Te Ara Oranga Supreme Winner

Media Release

15 November, 2018

An initiative to reduce the hold that methamphetamine has over the Northland region, Te Ara Oranga was awarded the Cedric Kelly Supreme Award at the 2018 Northland Health and Social Innovation Bi-annual Awards at Forum North on Wednesday.

The bi-annual Awards are a collaboration between Northland District Health Board, NorthAble Disability Services, Manaia Health and Te Tai Tokerau PHO’s who come together to celebrate and profile quality, innovation and integration across the Te Tai Tokerau health and social sectors.

Te Ara Oranga had a successful evening, also winning the Collaboration Award which recognises outstanding examples of collaboration within departments in the health service and /or between primary and secondary services that have contributed to service improvements or better health outcomes.

Te Ara Oranga is a joint initiative between New Zealand Police and Northland DHB who work together to reduce methamphetamine demand by enhancing clinical treatment services and increasing responsiveness.

The successful model enables police to refer people to treatment, with referral times reduced from 2-3 weeks to 24-48 hours. Pou whānau Connectors and Whānau Groups are employed to work in the community to support users with a focus on placing people into jobs or work training to encourage a positive pathway for the future. Dedicated methamphetamine focused clinicians work across Northland to ensure early intervention screening in the Emergency departments.

As at the end of September 2018, there had been

- 68 Arrests
- 25 Firearms seized
- 62 Search Warrants
- 23 Reports of Concern for 53 Children
- 208 Police referrals to the DHB for treatment
- 2601 people screened in ED
- 681 cases are being managed by methamphetamine focus clinicians
- 67 new referrals to Employment Works and 23 people into new work.

The initiative theme song ‘Let’s make a change’ is helping support the model to deliver the key messages through social media networks.

The awards evening was jam packed with winners taking to the stage to accept their awards from sponsors acknowledging this very important work that our health and social sector achieves for the Northland community.

The five award categories were Hauora Māori, Social Innovation, Quality and Improvement and Primary Care highlighted successful projects, groups and individuals from community and iwi organisations, general practice, and non-government and government agencies. There was a focus and emphasis on the projects of work that are proving positive in bridging the gap between health inequities particularly for Māori in our region.

By addressing the issues and putting systems and people in place to acknowledge the work that needs to be achieved is a huge step forward to improving the overall health of our region and the future of our people.

Celebrating innovation was a key element of the awards and with project winners being acknowledged for their contribution to social good, creating social wellbeing for Māori and improving social outcomes.

The innovative initiatives that won their categories were acknowledged because these successful projects were formulated to reach the community in a way that people buy in to them, which ultimately leads towards improving health statistics, reducing hospital admissions and lengths of stay in our hospitals and our people being educated to make healthy lifestyle choices for a better future.

Craig Crawford was also a big winner on the night, taking home the Air New Zealand mystery draw of $1000 dollars worth of travel.

All category and award details are available on the DHB website at this link.

ENDS

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