Kia Kōrero
Let's Talk – October 2025

Kia ora koutou katoa – welcome to the Platform Mental Health and Addiction NGO and community sector update for October 2025.

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

• What's on my desk? 
• Mental Health Awareness Week
• Contract Renewals 2025/26
• Consultation - Health NZ Planning, Funding and Outcomes teams
• Health Quality and Safety Commission (HQSC)
• Mental health and addiction NGO workforce data project
• Police mental health change programme
• Skills Matter Programme: Nurse to Entry Practice opportunities for mental health and addiction NGOs
• Help Shape the Move Well Initiative
• Ministry of Health Publications
• Platform Members-only Webinar - Social Return on Investment - Wednesday 8 October, 12:10pm
• Consultations
• National Navigate Policy Group Update
• Access to online resources
• Events
• What we’re reading

What's on my desk?

Consistent with “Top Up Together’’, the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week, it is a timely reminder that our members in Platform are a community which strongly relies on the power of connection, participating in mutually benefiting activities and a spirit of collective action and impact for the greater good of the mental health and addiction NGO and community sector. It is essential that we too support each other, to ensure everyone’s mental wellbeing - especially those working within these sectors - so they are best placed to support tāngata whaiora and their whānau.

We are consistently reminding key stakeholders about the value and impact of the mental health and addiction NGO and community sector, as shown earlier this year in our resource A Sound Investment, A Spotlight on the Value and Impact of the Mental Health and Addiction Services in New Zealand. There is a lot more to be done and significant investment required in our sector to achieve the Minister for Mental Health priorities of faster access to support, better crisis response, more frontline workers and achieving mental health and addiction targets.

At our end we will continue to support the collective advocacy work and raise the profile of our sector, and the innovation and solutions it offers, against the Ministerial priories above.

Please get in touch, either through the regional Navigate Groups or directly, to share the positive work you are doing and to highlight any barriers you are experiencing which impact on your organisation's ability to support tāngata whaiora and whānau.

Ngā mihi nui,

Memo

Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental Health Awareness Week is this month from Monday 6 to Sunday 12 October. This year’s theme is "Top Up Together," which aligns with the Top Up campaign and is a reminder of the power of connection and community in supporting mental wellbeing. We encourage you to plan and actively participate in initiatives in your organisations and communities that promote positive mental health and wellbeing.

While this week presents a great opportunity to raise awareness and bring mental health to the forefront of peoples’ minds, we also believe that mental health awareness isn’t just a calendar event, it’s a daily practice. Every minute is an opportunity to care for each other, to be sensitive to the circumstances others may be navigating, and to foster a culture of support. That responsibility doesn’t sit solely with leaders; it belongs to all of us.

Whether it’s a kind word, a moment of patience, or simply being present, let’s continue to build workplaces and communities where mental wellbeing is a shared priority, not just during mental health awareness week, but every week.

Contract renewals 2025/26

As we heard at the Platform online member forum last Friday, our work with Health NZ officials to address clauses of concern in the proposed new long form contracts continues and remains a high priority. We are awaiting confirmation from Health NZ leadership team on the approach to be taken to resolve the clauses of concern, however, at this stage there is no reason to believe that a constructive approach to resolve the clauses will not be supported. We encourage members from Southern Navigate region to get in touch with their regional Health NZ commissioning contact person(s) in terms of what will happen next given that some were provided contract roll-overs of less than 12 months. It is our desire to avoid the contract renewal delays experienced this year and that the outcome of discussions with Health NZ will inform a timely approach to contract renewals for those providers whose contracts expire on 30 June 2026 to ensure this happens well ahead of this date. Progressing this will dovetail discussions about the nature of cost pressures in our sector and presenting further analysis we have prepared to show cost pressure uplifts against general annual inflation rates will add further weight to the discussion.

We will provide further updates as this work progresses.

