Initial Mental Health And Wellbeing Commission Welcomes Report On Mental Health & Addiction Services

The Mental Health Commissioner has 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 Oranga, the inquiry into mental health and addiction.

“We welcome the Mental Health Commissioner’s report and commend their monitoring and advocacy roles over a large and complex system,” says Mr Wano. “The report mirrors what we are hearing and seeing in the mental health and wellbeing system – progress has been made in response to He Ara Oranga, but there is a lot of work to do before people on the ground can see change.”

“He Ara Oranga called upon leaders to transform the mental health and addiction sector so that we’re supporting a wellbeing system – one that responds to peoples’ unique needs, no matter who they are or where they live,” says Mr Wano.

“While change is happening, we want to see Government strengthening the commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi by partnering with Māori and people with lived experience of mental health and addiction to design services – and a system – that everyone can trust.”

When established, the permanent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission will be responsible for monitoring mental health and addiction services. The Commission will be up and running in 2021.

“We thank the Mental Health Commissioner for supporting the establishment of the Commission and we will continue working together to ensure that their duties are transferred seamlessly to the permanent Commission,” says Mr Wano.

The Initial Commission is releasing a report, Upholding the Wero Laid in He Ara Oranga, on Thursday 25 June 2020. This report describes progress of Government’s response to He Ara Oranga and offers advice for Government to consider in these early days of system transformation.

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