Speech: Launch of Oranga Hinengaro o te Matau a Maui

As we flew into Napier this morning, I looked out for those beautiful bright red blooms which we associate with the pohutukawa.

 

The pohutukawa always trigger an association with long summer days, the splendour of the blazing red blooms reminding us of holidays with whanau; and for those who partake, of course the pohutukawa in bloom tell us the kina will be full, fat and sweet.

 

But as we all know, the blooms eventually drop, as the cycle of growth and development continues on.

 

I speak of pohutukawa, knowing that the Maori mental health and addiction national strategic framework takes its inspiration from these same blossoms - Te Puäwaiwhero.

 

The framework draws on the metaphor of the pohutukawa to provide direction to the sector about the importance of understanding the life journey for our whanau and tangata whaiora living with mental illness and addiction.

 

Just as we look to our pohutukawa and our other environmental tohu to know when are the times to fish, to harvest, to impose rahui; so too, must we must vigilant about watching out for nga ahuatanga Maori in the pursuit of better outcomes for whanau ora.

 

Today, is a critical step in the journey to ensure that Maori families are supported to reach their maximum health and wellbeing.

 

I am so proud to be here, to be part of the celebration that we recognise in launching Oranga Hinengaro o Te Matau a Maui.

 

It is appropriate, given the location of this launch, to firstly acknowledge Christine Te Ariki, Alayna Watene and all of the team that make up Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga, for your capacity to deliver; to be brave; to hold true to your vision to be like the hawk and to see beyond the horizon, Te Haaro o te Kaahu.

 

It is because of this vision that you have demonstrated innovation in oranga niho; you have sought a community strategic partnership with the Hawkes Bay Regional Council; you have instituted a rahui on smoking at your sites across the Hastings region.

 

And so, why should anyone be surprised that today we are witnessing another first.

 

For today, we are gathered to officially open a kaupapa Maori community adult mental health clinical service for the Hawkes Bay.

 

But this is not just another service.

 

This is not just another opening.

 

The undertaking to devolve a core Crown secondary mental health service to a Maori non-governmental health provider is the first of its kind.

 

Today, Oranga Hinengaro o te Matau a Maui represents the opening of the door to a whole new pathway ahead.

 

But in case anyone is the slightest bit nervous about walking through that door, let me assure everyone that the groundwork has been well and truly traversed for this day to happen.

 

The core Maori provider network involved in this initiative consists of six key kaupapa Maori providers who are already delivering a range of mental health services to our whanau, hapu and iwi.

 

That collective consists of:

- Kahungunu Executive – Wairoa

- Te Whatuiapiti Trust – central Hawkes Bay

- Te Taiwhenua o te Whanganui a Orotu – Napier

- Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga – Hastings

- Hauora o te Wheke a Nuku – Rongomaiwahine

- Manaaki House – Wairoa Society for Drug and Alcohol

 

This powerful team of Maori NGO Hinengaro providers is to be congratulated not just for the passion and the energy that they have already demonstrated in doing what they can to enhance the healthy gains for the people of the Hawkes Bay; they are also to be commended for their shared vision to work together.

 

A vision which is marked by a commitment to kotahitanga.

 

A vision which is shaped by aspirations to provide an effective and robust iwi mandated environment in the Hawkes Bay.

 

And an opportunity to work closely in a partnership model with the Hawkes Bay District Health Board, through a joint clinical governance committee, and a joint Clinical Director.

 

I have to say, I am very excited by this development, to deliver specialist kaupapa Maori mental health and addiction services across the Maori provider network of this rohe.

 

It represents to me the approach that I believe is so necessary in achieving real, tangible outcomes – working together, pooling resources, firmly focused on the end goal of supporting whanau to achieve their maximum health and wellbeing.

 

With this new service, assessment, intervention and consultation will be available to whanau in Wairoa, Napier, Hastings and Central Hawkes Bay.

 

Tangata whaiora will have a choice of services – and can refer themselves, or with the support of their whanau – or from other sources such as from GPs, agencies and other providers.

 

Once in through the door, the emphasis is all about wellness.

 

It is an emphasis on supporting our whanau to live longer; to experience a better quality of life, and to be well-informed about mental health and wellbeing.

 

We all know that the prevalence, severity and burden of mental illness amongst our whanau has been disproportion to other populations – and that there are many reasons for this – not the least being the adverse impact of discrimination and the relentless hardship created by poverty.

 

The barriers and access issues for tangata whaiora and whanau have dragged us down for far too long.

 

There is no dispute about the scope of the problem – where the debate has gone on, is about what needs to be done to achieve the solutions we all desire.

 

Today we welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the importance of connection with our whanau, the drive to operate with a holistic focus, and the strength that we know comes from being able to practice in a manner consistent with tikanga Maori.

 

The support and clinical services that come with the kaupapa of this initiative are all driven by the desire to increase the capacity of tangata whaiora to recognise and manage their own hinengaro wellness.

 

The indicators of success for Oranga Hinengaro o te Matau a Maui are through advancing with their community, by adhering to the principles of rangatiratanga, kotahitanga, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, tika, pono and aroha.

 

It sounds very similar to the constitution of the Maori Party!

 

And indeed, that’s how it should be. If we are all committed to the wellbeing of our families, if we are united in our focus to be healthy and to live longer, the possibilities of working collaboratively and collectively should form the basis of all initiatives in health, education, social services and community development.

 

But if there is one challenge I would put to you all, is that we must apply ourselves to the objective of how do we measure the outcomes that we believe are necessary for recovery and maintaining wellness.

 

So often, all of the emphasis is about the inputs and the outputs the means rather than the end.

 

If we are to place tangata whaiora and whanau ora at the core of our approach to mental health and addiction, we all need to be clear about how we can know and taste success.

 

Is success for Oranga Hinengaro o te Matau a Maui about being awarded another contract, about employing sufficient numbers of staff, or about ensuring the services are effective, efficient, timely and responsive to the needs of tangata whaiora who believe and feel the benefits; and have a significant measure of waiora.

 

This is the great challenge ahead of you – how do we know the relative strength of different interventions? In times of an ever diminishing putea, we must be vigilant about knowing how outcomes can be measured, what we can do that really will make the major difference.

 

I have every confidence in the mind-power and the community strength of this venture, to know that you will all be committed towards ensuring that the investment we are recognising today, is ultimately an investment in whanau ora.

 

I celebrate with you, your aspirations to establish access to quality care; the direction for leadership across the Hawkes Bay.

 

The launching of Oranga Hinengaro o te Matau a Maui is an opportunity to put a mark in the sand, to pronounce the value of Maori capacity in leading progress in oranga hinengaro.

 

I commend you all for the courage and the commitment you are showing to us all, and if I can return to the image of those thriving, flourishing pohutukawa flowers, may today be a landmark day in our vision for whanau ora to blossom, to grow and to be something we can always look forward to.