Engage Aotearoa

Category Archives: Politics And Policy

Hikoi for Better Mental Healthcare Choices in NZ: Schedule April – May

March 31, 2013 10:22 pm ⋅

Annie Chapman is walking the length of the north island following the Te Araroa trail to raise awareness of the need for better mental-healthcare choices in NZ. She’s on a mission to take a petition to parliament seeking improved options for people using public mental health services across the country. Across April and May she’ll stop off at a range of different towns to touch base with locals and collect signatures. 

Itinerary for April and May 2013

  • Taumarunui                        5 April
  • Whanganui                         22/23 April
  • Fielding                                12th May
  • Palmerston North            14th May
  • Otaki                                     21st May
  • Paraparaumu                     24th May
  • Porirua                                 28th May

Times and venues for Community Hikoi Meetings coming soon.

If you are interested in organising a Hikoi Meeting for your group or community contact Annie Chapman’s new volunteer Hikoi coordinator, Miriam Larsen-Barr by emailing admin@engagenz.co.nz

Keep yourself in the loop at the official Facebook event.

And don’t forget to sign and share the petition!

If you’d like to know a bit more about what this Hikoi is all about, please click here to watch a short video taken of the Hikoi Meeting in Whangarei.

Posted in: Community Participation, Families/Whanau, News, Older People and Aging, Parents and Parenting, People with Disabilities, Politics and Policy, Service-User Movement, Social Change, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

Sixth Months More Funding For Community Law Centres

March 20, 2013 3:55 pm ⋅

Nicola Owen from Auckland Disability Law writes …. 

Dear Supporters

The Ministry of Justice has told us that funding for all Community Law Centres including Auckland Disability Law will now continue until December 2013.

Community Law Centre contracts had been due to expire on 30 June 2013.

We are obviously pleased to be able to tell you that we are now able to keep providing free legal services to disabled people in the Auckland region for an extra six months.

However, we know you will be concerned that this is only a short term solution.

Before Christmas we wrote to Justice Minister Judith Collins to thank her for her commitment to Auckland Disability Law and to acknowledge our shared aspiration that our services could be extended nationally.

The Minister wrote back to advise us that her officials will keep working on plans for the long term future of Community Law Centres.  We hope to hear more about that when we meet with the Ministry and all the other Community Law Centres in Wellington in early April.

In the meantime, we urge you to continue to support your local Community Law Centre, and to stay in touch for updates.  Your lobbying last year certainly made a difference.  It is essential that we continue to remind our funders of the need for specialist direct community legal services for disabled people, and that these services should be available across New Zealand.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Nga Mihi,

Nicola

Nicola Owen
Development Manager
Auckland Disability Law
Phone 09 257 5140
Fax 09 275 4693
Mobile 0274575140
email info@adl.org.nz
www.aucklanddisabilitylaw.org.nz

Posted in: Community Participation, Grants & Funding, Human Rights and Legal Issues, News, Politics and Policy, Service-User Movement, Social Change ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

Universal Periodic Review: Do New Zealanders Have Their Human Rights Upheld?

March 20, 2013 3:01 pm ⋅

The right to health, to justice, to work, to education, to be free from discrimination: these rights belong to all of us. New Zealand has signed international agreements to uphold these rights, but how well are we actually doing?

The Universal Periodic Review is an important opportunity for individuals, NGOs and civil society organisations to share their experience and views on New Zealand’s realisation of human rights for everyone. What people and communities say can influence future developments. It isn’t just about writing reports. Communities will be consulted on what’s important for them. UPR 13/14 is an opportunity to work with other like minded groups, and to lobby the Government to make voluntary commitments and/or accept recommendations made by the working group following the UPR 13/14 process.

The Commission is offering free workshops to support civil society in UPR 13/14. In addition there will be opportunities to engage in discussions with government officials in April/May and subsequently to comment on the draft New Zealand government report. The Commission would also welcome the opportunity to discuss key issues with community groups and individuals to feed into the UPR 13/14 process.

The workshop dates and times for 2013 are:

  • Auckland          26 March (1.30 – 4.30pm) Auckland Law School
  • Wellington        4 April (1.30-4.30)
  • Christchurch      11 April (1.30-4.30)
  • Dunedin           16 April (1.30-4.30)
  • Hamilton          7 May (1.30-4.30)
  • Invercargill      9 May (Time TBC)

Please contact Michael White on michaelw@hrc.co.nz if:

  • You wish to attend one of the Commission’s workshops;
  • Would like to receive further emails about how to be involved in the UPR process;
  • If you or your organization are hosting an event where the Commission could talk about UPR 13/14; or
  • You would like the Commission to assist with facilitating co-ordinated engagement from your sector.

