Whanganui District Health Board work is underway to establish Kaupapa Maori Mental Health Services in community.

The Maori Health Outcome Advisory Group has developed an integrated Kaupapa Maori Mental Health and Addiction services approach as part of whanau ora, following the District Health Board Te Hunga Piki-Te-Ora Review and on the advice of Hauora a Iwi.  This model is for Kaupapa Maori mental health service provision and primary mental health care, delivered through whanau ora.  The district’s iwi health providers and Te Oranganui PHO will work together to ensure seamless access to appropriate clinical and kaiawhina support services for Maori tangata whaiora.  Each iwi health provider will employ their own kaiawhina to support their own people at home.

The model and its operations fits with Whanganui District Health Board’s vision to base its purchase of kaupapa Maori health and disability services with iwi.  The District Health Board is committed to its Maori Health Strategy: Huarahi Oranga (2007-2012) and whanau ora.

The model aligns with the District Health Board’s commitment to the current District Annual Plan (2009-2010) where a primary strategic goal for us is reducing inequalities.   We see the model of community based kaupapa Maori mental health services that has kaiawhina based with each iwi, as meeting our objective of “improving access to primary care to reduce inequalities” and the supporting action to “encourage and support kaiawhina to work with Maori and their whanau to access services across the continuum including access to services for those with severe mental illness."  

In improving mental health and addiction services (a District Annual Plan priority), the five iwi health providers in the model will have a broad reach across the rural communities of Whanganui.  This will meet our stated intention in addressing rural access to services.  We seek to “increase utilisation of Kaupapa Maori Mental Health and Addictions Services by Maori in rural areas, including kaiawhina and clinical support services” supporting the objective to “reduce inequalities in access to Mental Health and Addiction Services for Maori in rural areas.”   The Central Region Maori Support Worker Workforce Development Service will support the professional development of kaiawhina in their roles, meeting the District Annual Plan expectation to increase utilisation of this resource. 

The model for Integrated Kaupapa Maori Mental Health & Addiction Services Approach as part of Whanau Ora is described as follows:

• Services are for tangata whaiora who are most severely affected by mental illness.
• The Whanganui District Health Board’s lead Non Government Organisation Kaupapa Maori Mental Health provider is Te Oranganui PHO, who delivers a range of Kaupapa Maori Mental Health and Addiction services in residential (both mental health and addictions) and community settings.  Its service provision covers tamariki, rangatahi and adult.
• The integrated Kaupapa Maori Mental Health and Addictions service model is a partnership between all iwi health providers and Te Oranganui PHO.
• The service is resourced by whanau ora kaimahi (non-clinical) located with each iwi health provider and clinical support and supervision from Te Oranganui PHO.  The service links to Specialist Mental Health Services provided through the hospital, community services, NGOs and primary health care providers.
• To support mainstream responsiveness to Maori, the model proposes that tangata whaiora will have the opportunity to choose either kaupapa Maori or mainstream services. For those tangata whaiora who choose mainstream services, a cultural assessment will be provided by the iwi health provider to whom tangata whaiora identify.