Consultation - Health NZ Planning, Funding and Outcomes teams

We heard that Health NZ is conducting a consultation on proposed changes to Health NZ Planning, Funding and Outcomes teams in the four regions. We are seeking more information about this to establish the impact and implications for the mental health and addiction NGO and community sector, in particular on existing relationships. We will provide an update on this when we have further information.

Health Quality and Safety Commission (HQSC)

Last Friday at the Platform members online forum, HQSC provided updates on the Healing, Learning & Improving from Harm Policy, the new System Safety Strategy, and the 2024 Framework for Clinical Governance. These initiatives aim to strengthen consumer-centred care, elevate whānau voices, and embed system learning across the health sector. We understand that there is a new requirement to adverse events through a secure HQSC portal. We are finding out more information about this change and will provide an update in due course.

Mental health and addiction NGO workforce data project

Thanks to the 47 members of Platform Trust who took the time to complete the questionnaire for the NGO workforce data project. Te Pou has completed their analysis of everyone’s feedback and presented the findings to the NGO Advisory Group on 25 September, followed by a presentation on 26 September to the Platform Trust membership – as part of the regular monthly on-line meetings.

In summary, 43 of the 47 respondents supported further exploration of a collective approach to a greater or lesser extent, which is very positive. Other key findings include:

• Nearly everyone thought that it would be feasible for their organisation to participate in such endeavours, although one in three said that support would be needed.
• People said that the most exciting aspects of collective approaches for them included having access to workforce insights, having more collaborative opportunities with other NGOs, and being able to contribute to sector development.
• Most people believe their organisation’s workforce data is valuable to the sector, with one in three saying it is extremely valuable.

Further information about the survey findings can be found here.

The project continues to engage with key stakeholders to develop a complete and comprehensive picture of the current collection and use of MH&A NGO workforce data at local, regional and national levels. We will have more to say about how this picture is evolving in the next newsletter.

Police mental health change programme

Health NZ continues working with NZ Police, Ministry of Health, Hato Hone St John, and Wellington Free Ambulance on changes to how the Police respond to mental health-related events and requests.  

All agencies involved are committed to getting it right so have been taking the time to ensure the plan for Phase Three and implementation processes will be safe and clear for everyone. This has involved working closely with district teams and partner agencies.  

Updated Police response threshold  

At the heart of these changes is ensuring people receive the right mental health care at the right time, and their safety and that of kaimahi delivering that care is paramount.  

The Governance and project team have taken on feedback from health teams and worked together with NZ Police to update the police response threshold to include language around non-emergency requests that acknowledges the Police role in a wider range of mental health events.  

Once Phase Three is implemented, any non-emergency requests for assistance or missing person reports from Health NZ mental health services will be assessed against updated guidance that considers the current safety risk and the risk of significant future harm that Police powers or capabilities are required to prevent.  

The new Health NZ procedures for non-emergency requests will replace those provided in earlier phases.  

What Phase Three covers  

Police will continue responding when there is an offence or an immediate risk to life or safety. This will not change.  

The Phase Three changes are:   

• Requests for assistance from health practitioners – Non-emergency mental health-related requests will be assessed against updated guidance to determine if Police assistance is required. This includes requests for assistance under legislation, requests for assistance in inpatient mental health units, and other requests from mental health services to Police.  
• Missing persons from health facilities and services – Reports of missing persons with mental health concerns will be assessed against updated guidance to determine the appropriate Police involvement. This covers people missing from Health NZ mental health facilities and services, and people with mental health concerns missing from Emergency Departments.   

The updated threshold and new Health NZ procedures will support you in making requests for Police assistance from Health NZ mental health staff, and Police with assessing when their assistance is appropriate in non-emergency situations and for missing person reports.  

When will Phase Three begin?

The Governance and project team have continued to adjust the implementation schedule to ensure these changes happen in a planned and safe way.  

Work towards implementation of Phase Three changes is underway with a national roll-out from mid-November.  

