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Let's Talk

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Let's talk - mental health and addictions

Let's Talk

Waikato DHB wants to improve mental health and addiction services in its district. Between December 2017 and August 2018 we held a series of ‘Let’s talk” hui in the Waikato community to ask people to share experiences, views and ideas that will help guide the new direction of mental health and addiction services in the Waikato.

We wanted the community to have involvement in the whole process so we can get it right.

Engaging with Māori was a priority and the DHB worked with local Māori service providers and their iwi to find the best way to reach them to hear their voice.

In order to inform the new direction of the region’s mental health and addictions a comprehensive needs assessment was carried out to assist with planning decisions and prioritisation, assist with reform of models of care and to plan to meet the future changes in the DHB population. The needs assessment can be viewed at the following link:

Health Needs Assessment – Mental Health and Addiction Service 2017 [PDF, 3.4 MB]

Participants will be kept in the loop and offered further opportunities for engagement and involvement as the DHB looks at ways to improve mental health and addiction services in its district.

A summary of the community engagement will be published once completed.

Taumarunui meeting - 6 December 2017

The first big public meeting was held at the Taumarunui RSA in December where over 100 people attended. The meeting was coordinated with Taumarunui Community Kokiri Trust. The aim was for anyone to have their say and the conversations included those experiencing mental health and/or addiction issues, whānau/families and friends who wanted support to help their loved ones and GPs talking about their experiences of trying to assist those who need extra help in a rural community.

We recognised that some of those issues shared we could make improvements on straight away. Some are longer-term challenges that will need to involve the community, services users, their family/whānau and providers to help find solutions. Some of the longer-term challenges are already recognised in other communities throughout New Zealand and may need a more national approach.

Taumarunui Let’s Talk - Feedback Session

When: Thursday 8 March 2018

This was a follow-up meeting to talk about the progress made and to discuss some of the issues that will take more time. We also went over some of the stories to confirm what we had heard. There will be continued conversation with the community around improving services.

March/April 2018 meetings

Further community consultation meetings were held in March and April as part of the Let’s Talk Hui series. These were:

  • Maniapoto/Te Kuiti/Waitomo - Tuesday 27 March
  • Tokoroa - Thursday 29 March 2018
  • Hauraki (Thames/Coromandel/Hauraki) - Thursday 5 April 2018
  • Ngatea - Monday 16 April 2018
  • Colville - Tuesday 17 April 2018 
  • Coromandel - Tuesday 17 April 2018
  • Te Aroha/Paeroa - Monday 23 April 2018
  • Hamilton - Tuesday 8 May 2018
  • Hamilton - Thursday 10 May 2018
  • Waihi - Tuesday 15 May 201
  • Whangamata - Tuesday 15 May 2018
  • Raglan - Monday 21 May
  • Morrinsville - Tuesday 22 May
  • Matamata - Thursday 24 May
  • Whitianga - Tuesday 29 May 2018
  • Tairua - Tuesday 29 May 2018
  • Te Awamutu - Thursday 31 May
  • Otorohanga - Thursday 31 May
  • Huntly  - Thursday 14 June
  • Waharoa - Tuesday 10 July
Iwi Māori Hui

Thursday 9 August, Powhiri starts at 3.15pm
Rukumoana Marae, 536 Morrinsville-Walton Road, Morrinsville