Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry Report
Feedback on the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry Report and priorities for the transformation from people with lived experience and whānau
Balance Aotearoa and the Wellbeing Coalition Aotearoa were contracted by the Ministry of Health to gather feedback from people with lived experience of mental distress and addiction and whānau on the Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction. Around 100 people responded to questions via an online feedback and voting platform and a group of 28 leaders lived experience and whanau leaders recently met to discuss the report.
Overall support for the report but it has gaps and
shortcomings
Overall, people responded to the report with
feelings of ‘hope’ and ‘optimism’. They believe the
report presents an opportunity for whole of system
transformation.
But they also expressed concerns that some of the key messages in the report were not reflected in the recommendations and that some of the ‘big issues’ that matter to people with lived experience and whānau were not emphasised enough.
The 16 big issues that need more attention
In the transformation process people with lived experience and whānau want to see more emphasis and priority given to the sixteen big issues:
1. Ending forced
treatment rather than just ‘minimising’
it.
2. Developing advocacy and better processes to ensure
system accountability.
3. Ending the health-led system
and moving towards cross-sector and community led funding
and delivery.
4. Developing community-based replacements
to acute inpatient services.
5. Defining and providing
easy access to a broad range of responses.
6. Giving
priority to developing peer support.
7. Funding and
equipping whanau and communities, not just
services.
8. Honouring Ti Tiriti o Waitangi with tangible
actions to develop Māori for Māori solutions and equitable
outcomes.
9. Developing and funding lived experience and
whanau roles and a national lead agency.
10. Ensuring
people who use services have decision-making power with the
involvement of trusted whānau.
11. Focusing efforts on
children and young people.
12. Preventing and responding
to adverse childhood events (ACEs).
13. Stopping
inequities and discrimination.
14. Creating a
zero-suicide target.
15. Ensuring people with lived
experience lead the Mental Health and Wellbeing
Commission.
16. Developing a full co-production process
for the transformation, not just co-design.
The full report
Download the full 10-page report to the Ministry of Health and the Minister of Health here
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