Nothing will change nor improve in mental health services without authentic Māori leadership and partnership
9th August 2017 - Te Huarahi o te Kete Pounamu Māori an independent voice of Māori with lived experience of mental illness and mental
health services and Te Rau Matatini are facilitating meaningful discussions in the pursuit of optimum health outcomes
for Māori.
Te Huarahi o te Kete Pounamu provides Māori with lived experience of mental illness and mental health services an
independent voice at a national level to improve health services and Māori health outcomes
Publically and politically much has been in the media about the issues in mental health services, and the challenges for
Māori. Te Huarahi o te Kete Pounamu questions who is deciding on methods, systems and outcomes to improve mental health
services when there is minimum Māori participation and leadership in the design and development phases?
Te Huarahi o te Kete Pounamu provide decades of diverse lived experiences with whānau, mental health services and life.
It is their belief through lived experiences Māori will have the solutions to improve mental health services, but if
they are not included at the beginning of finding solutions then the opportunities to partner with Māori in a mana
enhancing manner will not provide the broader perspectives and authentic involvement of Māori. And there will be little
difference to what is already being provided in mainstream constructs. Whilst investment, strategies and models are
being sought to improve mental health services, and people draw from overseas models there will continue to be little
depth of understanding of tangata whenua, let alone contribute to Māori led programmes and services that will contribute
to the recovery and wellbeing for Māori.
ENDS