Whanau Oranga Hinengaro: Northern Region Maori ... - Network North

Whanau Oranga Hinengaro – Plan Refresh
Tawhiti rawa to haerenga ake te kore haere tonu
Nui rawa au mahi te kore mahi nui tonu
You have come too far not to go further
You have done too much not to do more - Ta Hemi Henare
Executive Summary
This Whanau Oranga Hinengaro: Northern Region Māori Mental
Health and Addictions Plan 2010 – 2015 recognises the many
opportunities for improving outcomes for tangata whaiora and
their whanau by supporting and influencing all those organisations
contributing to the development of mental health and addiction
services. These include the Ministry of Health (develop good policy
and facilitate intersectoral collaboration), Public Health Services
(health promotion and prevention), Primary Health Care (mild to
moderate mental illness), Mental Health Services (severe mental
illness), and NGO/Iwi services (support services).
Of particular relevance in the current environment is the focus on
primary care and its role in the overall health sector. The needs of
most people with mild to moderate mental needs are met in a primary
care setting and the Government has signalled that this position will
be strengthened. While integrating services and working together
across primary health care and secondary and social sectors is the
approach being encouraged and supported as a cornerstone of
health care provision, the infrastructure of the primary health sector
requires further development so as to be prepared for mental health
responsibilities.
However, it must be recognised that the gains made by investment in
services engaged with tangata whaiora with more serious conditions
must also be maintained and strengthened to ensure tangata whaiora
can access clinical expertise across all levels of need.
Māori knowledge, resources and people have an important and
distinctive contribution to make to mental health service provision
and this is recognised in the plan along with the need to embrace
innovation, opportunity and the development of kaupapa Māori
services for tangata whaiora.
Effective Māori mental health gains require culturally responsive
services, systems, training, education, relationships and
infrastructure. A dedicated Māori approach that draws from but is
not limited to western and clinical paradigms is required. To this end,
it relies heavily on a shared approach from the mental health sector
as a whole. Orienting the health sector to respond effectively to Māori
mental health needs will require the commitment of the wider mental
health workforce, and advanced competencies for mental health
practitioners. Such an approach will also contribute positively to
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