Our Platform Members' Day 2024 was held on Thursday 21 March in Wellington, with the theme of realising our opportunities, obligations, and potential. We had over 100 leaders from mental health and addiction NGO and community organisations connecting in person. Thank you to everyone who attended, our speakers, and moderators.
Our event was based on recommendation 34 from He Ara Oranga to engage in a national discussion to reconsider beliefs, evidence, and attitudes about mental health and risk. Additionally, there was a focus on competing duties to provide care and support and diverging legal obligations like health and safety. He Arotake ngā Tūraru Reviewing risk: A discussion paper set the scene for the day.
You can find a recap of the day below.
Our day began with a welcome from the Chair of Platform and Chief Executive of Pathways, Sally Pitts-Brown.
We were lucky to have Karaitiana Tickell from Purapura Whetu Trust, Anaru Hawkins from Pathways, and Phyllis Tangitu from Emerge, to lead the mihi whakatau and get us energised for the day.
Minister Matt Doocey opened our day and chose our event to announce funding for mental health and addiction peer support services in emergency departments. You can read the release here for more information.
You can download the illustration from this session here.
We had a panel of government representatives discuss the overview of policy, strategy, regulatory, funding/commissioning, monitoring and advocacy opportunities and expectations. This session was moderated by Naomi Cowan, Chief Executive at Equip. The panel members were:
- Robyn Shearer | Deputy Director-General, Clinical, Community and Mental Health, and Deputy Chief Executive, Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
- Jo Chiplin | Director Mentally Well, Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand
- Karen Orsborn | Chief Executive, Te Hiringa Mahara | Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission
You can download the illustrations from this session here, here, and here.
Lynne Sijbrant from Sijbrant Legal gave an overview of a complex legal compliance framework and implications and IHC case study, which was moderated by Memo Musa, Chief Executive at Platform.
You can download the illustration from this session here.
We had a panel discuss how we can reframe risk within the mental health and addiction sector and keep services accountable without blame. This session was moderated by Darryl Bishop, Chief Executive at Ember Korowai Takitini. The panel members were:
- Hannah Whittaker-Komatsu | Principal Advisor Lived Experience, Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
- Phyllis Tangitu | Mana Whakahaere, Emerge Aotearoa
- Dr Arran Culver | Clinical Director, Mental Health & Addiction Service, Hauora Waikato
You can download the illustrations from this session here, here, and here.
Helen Sadgrove, Managing Director at HSE Global ran a workshop about perspectives on safety and risk – what it takes for a capable workforce, and the needed system and support enablers. This session was moderated by Phyllis Tangitu, Mana Whakahaere at Emerge Aotearoa.
You can download the illustration from this session here.
Sally Pitts-Brown, Chairperson of Platform & Chief Executive of Pathways spoke about harnessing and taking collection action in the mental health and addiction NGO and community sector. This was an opportunity to engage on opportunities we can activate to influence the government to support change to the wider mental health and addiction system.
