Podcasts about wellbeing commission

The latest report from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is out - and it doesn't make for good reading. Suicide rates remain high, with no significant decrease since 2018. Also, fatal drug overdoses rose by 88% between 2016 and 2023, and 16,000 fewer people accessed specialist mental health and addiction services in the 2023/23 financial year compared to 2020/21. So are we actually making progress on improving our mental health system, and what does the government plan to do? Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey joined Nick Mills to discuss the findings. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts say specialist addiction and mental health services need rapid improvement. New research from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has found three New Zealanders die every week due to accidental and preventable drug overdose, with fatalities up 88% from 2016 to 2023. At the same time, despite growing demands, fewer people are seeking specialist help. Commission CEO Karen Orsborn told Mike Hosking the biggest concern is the falling access to mental health and addiction services. She says they're seeing high vacancy rates, particularly for specialist staff and psychiatrists, and that has a big impact on the system. Orsborn says that's where they want to see some faster action. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drug overdose deaths have almost doubled in less than a decade and at the same time, the number of people accessing specialist help is trending downward. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission found 188 people died from an overdose in 2023. That's more than half the road toll, and more than twice the number of drowning deaths. Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm told Ryan Bridge we lose three New Zealanders every week to accidental and preventable drug overdose. She says at the same time there's been a decline in access to addiction services. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Access and Choice Programme, biggest investment in mental health in a generation, has now been in place for five years. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission released its final report on the programme rollout yesterday. The programme was funded from the 2019 wellbeing budget. You'll remember that, where more than a billion dollars, nearer to $2 billion, was committed to mental health support, to provide support for ‘mild to moderate' needs relating to mental health and problematic substance use or gambling in primary care and community settings. That's the official name for it. So you turn up to your GP, the GP says your corporeal self is not the issue, you need to shore up your mental wellbeing and instead of sending you away and then you have to make an appointment and wait, they can just hand you over to a mental health worker who's parked up right next door. It's is a really sound idea in principle. Did it work? Is it working? The answer appears to be, looking at the report, up to a point, yes, it is. The number of people seen per year by services has increased steadily over the last five years to more than 207,000 for the 23/24 financial year, but it does fall short of the programs target of 325,000. CEO of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, Karen Orsborn defended the program on the Mike Hosking breakfast yesterday and says the program is achieving what it's set out to do. “It does work. And we've heard some really, really positive feedback from the people who use these services. And so it is working for many people, it's just not getting to the number of people that it really needs to. And some of this is the way the service was designed – so having people in individual practices and people being able to access on the day and that's, there's not a steady flow of people always needing those services. So what we also need to use is some of the digital virtual tools to make sure that people are being fully utilised across the country. So there are some strengths in the model, but there's also some areas that need to improve.” And that's pretty much what the Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey said when he spoke to Early Edition yesterday. He said that when he was in opposition, he was broadly supportive of the Access and Choice Programme, but since becoming Minister, he's seen ways to improve it and to broaden its reach. “Looking forward, I think part of the solution is going to be digitising the Access and Choice Programme, shifting it online so that will enable the staff to have higher utilisation rates