Platform | Atamira Update – May 2026

Kia Kōrero
Let's Talk – May 2026

platform noun, often attributive

1: a declaration of the principles on which a group of persons stands
2: a place or opportunity for public discussion

Kia ora koutou katoa – welcome to the Platform Mental Health and Addiction NGO and community sector update for May 2026.

In this month's update, let's talk about...

What's on my desk?
Demonstrating Value and Impact
2026/27 Contract agreement renewal and cost pressure CPI uplift
Potential Fuel Restrictions Impact
Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy consultation
Privacy Act Amendments 2025
Exploring your organisation's PRIMHD data
Careerforce Peer Support (work-based) Apprenticeship Programme
Consultations
Navigate Policy Group - Policy Library Update
Access to Online Resources
Events - Platform Members AI Workshop - Thursday 28 May
What We're Reading

What's on my desk?

As many of you will be experiencing firsthand, recent weather and heavy rain events have had significant impacts across communities, tāngata whai ora, whānau and how we go about providing supports and services. Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we acknowledge the importance of looking out for one another and offering support where we can during these challenging times.

This month’s newsletter brings together a mix of impact, insight and what is ahead for our sector in the coming months. We spotlight powerful practice examples from A Sound Investment, showcasing the tangible value MH&A NGOs deliver for communities.

We also share important updates on contract renewals and funding uplifts, preparations for potential fuel restrictions, and what you need to do now to comply with the Privacy Amendment Act 2025. We offer guidance on making better use of PRIMHD data, updates on key consultations shaping the future mental health and wellbeing system, online policy library policy reviews, new online governance and management resources, and an upcoming members-only Copilot workshop designed for non-profits.

We encourage you to stand alongside one another, share strengths and insights through our regional Navigate networks, and take collective action to clearly show the impact and value of the MH&A NGO sector in supporting tāngata whai ora and whānau in our communities.

Ngā mihi nui,

Memo

Demonstrating Value and Impact

In March 2025 we published our resource A Sound Investment: A Spotlight on the Impact and Value of Mental Health and Addiction NGO Services in New Zealand. This month we are showcasing three practice examples featured in this resource:

Tackling Gambling Harm in Asian Communities

Asian Family Services delivers a range of innovative programmes to prevent and minimise gambling harm, informed by research, lived experience and engagement with community. One programme, a collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Serco, addresses gambling harm and aids rehabilitation for Asian inmates who are in Wiri and Mount Eden prisons. The programme has positively impacted countless lives through psycho-education and individual support. You can read about it here.

He Ara Whakamana Tāngata

Te Tāpu Atawhai | Auckland City Mission provided culturally centred supports for tenants in high density permanent housing, including Home Ground (80 apartments) and Te Ao Mārama (60 apartments). Preliminary qualitative feedback suggests the programme enhances community cohesion, improves social wellbeing and fosters unity among tenants. You can read about it here.

Hāpai Ngā Rangatahi

Te Paepae Arahi delivers and pioneering initiative offering alternative support pathways for rangatahi Māori mental health support. The long-term goal is to foster sustainable orange outcomes for of rangatahi Māori and their whanau potentially reducing the need to access specialist acute mental health care. You can read about it here.

2026/27 Contract agreement renewal and cost pressure CPI uplift

As you will be aware, consultation on the new long form contract templated closed on Tuesday 7 April. We are awaiting the outcome of this consultation. On Wednesday 8 April, we circulated to Platform members a letter from Health NZ which summarised funding uplift discussions, the contract rollover process, contracting approach and ALM transition and next steps. You should also have received the same letter from you regional or district Health NZ contract person. As we advised at the online member forum last Friday, Health NZ has signalled that MH&A NGOs will be notified of outcome of consideration around the cost pressure uplift for 2026/27 before Budget 2026 expected to be on 25 May 2026.

Potential Fuel Restrictions Impact

We have been providing updates on the National Fuel Response Plan in our April newsletter and our briefings at regional Navigate group meetings. In these updates, we signalled the need to prepare or activate as appropriate your business continuity plans on how you will continue to deliver essential supports to tāngata whai ora and necessary support to your staff.

We have also been engaging with Health NZ and Ministry of Health representatives providing information about the impacts MH&A NGOs, staff, tāngata whai ora and whanāu are currently experiencing.

Last week we circulated to members a joint written update from Health NZ and the Ministry of Health. The key message from this is that at Phases 3 and 4 of the National Fuel Response Plan the Government would introduce measures to manage fuel supply and prioritise access. The expectation is that most or all health services will be categorised as life-supporting or essential and would therefore be prioritised for fuel allocation with no caps.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy consultation

The Ministry of Health has released its Draft Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2026-2036 which will be open for public consultation until 18 May 2026. We encourage you to make a submission as this strategy will have a significant impact on the mental health and addiction system over the next 10 years.