In the meantime for more information on UPR 13/14 and how you can get involved see: http://www.hrc.co.nz/international-human-rights-new/faqs-for-upr-1314

The Commission looks forward to working with you around UPR 13/14 to ensure the full and active engagement of civil society organisations across the country, helping to garner actual positive changes on the ground.

Posted in: Community Participation, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Maori Communities, Men, Pasifika Communities, Politics and Policy, Rainbow / LGBTQI+ Community, Refugees / Migrants, Service-User Movement, Social Change, Women ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Controversy After Lifehack Launched: New Youth E-Health Project

March 10, 2013 11:27 pm ⋅

The Ministry of Social Development launched a new youth mental-health initiative on the 28th of Feb – a youth-led e-health project.

Life Hack says they are “assembling a crack team of hipsters, hackers and hustlers…” Called Lifehackers. “The Mavericks and trailblazers, who don’t let a hurdle stop them, the ones who make things happen.” “…Together they’ll use their sweet skills to create new technologies and media solutions to tackle young New Zealanders’ mental health issues head on.”

Explore the newly launched Lifehack Website to find out more about the project and how youth can get involved.

In Lifehack: the youth mental wellness answer or a well-meaning quick fix? diversity consultant Philip Patston describes Lifehack as “a technology incubater run by (my words) well-meaning happiness evangelists and tech geeks, hell-bent on the idea that the answer to better youth mental health is to play more, say, “Yahoo!” and download an app.” He goes on to post two videos that reveal the Life Hack ad bears striking similarities to a Coca Cola ad, sharing unrealistic images of perfect bodies having sun-filled fun.

Comments on Facebook question the wisdom of investing so much money in a project that only some youth will directly participate in, instead of addressing the funding shortages in the primary mental-health sector. Others question the approach of gathering happy, successful people to tell other kids how to be happy, rather than seeking out youth with lived experiences and empowering them to lead the charge.  One person suggests “as far as i know and i have yrs of experience w mental health issues, assistance and understanding, the best thing for people is tailored to individuals first of all, works with people who trust each other and rarely does any technology take the place of another well-trained, decent human being.”

Engage Aotearoa director, Miriam Larsen-Barr, comments “E-resources can be really useful, but in my opinion we really need more on-the-ground resources at the moment, more access to therapy and real-life support. Hopefully Lifehack can attract the right kind of young people with genuine intention, who are able to create something that has a life beyond the web. Computers really can’t replace human contact, meaning and belonging. That’s why all of our e-resources are designed to help people engage with their communities and support options.”

Lifehack needs young people who have experienced mental-health problems to get involved and make sure that the initiative goes in the right direction!

Posted in: Community Participation, News, Online Resources, Politics and Policy, Service-User Movement, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

Guide Provides Operational Advice to Councils on Early Intervention

March 2, 2013 2:47 pm ⋅

Five steps for investing in early intervention in order to prevent mental ill health among children and adolescents

Early and improved interventions for children and adolescents are among the most important investments in our future! Mental health among children and adolescents is a synchronisation project under SKL (the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions). They have developed a guide that aims to provide tangible, operational support to municipalities and county councils that want to invest systematically in early intervention for children and adolescents.

The guide is intended primarily for executives at municipal or county administrative level, such as the county council procurement director; the municipal social services director or director of education, as well as for civil servants who work in project management, analysis and drafting of management information in this area.

To review the article please click on the following link:

http://www.iimhl.com/iimhlupdates/swedish_document_specupdate_200213.pdf

 From the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership Update List

Contact: David Robinson david@iimhl.com

Posted in: News, Politics and Policy, Professional Development, Research, Service-User Movement, Social Change ⋅ Tagged: , ,

Govt Considers New Way of Contracting for Mental-Health Services: Social Bonds

March 2, 2013 12:43 pm ⋅

NZ Council of Social Services – Social Bonds

The Ministry of Health and Treasury have been investigating if Social Bonds can be used in New Zealand.  They are being used in limited ways in England, Australia and the USA.

What are Social Bonds?

Along with other initiatives like social lending, and microlending, social bonds are a way to access funding for the NGO sector outside of government. Government guarantees the investor a return on their investment if a pre-determined set of social outcomes are achieved.