and see more people. What I want to see is that programme rolled out further. We want to hit its target of seeing 325,000 people. Not only that, one of my first targets, I've set five targets for mental health —first time in New Zealand would have mental health targets— is for people to be seen within one week of the service, so I want more people to be seen and seen quicker.” I guess the questions I have are, given the conversations we've had around the lack of support for parents looking for help for their children, for people looking for help and dealing with their mental wellbeing is, is it fit for purpose? Are you able to access the help when you need it? When it comes to the substance abuse, that's one aspect of mental health and wellbeing. When it comes to the problem gambling, it's another, when you've got children who are in pain that's a whole other area. When you've got people who are just struggling with the day-to-day life, that's a whole other area as well. There are so many different ways, just as there is with physical ill health, that you can be mentally unwell. Are the services there for those who need it across the broad spectrum? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A $664 million mental health programme seems to have challenges to address to help it reach its targets. The Access and Choice Programme received the five-year funding in Labour's 2019 'Wellbeing' Budget. It's aiming to support 325 thousand people per year, but during 2023-24 saw just over 207 thousand. Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission chief executive Karen Orsborn told Mike Hosking awareness is an issue. She says people don't always know where to go, and it's also about how GPs make it easier for patients to seek the support. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission shows the number of people accessing specialist mental health and addiction care is declining. Chief executive of the Commission Karen Orsborn spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Please join me as I speak with transracial, transnational displaced person Lina Vanegas, MSW and advocate. We talk about the intersection of transracial and transnational adoption, racism and colonialism and impacts on mental health and suicidal ideation. Lina can be found at: (12) Facebook Lina Vanegas Msw (@linaleadswithlove) • Instagram photos and videos Lina Vanegas - @linaleadswithlove : r/abolishadoption (reddit.com) as well as on X and other platforms @linaleadswithlove Mentioned in the episode: Mila | WHO: Adoption Survivors of Color + Global Majority WHAT: “Visualizing Adoption Abolition” Community Building Workshop WHEN: Saturday... | Instagram Mila | (This workshop is for BIPOC Adopted People Only.) We are offering an online workshop, “Visualizing Adoption Abolition” in collaboration... | Instagram Nos Buscamos – ONG Adoption fraud was widespread for many South Koreans adopted into Western countries, AP finds (nbcnews.com) Why China Is Banning Foreign Adoptions of Children - Newsweek The U.S. history of Native American Boarding Schools — The Indigenous Foundation History of Residential Schools | Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada NABSW_Trans-Racial_Adoption_1972_Position_(b).pdf (ymaws.com) Illegally adopted during Chile's dictatorship, they're now reuniting with biological families | AP News There are a great many more articles and resources referencing illegal adoptions, the sourcing of children of color from other countries for the purpose of adoption, and the coercive tactics employed by so-called Resource employees, who are hired to procure children for agencies. For people looking for lists of podcasts and other media produced by people of color and transnational adopted people, you can visit the site for Intercountry Adoption News, which maintains files and is an excellent source of news about transracial and transnational adoption. (13) Facebook The opinions of the host and their guest are just that, their opinions. The host is not a lawyer or mental health professional. If you or someone you know is feeling alone in navigating trauma and suicidal ideation, please seek support. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline | SAMHSA Mental health support: get help - Canada.ca UK Suicide & Crisis Helplines. Free, 24/7 Chat, Text & Phone (findahelpline.com) Mental health and suicide prevention contacts | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care RAINN | The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization Where to get support | Te Hiringa Mahara—Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (mhwc.govt.nz) Thank you for listening!

