The delivery of mental health and addiction services for Māori is a key area for positive change in Aotearoa New Zealand.    

Oranga Hinengaro, in essence, is mental wellbeing from Māori perspectives. 

We are striving for a future where mental health services are informed by the mahi and views of people with lived experience, whānau bereaved by suicide, as well as clinical and cultural perspectives.  

Suicide prevention    

Māori suicide rates are twice that of non-Māori groups.  

Māori disproportionately bear the burden of suicide – in terms of lives lost, risk to loved ones, and bereavement of whānau, friends and communities.   

Te Aka Whai Ora is working on approaches consistent with mātauranga Māori to:  

  • review the national approach to Māori suicide prevention  
  • invest in suicide prevention to reduce the rate of suicide, suicidal behaviour, and the impact of suicide on communities.

Improving suicide prevention services will benefit not only Māori, but all people in Aotearoa New Zealand.  

Kia Piki te Ora     

Our Kia Piki te Ora kaupapa Māori suicide prevention services aim to build resilience within whānau Māori, hapū, and hapori, and reduce the impact of suicide on communities.   

The design and delivery of these services is based on the unique needs of individual communities and is not predetermined by Te Aka Whai Ora. 

Currently, we are investing in 23 Kia Piki te Ora hauora Māori partners, delivering across 24 sites throughout the motu.  

Access and choice    

The needs of whānau with mild to moderate mental health and addiction have long been neglected. 

Te Aka Whai Ora funds access and choice psychosocial services that address both the emotional and social needs of individuals. They empower whānau to use their own resources, enhance resilience, and make informed decisions.  

Services include: 

  • psychosocial first aid 
  • rongoā Māori
  • counselling 
  • supervision 
  • mirimiri, and  
  • wairua services.  

We manage the contracts for 33 kaupapa Māori mental health and addiction services across the motu.  

Aroā    

Rangatahi Māori are our future leaders. We support them to thrive by investing in programmes that improve their mental health and wellbeing outcomes.  

Aroā Wellbeing is a digital resource developed for rangatahi Māori, by rangatahi Māori. 

It provides wellbeing tools and resources in a welcoming and non-judgemental space.  

Aroā is a direct response to increasing distress and declining mental health outcomes reported among rangatahi Māori, especially resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Lived experience    

Whānau with lived experience of mental health and/or addiction issues bring a strength and knowledge that can support and uplift the Oranga Hinengaro hauora sector.  

Te Aka Whai Ora is looking to invest in opportunities for kaimahi with lived experience to provide leadership and frontline support for whānau Māori, including those in mental distress or experiencing an acute mental health episode.  

Hāpaitia  

Te Aka Whai Ora is leading this equity project to support and strengthen specialist mental health services to achieve fairer outcomes for tāngata whaiora and whānau.    

We are visiting all 26 adult mental health inpatient and five forensic units across the motu to gain an understanding of how adult acute specialist mental health services are delivering care to whānau. 

Our insights, including the impacts of the physical environment where care is delivered, will be used to strengthen existing services where needed and to build or develop capability.  

Governance for this project includes national leaders from hospital and specialist services, clinical and mental health services, alongside lived experience and hauora Māori partner leaders.