The pure form of working with social bonds is as follows; ( the final idea maybe a hybrid of bonds and government funding)

  • The provider wishes to provide services and will work with a government agency to decide outcomes and the payment that will be made if outcomes successfully achieved. The agreed amount should cover both the cost of service plus an agreed reward for achieving the desired outcomes.
  •  The provider then finds an investor(s) who will fund the cost of the service.  Eg: a corporate, or a philanthropic organisation.
  •  At the term of the contract, if the outcomes have been met, government will then pay the amount agreed to the provider and/or investor.

Points to understand:

Government does NOT pay upfront.  Government will contract for results and pay after an agreed period if the service outcomes have been achieved.  If, for example, the service contract is for 3-5 years, the payment from government will not occur until that contract has been concluded and outcomes met

Possible Benefits:(from seminar in Wellington with representatives of Health and Treasury)

  • Providers will not be required to explain to government how they achieve outcomes.  This will give more opportunity to deliver the best way rather than the required way.
  •  There should be less paperwork from government.
  •  There should be greater flexibility with resources from external sources, money could be paid immediately rather than drip fed over time, and organisations could have longer term contracts to enable outcomes to be achieved.
  •  Organisations receiving funding from external sources would not be tied to political terms and ministerial imperatives.

Possible Risks and questions:

  • May not be able to agree to outcomes.
  •  May not be able to prove outcomes.
  •  What if you fail to provide outcomes, yet owe an external funder back the upfront investment plus interest?
  •  What are the mechanisms that will enable payment from government?
  •  If philanthropic organisations spend their grant monies on these projects, what happens to other applicants who are not involved with social bonds who normally receive funding from these sources?
  •  How do organisations make sure that the external providers of funding are appropriate?  Eg: gun manufacturers etc

This is clearly a shift of risk from government to the NGOs and to finance providers in the marketplace.  Those working on the Social Bonds Project are asking these questions.

  • What would the risks, costs and benefits be?
  • What outcomes could services aim for?
  • How would success in achieving outcomes be measured?
  • When and how would groups be paid?

The scoping project will run to June 2013 when a paper will be ready for cabinet to consider whether a social bond pilot should take place in New Zealand.  Please ensure you attend any seminars near you to get fuller information on this alternative procurement route being considered.

Posted in: Disability Issues, News, Politics and Policy, Service-User Movement, Social Change ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

Ways to Support ‘No More Pokies’ Auckland

February 15, 2013 10:13 pm ⋅

Please kindly support “ No More Pokies Auckland”

Say NO to more pokies – choose a healthier future for our children…

http://www.nomorepokies.org.nz/

Get Involved:

There are many ways you can get involved in our campaign such as writing a submission to Auckland Council, making a verbal submission to the Council, writing letters, volunteering for the campaign and encouraging others to take action too.

http://www.nomorepokies.org.nz/get-involved.html

If your organisation would like to support the ‘sinking lid’ for Auckland campaign, please contact Tony Milne, National Manager of Public Health at the Problem Gambling Foundation, by email tony.milne@pgfnz.org.nz or phone 021 59 32 59

Posted in: Addiction/Substance Abuse, Community Participation, Politics and Policy, Social Change ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

Petition Seeks Better Mental Healthcare Options in NZ – SIGN TODAY

February 15, 2013 9:51 pm ⋅

Petition to Provide Healthy Choices for People in Mental Healthcare in New Zealand 

A petition has been created to request The Minister of Health and the New Zealand Government take measures to improve access to psycho-social, holistic treatment options, evaluate the impact of current mental healthcare and reduce reliance on medication and compulsory treatment.

http://www.change.org/petitions/to-the-new-zealand-government-minister-of-health-honourable-tony-ryall-provide-healthy-choices-for-people-in-mental-health-care-in-new-zealand

Why sign this petition? 
Because lasting recovery comes from life change and life change is not inspired by medication and restricted freedoms, it is inspired by support, psycho-social skills, cultural connections, nourishing lives and therapeutic interventions. Signing this petition will help  send a message to government and ministry that the current status of things is inadequate and needs to change.

What does the petition say? 
We, the undersigned support Annie Chapman in her cause, and hereby request
  1. An independent inquiry into the impact of current mental health treatment for people diagnosed with a mental illness, relative to:
    • Their human rights
    • Their dignity as citizens
    • Their physical health
    • The cost/benefit ratio of long-term high-dose psychiatric medication (taking into account the costs to the health system and to the individuals, of physical side-effects of high-dose medications).
2. We also request that District Health Boards are required to provide, to those diagnosed with mental illness, greater access to health-promoting psycho-social, holistic (mind/body) and culturally diverse treatment options, and aligning with options that research has proven successful here in NZ and other countries in

    • Improving long-term recovery outcomes
    • Reducing dependence on psychiatric medication
    • Reducing reliance on compulsory treatment orders
Posted in: Community Participation, Human Rights and Legal Issues, News, Politics and Policy, Psychiatric Medication, Service-User Movement, Social Change ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

Te Pou’s E-Bulletin Reports on 3 Year Mental Health Sector Work Plan

February 8, 2013 11:55 pm ⋅

Te Pou’s latest e-bulletin reports on the development of a three year work plan to implement the Ministry of Health’s Mental Health and Addictions Service Development Plan that was released last year.