Dr Camie Heleski has worked in horse management and welfare research for over 25 years. She recently served on the FEI Ethics & Wellbeing Commission and she is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science. Additional information  D. Wayne Lucas - famous US racehorse trainer inducted into both Racing and QH Hall of Fame - Camie mentions him in her journey. Heleski, C. (2023) Social License to Operate–Why Public Perception Matters for Horse Sport–Some Personal Reflections, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 124, May 2023, 104266, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080623000576 Heleski, C. & Anthony, R. (2012) Science alone is not always enough: The importance of ethical assessment for a more comprehensive view of equine welfare, Journal of Veterinary Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2011.08.003 Luke et al (2022) New insights into ridden horse behaviour, horse welfare and horse-related safety. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105539, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105539 Mellor et al (2020) Five Domains Model of Animal Welfare, Animals, https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1870 A peak into the animal welfare competition developed by Camie Heleski https://www.avma.org/events/animal-welfare-assessment-contest

To mark RUOK Day 2024, we speak with Desi Vlahos, a lawyer, academic and two-time recipient of the Women in Law Award for “Wellness Advocate of the Year”. As a mental health first aider, the founder of Wellceum, a company that aims to help other organisations improve wellbeing, health and safety outcomes, and a Commissioner of the International Bar Associations' Wellbeing Commission, Desi has dedicated her career to tackling poor mental health among lawyers globally. On this episode of The Callover, join us as we speak about the current state of the profession and how we can do more to increase mental wellbeing across the profession.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission's released a report showing how funding from the 2019 Wellbeing Budget has been spent.   It shows 92% of the $1.9 billion has been spent or committed.   There's around $163 million that is unspent, and almost $62 million was set aside for capital works.   Chief Executive Karen Orsborn says they know there's a high degree of public interest in the funding, so they wanted to make that information available.   She says 57% —1.1-billion— went to health, and $800 million went to other government agencies.  Orsborn told Kerre Woodham that they've heard from people who have been using the services, as well as those in the sector, that the money has made a real difference.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Brainwaves we will be airing part of of the Woodcock Public Lecture, proudly presented by Wellways in May this year.As this week is Naidoc week we have taken part 1 to be alol about the poignont Welcome to Country by Stacie Piper, who is a proud Wurrundjeri, Djadjawarrung and Ngurai Illum-Wurrung woman, and Djirri Djirri Dancer. At the end of the epsode there is a little bit of what is to come in next week's show. You will hear from speaker Maggie Toko, a Commisioner at the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, and a descendant of the Ngati Whatua and Ngapuhi tribes, who are indigenous to Aotearoa (New Zealand). Maggie shars her vast Mental health industry experience and first-hand lived experience from a consumver and family/carer lens. You can hear Maggie speak in full next week on Brainwaves.

For their weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, Wire host Sofia speaks to ACT MP Laura Trask about public sector job cuts, military-style academies for youth offenders, and the Māori wards bill.  She also speaks to Dr Ella Cullen, the Director of Wellbeing System Leadership at Te Hiringa Mahara, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, about recent data on the state of youth mental wellbeing in Aotearoa She also speaks to Professor Michael Baker from the University of Otago about forming a global pandemic agreement and New Zealand's current COVID response system.  And she speaks to the Chair of the Coalition for the Safety of Women and Children, Leonie Morris, about the government introducing a bill to make stalking illegal in Aotearoa.  For this week's Get Action! producer Oto speaks to Dinithi Bowatte from Massey University about a petition of hers calling for the university to divest it's investments from the State of Israel. He also speaks to Rachel Mackintosh from E Tu Union to discuss the nationwide rallies for care and support workers this week. Whakarongo mai!

Last week, Te Hiringa Mahara - the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission - released data on the state of New Zealand youth mental health.  It found that while most rangatahi are doing well, there is a steady decline in youth wellbeing in comparison to older age groups more recently, with 1 in 5 young people experiencing higher rates of psychological distress. Wire host Sofia Roger Williams spoke to Dr Ella Cullen, the Director of Wellbeing System Leadership at Te Hiringa Mahara, about this data, the factors contributing to this, and how to better support rangatahi.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission's review of access to mental health services over the last five years has found that referrals to specialists have dropped despite increasing demand. New Zealand College of Psychiatrists chairperson Hiran Thabrew spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Thousands fewer people are being referred to specialist mental health providers despite increasing demand, a new report has found. Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission chief executive Karen Orsborn spoke to Corin Dann.

Workforce issues are resulting in fewer people accessing specialist mental health services.   A Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission report shows more people are receiving community-based care.   But access to specialist services dropped from 3.8% of people in 2018 and 19 to 3.4% in 2022 and 23.  Board chair Hayden Wano told Mike Hosking that workforce impacts are across the whole sector.   He says community providers and GPs are finding there's a higher threshold for their patients to be referred to specialist services.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More people are getting mental health support in primary care, but not as many are accessing specialist services.   A Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission report shows more people are receiving community-based care.   But access to specialist services dropped from 3.8% of people in 2018 and 19 to 3.4% in 2022 and 23.  Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive Shaun Robinson told Mike Hosking that new services at GP level have drawn resources from specialist services.   He says we keep putting money into one piece of it, but ignoring the whole system, therefore creating a hole elsewhere.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Hiringa Mahara, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, is calling for an end to enforced mental health treatment. A new report shows the standard six-month-long Compulsory Community Treatment Orders leave patients unable to make informed decisions around their care.  The orders are three times more likely to be enforced on Māori. Te Hiringa Mahara Board chair Hayden Wano spoke to Charlotte Cook.

