services. The former Mental Health Commissioner’s framework was viewed as being too narrow but was something that could be refined and built upon. The voices of Māori and tāngata whaiora are crucial

Published: 13 December, 2023

Te Hiringa Mahara Chief Executive Karen Orsborn shares highlights from our 2022-23 Annual Report. In our second full year we have ramped up our efforts as kaitiaki of mental health and wellbeing in Aotearoa. In this short note I am sharing some of the highlights from the 2022-23 year, with our full

Published: 16 June, 2022

In early June we provided an article on coercive practices to the New Zealand Herald for consideration as part of its Great Minds campaign on mental health. The article, by our Chief Executive Karen Orsborn, pointed out that coercive practices continue in Aotearoa New Zealand despite evidence they