Click here to read the latest Te Pou E-Bulletin

As reported in the E-Bulletin, the work plan focuses on the following priorities

  • “Co-existing problems – including the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) workforce, building on the past 12 months of mental health and addictions skill development work.
  • Drivers of crime – scoping workforce needs for the implementation of new Government initiatives such as youth mental health, drug courts, aged care, vulnerable children’s drug testing and justice. A training framework for the sector will be developed.
  • Children of parents with mental illness or addiction – scoping workforce needs based on evidence and international resources and identifying required competencies.
  • Suicide prevention – with a specific focus on establishing a continuing education module for GPs and primary nurses.
  • Maori addictions strategy – developing a comprehensive strategy to build a workforce that is responsive to the needs of Maori with addictions issues.
  • Organisational and professional development – with emphasis on delivering better services for Maori and working with services to improve workforce performance. This work will build on Let’s get real, outcomes and KPI information, workforce planning, implementing seclusion reduction initiatives, leadership development programmes and ongoing skill development.
  • Assessing effectiveness – ensuring evidence-based practice remains a high priority for all workers with a strong focus on evaluation of initiatives in seclusion reduction and talking therapies.
  • Regional workforce planning – focused strongly on workforce information, analysis and stocktake of data.
  • Ongoing development of web resources to support workforce development.

Alongside these priority areas, Te Pou will continue to focus on:

  • acute services
  • increasing the use of talking therapies
  • leadership and professional supervision
  • International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL)
  • Pacific mental health and addiction workforce development through Le Va
  • leadership on all the knowledge exchange and information areas.”
Such efforts to assess sector effectiveness and workforce needs are hopefully a first step on the way to increasing systemic capacity to provide effective psycho-social recovery options and remove barriers to their accessibility. Engage Aotearoa has heard reports from service-users in the community to suggest there is currently up to an 8 month wait to see a psychologist at some community mental-health centres and a search for psychologists or psychotherapists in a rural area like Kaitaia often reveals that there are few or none at all in some places. A mental-health service stocktake is very much in need.
.
Posted in: Addiction/Substance Abuse, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Politics and Policy ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

Hikoi for reTHiNK of Mental-Healthcare Choices Arriving in Auckland

February 3, 2013 12:17 pm ⋅

One Woman Walking: Hikoi for a Big reTHiNK of Mental Healthcare Choices 

Annie Chapman is on a hikoi across the length of the North Island to raise awareness about the need for better mental healthcare choices to be made available to service-users in New Zealand.

“I have ceased to be surprised now by how almost everyone I talk to about why I am walking has a story to tell of friends or loved ones in need, utterly failed by the mental health system.” ~ Annie Chapman, 21 December 2012

Annie Chapman will be in Auckland from the 14th – 21st February 2013 (and in fact she may arrive a few days earlier than this).

So far the Auckland events in place are:

• Saturday morning, 16th Feb, from 10 am til 12 noon at Morra Hall, Waiheke.  Note: there has been a change of venue to allow for a more formal setting.  Instead of Ostend Market as originally planned, Annie Chapman will now be at Morra Hall, Oneroa, Waiheke
• A meeting on 15th February with colleagues of Brigitte Sistig re Yoga and Depression
• A second radio interview with “Take it from Us” (Feb 19)
• A screening/talk of Jim Marbrook’s film “Mental Notes” as a fund-raiser on the 17th of February  at Connect SR in Glenfield.

If you have any questions or suggestions of other good possible places to meet, speak or be interviewed by media, please contact Annie direct on 027 4272644 or Hikoiforhealth@gmail.com

Find out more on the official Facebook Page

Help spread the word – invite your friends to the Facebook Event

Posted in: Community Participation, Families/Whanau, Maori Communities, Older People and Aging, Parents and Parenting, Pasifika Communities, People with Disabilities, Politics and Policy, Rainbow / LGBTQI+ Community, Service-User Movement, Social Change, Suicide Prevention/Support, Trauma, Young People and Youth Issues ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,