A new report says funding for Māori mental health and addiction services is unfair, resulting in treatment inequalities for Māori. The report, by Te Hiringa Mahara, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, says about 30 percent of Māori experience mental distress to the point of mental illness in any year. It appeals for more funding for kaupapa Māori services - services by Māori, for Māori -  to help alleviate these high levels of mental ill health.   To discuss the report, Hayden Wano, Chair of Te Hiringa Mahara/Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Board spoke to Corin Dann.

Questions to Ministers TEANAU TUIONO to the Minister of Agriculture: Has he seen the call in the Climate Shift plan, released last week, to "Transition intensive dairying to low emissions farming by phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and imported animal feed, reducing herd size, and banning new large-scale irrigation schemes"; if so, does he support it? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? NICOLA WILLIS to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in all of his Ministers? Dr JAMES McDOWALL to the Minister of Immigration: Can football fans from non - visa waiver countries wishing to take advantage of this month's release of additional tickets for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup come to New Zealand to watch games that start in 28 days, and how many days does it currently take Immigration New Zealand, on average, to process 90 percent of visitor visa applications for non - visa waiver countries? SARAH PALLETT to the Minister for Women: How will Budget 2023 deliver for women? Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How many more people are on the jobseeker benefit today compared to September 2017, and how much higher are jobseeker benefit numbers expected to climb, according to Treasury's forecast from the Budget? TAMATI COFFEY to the Minister of Tourism: What recent announcement has been made regarding the tourism industry's transformation to be more environmentally responsible? MATT DOOCEY to the Minister of Health: Is it correct that reported waiting times for children seeking mental health treatment in the Wellington region increased from 28 days in 2018 to almost 70 days in 2022, and does she agree with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission's statement that "There are persistent workforce shortages, and we are yet to see a clear strategy and roadmap to grow and develop the workforce we so desperately need"? IBRAHIM OMER to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What recent announcements has she made in response to Iran's ongoing human rights abuses? PENNY SIMMONDS to the Minister of Education: What is the unaudited draft financial surplus or deficit for Te Pukenga for the financial year ended 31 December 2022? TERISA NGOBI to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What progress has the Government made for Kiwi consumers this week? HARETE HIPANGO to the Minister for Children: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions regarding Oranga Tamariki?

Taimi Allan is CEO of Changing Minds, a Charitable NGO governed and operated by people with lived experience of mental distress and addiction. As someone who identifies as having thrived because of, not despite, her own Lived Experience, Taimi champions Lived Experience Leadership and is known for leading with humility and compassion. Amongst other innovative programmes, Taimi envisioned Whakatau Mai, the world's first peer-supported holistic, online and fully accessible wellbeing sessions, Rākau Roroa, New Zealand's lived experience leadership initiative, and recoVRy, a Virtual Reality platform that allows the viewer to walk in the shoes of someone experiencing distress.  Taimi works on mental health system transformation via various strategic governance positions including the Permanent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission and the Suicide Mortality Review Committee. Featured in M2 Woman Magazine as a global thought-leader, she was awarded a New Zealander of the year Local Hero Medal in 2021. Taimi's history in film, theatre and television, means she often uses the arts as a safe vehicle to help audiences understand and see value in challenging experiences. Her creative work includes the world's first International Mental Health Arts Festival ‘The Big reTHiNK' as featured in MiNDFOOD Magazine and collaborating on and the annual Atawhai festival. Learn more about Taimi: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/taimi-allan

Just $15 million of the $500 million allocated to build or upgrade 12 mental health facilities has so far been spent by the government. Mass overhauls were promised in 2019 to upgrade  facilities described as old and overcrowded, but as of two weeks ago, only nine of the twelve projects funded have had any money spent on them. Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission chief executive Karen Orsborn spoke to Craig McCulloch.

Taimi is the Tumu Whakarae (Director) at Ember Innovations and is a board member of Te Hiringa Mahara Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission of Aotearoa New Zealand. Starting her career as an air hostess with Ansett and Qantas, Taimi has become one of the leading minds in the mental health sector. With over 17 years experience in mental health and addiction services, e-Health, Suicide prevention, Leadership service and programme design and implementation Taimi is uniquely qualified to share her thoughts on the landscape of mental health services now and the value people with lived experience bring to the table. Taimi is a firm believer that if you have a great idea the world should know about it and that experiences enable (not disable) people to innovate. It was a great pleasure to sit down for this discussion with Taimi and I hope you enjoy the episode. Welcome Taimi Allan.