In late April we facilitated 2 workshops for providers and 1 workshop for Kaupapa Māori-led providers to provide an overview on the draft Strategy, facilitate discussion and gather insights to inform feedback. The workshops were attended by around 75 members and generated valuable discussions and insights. We thank all those who attended and shared their feedback with us and with the Ministry of Health representatives in attendance. We are compiling a draft submission from the information we have gathered through these workshops and other engagements. In due course we will share our draft submission. We encourage you to read and provide feedback on the draft Strategy. You can access the consultation document here.

Privacy Act Amendments 2025

In previous newsletters and through regional navigate group meetings we foreshadowed the Privacy Amendment Act 2025 which comes into effect from TODAY 1 May 2026. It introduces a new Information Privacy Principle (IPP3A) and aligns NZ with other countries’ privacy frameworks. At the online member forum on Friday 24 April, we heard from a representative from the Office of the Privacy Commission about the practical steps your NGO needs to take to ensure you comply with the new IPP3A. This includes updating your privacy policy, statement and notices. We have circulated the presentation to members and will upload this on our website’s member only portal. You can view a short recording IPP3A getting ready for 1 May here and access a guidance document including other resources here.

Exploring your organisation's PRIMHD data

If you work for an NGO or community service provider that holds a specialist mental health and addiction contract and reports into PRIMHD, you can access the PRIMHD data set through a secure website supported by Health New Zealand called Qlik. The data available through Qlik is a visual and analytic tool that can be useful to understand your organisation’s activities that it provides and what it reports on. The dashboards include information about both NGO and Health New Zealand district mental health and addiction services.

So how could accessing this data be useful for you? It can help to understand why reporting data accurately is important. It can also support service improvements and better understanding of service journeys for tāngata whaiora and whānau and your participation in the NGO benchmarking forums and in the proposed Mental Health and Addictions NGO Data and PRIMHD Community of Practice (CoP). If you work for a mental health and addiction NGO or community service provider and would like access to Qlik, you can email the business intelligence team (businessintelligence@health.govt.nz) at Health New Zealand and request access to the National Collections PRIMHD datasets available via Qlik.

Careerforce Peer Support (work-based) Apprenticeship Programme

Careerforce is offering grants valued at $2,250 incl GST which cover enrolment fees for the following programme – NZ Apprenticeship in Health and Wellbeing Peer Support (Level 4). Enrolment is funded through a Te Whatu Ora grant and is available until 30 June 2026.

For more information, please refer to the Peer Support Grant web page or get in touch with your Regional Workplace Advisor.

Consultations

During April we prepared feedback and contributed to the following consultations:

Policing Amendment – Community Constellation was the lead peak body for this consultation.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission – Access to mental health and addiction services data summary.

We are also currently working on a submission on the Sale and supply of Alcohol (Improving Alcohol Regulation) Amendment Bill.

Navigate Policy Group - Policy Library Update

We’re pleased to announce that three policies, Managing Workers’ Information and Records, Managing Health Records and Information, and Maintaining a Restraint Free Environment have been reviewed by the Policy Group and uploaded to the Policy Library on our website. We will continue to keep members updated on the developments to the Policy Library, which can be found here.

Access to online resources

Navigator Trust New Zealand recently shared new resources which could help support the work of your organisations. You can check out the new resources below:

Organising your records: Keeping good records helps you manage your organisation effectively and efficiently and helps you make sound decisions. This resource outlines the records you are required to keep under certain legislation and the minimum length of time these records must be kept for (retention periods).
Making measures work for you: This guide explores the pros and cons of the outcome approach to evaluation.
Risk management plan – overview and template: This resource gives a brief overview of a simple risk management plan and includes a downloadable template.

You can also find more resources that support NGO and community providers to thrive here:

Events

Platform Members AI Workshop – Copilot Tips and Tools for Non-Profits – Thursday 28 May

Following member feedback and interest received on our earlier AI Workshop, we’re pleased to offer a practical follow-up session focussed on Microsoft Copilot, designed specifically for the non-profit context.

Copilot Tips and Tools for Non‑Profits

📅 Date: Thursday 28 May
🕙 Time: 10.00–11.00am
📍 Location: Microsoft Teams

This one‑hour session, co-hosted by Mosaic Partners and Platform, is for members who want to better understand what Copilot can (and can’t) do, and how to use it safely and confidently within your organisation.

The workshop will include:

Live demonstrations
- What’s possible using Copilot Chat (free version)
- Everyday use cases relevant to non‑profit work
Pro licence overview and demonstration
- What additional tools and functionality a paid licence unlocks
- When a pro licence is useful — and when it’s probably not
Copilot safety and security
- How data is handled
- Practical safeguards for organisations
Q&A
- Time to ask questions specific to your organisation and role

Cost: $55 per person

This is a great opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and explore how AI can support your mahi.

Register now to secure your spot - https://www.trybooking.com/nz/BDAM

What we're reading