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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: 8 December, 2021

experience good wellbeing, most of the time. The report also found that a concerningly large minority of people and communities experience persistently poor wellbeing. “This may not come as a surprise to many, but that does not make it any less concerning,” says Board Chair, Hayden Wano. “When a person

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: 23 October, 2024

Government recently announced that six new Crisis Recovery Cafés will be rolled out around the country over the next two years. The benefits of this type of care model are examined in our recently released insights paper on acute options for mental health care. Our Lived Experience team prepared

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: March 2024

  Watch our fourth recording in the Te Huringa Tuarua webinar series - 19 October 2023. Learn about the impacts of inequitable investment and what it will take to improve service options for Māori. Ākona ngā tukinga o ngā tōritenga haumi me te huarahi e anga ai tātou ki te whakapai ake i ngā

Published: 10 March, 2026

In this article Karen Orsborn, Chief Executive, outlines what needs to be done to promote online safety for rangatahi and young people.  Online spaces are now integrated into many young people’s lives, and Aotearoa New Zealand has some of the highest rates of youth engagement in online media

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

Published: January 2026

Executive of Te Hiringa Mahara. During 2020, Karen led the establishment of Te Hiringa Mahara as Head of Secretariat for the Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. Karen has held a variety of health management and leadership roles that focus on improving outcomes for people through working

Published: 9 April, 2025

statement in response to planned changes. People in acute mental health distress need access to the services and help they need in a timely way. Strengthening the health led crisis responses is the right direction to head. We are keeping a close eye on the implementation of changes being made by NZ