Taimi Allan is CEO of Changing Minds, a Charitable NGO governed and operated by people with lived experience of mental distress and addiction. As someone who identifies as having thrived because of, not despite, her own Lived Experience, Taimi champions Lived Experience Leadership and is known for leading with humility and compassion. Amongst other innovative programmes, Taimi envisioned Whakatau Mai, the world's first peer-supported holistic, online and fully accessible wellbeing sessions, Rākau Roroa, New Zealand's lived experience leadership initiative, and recoVRy, a Virtual Reality platform that allows the viewer to walk in the shoes of someone experiencing distress.  Taimi works on mental health system transformation via various strategic governance positions including the Permanent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission and the Suicide Mortality Review Committee. Featured in M2 Woman Magazine as a global thought-leader, she was awarded a New Zealander of the year Local Hero Medal in 2021. Taimi's history in film, theatre and television, means she often uses the arts as a safe vehicle to help audiences understand and see value in challenging experiences. Her creative work includes the world's first International Mental Health Arts Festival ‘The Big reTHiNK' as featured in MiNDFOOD Magazine and collaborating on and the annual Atawhai festival. Learn more about Taimi: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/taimi-allan

Access to primary mental health services is improving but still has a long way to go.  The Government spent more than $600 million on the Access and Choice mental health programme in the 2019 wellbeing budget.  Te Hiringa Mahara/The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission says the programme is growing, but the number of patients seen is still below targets.  Around 114,000 people were seen this year, but that's still 40,000 people short of the goal. Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission chair Hayden Wano spoke to Corin Dann.

A lack of labour is putting mounting pressure on mental health and addiction services. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has reviewed the progress of the Access and Choice programme, three years into its roll-out. The report finds capacity has improved in under-supported areas, but, it also shows nearly 800 more full time staff are needed by the end of June 2024. Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Chair Hayden Wano told Mike Hosking there needs to be a focus on labour meeting the demand. He says they're going to need a focused workforce plan with sustained leadership from the Government and the system itself. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we reported earlier this hour, there are no more acute beds for mental health patients than there were in 2017 despite 235 million dollars being set aside for mental health facilities in the 2019 Budget. Earlier, Health Minister Andrew Little admitted the sector had been slow to make progress. The Director of Mental Health and Addiction Leadership at the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, Tanya Maloney, spoke to Kim Hill

The Auditor-General is to launch an inquiry into how mental health and addiction services are working for young people.It comes after National's mental health spokesman Matt Doocey wrote to the Auditor-General, Parliament's independent spending watchdog, to look at the $1.9 billion for mental health allocated in the 2019 Budget.The Auditor-General normally looks at whether laws might have been broken around the spending of public money, not the merits of individual spending decisions.In a letter published today, John Ryan said he believed there was already sufficient oversight of that Government investment, through reviews by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Implementation Unit, and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, which recently reported that investment had not seen improvements "materialise" as hoped.Rather than duplicate the processes, Ryan said his office would focus on the effectiveness of mental health and addiction services for young people "a group with an increasing need for mental health support".National's mental health spokesman Matt Doocey. Photo / SuppliedHe would also closely monitor mental health and addiction services through the current health reforms.Doocey said he was satisfied with the response, especially with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission recently reporting alongside an increase in young people accessing mental health services they faced longer wait times.In 2020/21 just 65 per cent of people aged under 19 were seen in the first three weeks of their referral - below the 80 per cent target, and 87 per cent within eight weeks - below 95 per cent target.He was also pleased to see a focus on the health reforms, with the Commission and Mental Health Foundation recently raising concerns.After Doocey first wrote the letter, Health Minister Andrew Little said the spending had already been reviewed six times across a range of reviews.He described the call for yet another review as a "meaningless stunt from a party that left our mental health services in an appalling state, handing us with the task of a major rebuild".Little made similar comments today, calling it "simply another cheap stunt by Matt Doocey and the National Party"."All this shows is they're not serious about building a better mental health system."Doocey said it was justified given the Auditor-General previously asking questions about the investment in a report.Doocey said he had also been blocked three times by Labour when he tried to get the Health Select Committee to look into various mental health issues, including the concerns raised about spending.The Government's 2019 budget boost was in response to the Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction (He Ara Oranga), which estimated the annual cost of serious mental illness, including addiction, at $12 billion.Health Minister Andrew Little. Photo / Mark MitchellLittle himself has voiced frustration about the slow pace with which parts of the $1.9b mental health package announced in 2019 was being rolled out – in particular the $235m set aside for building new mental health and addiction facilities, and lack of new spaces being added. After that, steps were put in place to try to fast-track some of those measures.Doocey said new information he'd received showed poor recruitment efforts in the sector."In the last four years, the Government has only added the equivalent of fewer than two fulltime psychiatrists and 13 fulltime psychologists to the workforce."He said despite 234 new mental health nurses, 452 left last year."This is devastating for those trapped on ballooning waitlists and their families."The Government needs a plan for growing the workforce and addressing our urgent mental health challenges."- by Michael Neilson, NZ Herald

Officials trying to revamp the country's mental health services are being accused of being a 'sloth at the helm of the titanic.' But they say it's a long term project. A report released today, questions why $1.9 billion of investment in the 2019 Wellbeing budget, hasn't seen improvements "materialise" as hoped. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has found long wait times for specialist support, more prescriptions being handed out for anti-depressants, and more Māori being put into solitary confinement. Katie Todd reports.

The Health Minister is defending the Government's progress on mental health. A Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission report released today shows improvements haven't "materialised" as hoped. That's despite an almost two-billion-dollar package announced in 2019. Andrew Little told Andrew Dickens it's a four-year programme – and money's so far gone on mild to moderate issues. “They are quite rightly saying that we still have work to do on the specialist and acute end, and they are right about that, and we have work ongoing on that at the moment. It was always going to be the hardest fix and the longest-term fix.” LISTEN ABOVE 

With mental health services straining under the pressures - the government's trying to ramp up what's on offer. Firstly - Health Minister Andrew Little launched a recruitment drive for mental health nurses - aimed at getting more nurses graduates into the field. And just a few hours ago he rolled out two apps - groove and habit to help people suffering mental distress. But it comes on the same day the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission released a report saying that little meaningful has come for the money that's been thrown at the sector. Joining Lloyd is Health Minister Andrew Little...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission released a blistering report into the mental health sector which essentially says that despite the government throwing money at mental health and addiction services in the 2019 Budget, nothing significant has materialised. Joining Lloyd to discuss this is the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission's Chief Executive Karen Orsborn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission calls for stronger action to "transform" key areas of the mental health and addiction system. In the last year for which we have data nearly 2.1 million antidepressants were dispensed in New Zealand. Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission chief executive Karen Osborn spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Mental Health & Wellbeing Commission Expert Advisory Group Chair, Sharon Shea joins us now on #PacificDays to talanoa about the recently released Te Rau Tira Wellbeing Outcomes Report 2021 by the Mental Health & Wellbeing Commission. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report-card into the wellbeing of New Zealanders finds a concerningly large minority of people and communities with persistently poor wellbeing. The report by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is the first of its kind. It finds that while most communities in Aotearoa tend to experience good wellbeing most of the time, a number of groups do not including young people, veterans, rainbow communities, Maori and Pacific peoples, rural communities and the disabled. Kathryn speaks with Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Board Chair, Hayden Wano and chair of the Commission's Expert Advisory Group, Sharon Shea, who is also the co-chair of the Maori Health Authority.

A new report-card into the wellbeing of New Zealanders finds a concerningly large minority of people and communities with persistently poor wellbeing. The report by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is the first of its kind. It finds that while most communities in Aotearoa tend to experience good wellbeing most of the time, a number of groups do not including young people, veterans, rainbow communities, Maori and Pacific peoples, rural communities and the disabled. Kathryn speaks with Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Board Chair, Hayden Wano and chair of the Commission's Expert Advisory Group, Sharon Shea, who is also the co-chair of the Maori Health Authority.

Mental Health Awareness Week kicks off tomorrow, and over the last week the government has had quite a bit to say about mental health. Not all that was put up was as positive as the government made out.We saw the government's Implementation Unit – which monitors their delivery of certain projects - release a review of its $1.9 billion Mental Health and Addiction package, and claim it's making strong progress.In 2018 the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction took place. The inquiry aimed to set a clear direction for the next five to 10 years for the Government, the mental health and addiction sectors, and the whole community. In 2019 1.9 billion was allocated to address the 40 proposed recommendations.Mental Health Foundation CEO Shaun Robinson told Heather Du Plessis-Allan on Friday afternoon that the government were putting a “positive gloss” on progress.According to Mr Robinson, almost nothing has happened on 23 of the recommendations.The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission welcomed the release of this latest review, and while they note the overall picture shows progress and initiatives are on track, they too say steps need to be taken to speed up delivery in certain areas.When it comes to parts of the government inquiry – such as increasing services and infrastructure - things do take time. There's no getting around it and unfortunately improvement is probably still another couple of years away.But the reality is also that we'll likely never have enough staff and resources to care immediately for everyone in distress, which is why addressing the causes of mental health issues and empowering communities to help deal with it is just as important.Who knows why the Ministry of Health has been floundering around the mental health issue for the last couple of years, but on Wednesday Andrew Little announced a new comprehensive ten-year plan for mental health called called Kia Manawanui. It offers a short, medium and long term road map or pathway for mental health in NZ.The Minister also announced the creation of an external oversight group to keep this plan on track, and that's good, but we still don't have an action plan, a timeline and more specific targets to help them do this.It might be a few years too late and, devastatingly, it won't help those sitting on a waiting list right now, but while by no means perfect this is the most focused we've see the government on mental health.And that's got to give us some hope.

TW: this episode contains discussion about mental health and suicide.Academic Dr Jemaima Tiatia-Seath joins me on this episode to talk all things suicide prevention and the importance of taking a culture-first approach. Jemaima is of Samoan descent and is a member of the inaugural Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. She was also one of six panellists on the New Zealand Government's 2018 Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry.As well as her work in suicide prevention, we dive into her personal experiences of being brown and female in academia. She spoke openly about this topic a few months ago for a talk she gave for Raising the Bar, a worldwide series that invites top academics to step out of their lecture rooms and into local bars/cafes to share their knowledge with the public.You can listen to a version of her talk here.Mental health resourcesFor mental health and suicide resources, please visit and contact Lifeline or The Mental Health Foundation. You can also call 0800 LIFELINE (0800 543 354) or text 4357 for support. 0508 TAUTOKO (0508 828 865) is a free, 24/7 helpline for any person who is thinking about or attempted suicide, concerned about or supporting someone else or who is recently bereaved by suicide.There are more mental health helplines and support services here.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission was established earlier this year as part of the government's response to He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction (He Ara Oranga). The Commission provides system-level oversight of mental health and wellbeing in New Zealand and hold the government of the day and other decision makers to account for the mental health and wellbeing of people in New Zealand. The Chair of the Commission Board, Hayden Wano, earlier this month announced the appointment of its new Tumu Whakarae-Chief Executive for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. Karen Orsborn steps into the Chief Executive role from 1 July after leading the Commission's establishment efforts as Acting Chief Executive since it opened in February. Throughout 2020, she also led the early set-up phase as Head of Secretariat for the Initial Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission (Initial Commission). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The long-awaited results of the Government inquiry into mental health and addiction have been released, and they show a rising tide of mental distress and addiction that can't be fixed by the government or health system alone. Among its recommendations are urgently implementing a national suicide prevention strategy, reforming the Mental Health Act and establishing a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission to act as a watchdog. The report exposes links between social deprivation, trauma, exclusion and increasing levels of mental distress. It says our wellbeing is being further undermined by aspects of modern life, such as loss of community, isolation and loneliness.Also, an internal National Party email has been leaked to the Herald, showing instructions from the party's chief press secretary on how MPs should talk to media about fresh bullying allegations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.