Work on new Health NZ procedures and training materials is well underway and will be provided to Health NZ teams in advance to support them through this change and to help ensure community and staff safety, as well as compliance with legislative responsibilities. This will be shared with NGO partners to be adopted as appropriate.

 A forum of MH&A NGO leaders, Platform and Health NZ continues to meet every two weeks to share updates and give input into planning for Phase Three. The aim being to ensure impact is minimised on mental health and addiction NGO providers and the support they provide to people, and their engagement with Police.

In the meantime, if you come across an issue which needs to be raised with Health NZ, please contact your local mental health / police liaison or governance group or please e-mail MHPolicechanges@tewhatuora.govt.nz  (This inbox is monitored regularly).

Skills Matter Programme: Nurse to Entry Practice opportunities for mental health and addiction NGOs

Skills Matter is a postgraduate training programme funded by Te Pou on behalf of Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand.  Skills Matter supports both new graduates and existing registered kaimahi working in mental health and addiction roles within health funded organisations.

For new registered nurses, social workers and occupational therapists in mental health and addiction work, the New Entry to Specialty Practice: Mental Health and Addiction (NESP) programme, helps develop the skills and knowledge for mental health and addiction work, through education and professional support.

The NESP programme is highly structured, and employers are required to have several elements in place to support their registered kaimahi on this programme. The programme is mainly vocational and combines academic and clinical practice components. Four areas of required knowledge and skill acquisition are: clinical, cultural, recovery and organisational systems. During the programme, participants work towards completing a post-graduate certificate in mental health and addiction specialism or a post graduate certificate in mental health and addiction nursing practice. For more information on the NESP programme.  Read more about the NESP programme.

Or feel free to contact jacqui.hampton@tepou.co.nz

Help Shape the Move Well Initiative

Reducing Musculoskeletal Injuries in the Health and Disability Workforce

MySkill is developing the Move Well Initiative - a free suite of resources to reduce musculoskeletal injuries in the health and disability workforce, funded by the Workforce Futures Fund - Tahua Rāngaimahi Anamatato.

 My Skill Are Looking for Design Partners

Join them to co-design practical resources that work for your team. Ways to contribute:

   •  Co-design sessions

   •  Feedback on draft materials

 Interested? Contact Jonathan: jonathan.goodwin@myskill.co.nz

What is the Move Well Initiative?

The initiative will launch in June 2026. It will include three core elements:

• Awareness Drive – builds engagement. Highlights the personal and organisational cost of injuries.
• Focus on Leaders - engages leaders. Defines their role in prevention, reporting, and post-injury support.
• Skills for Kaimahi – training with a strong prevention focus.

Why It Matters

There are over 30,000 musculoskeletal injuries in the sector yearly - let’s work together to change that.

Ministry of Health Publications

During September the Ministry of Health published several key strategic documents.

Eating Issues and Eating Disorders Strategy

The Ministry of Health has published a refreshed strategic approach to eating disorders which provides for a continuum of treatment and support, including increased focus on prevention, early intervention, and a more inclusive approach to support. The Strategy covers:

• The Ministry’s understanding of eating disorders in New Zealand, including evidence from research, data, and feedback from targeted engagement.
• Current investment and activities underway, including an increase of $4 million each year in investment in the eating disorders continuum from Health New Zealand.
• An action-oriented roadmap outlining short-term actions and long-term opportunities.

You can read more about the New Zealand Eating Issues and Eating Disorders Strategy here.

New FASD Action Plan

The Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand have also developed a new Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Action Plan 2025-28 as part of a renewed focus on FASD, a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand.

The Action Plan boosts funding and action to further prevent FASD, improve diagnosis and support, and strengthen services for affected families. You can read the Action Plan here and find out more about the targeted community engagement insights which informed the plan here.

Food Insecurity

Social determinants of health are the circumstances in people's environments that can affect their health, wellbeing and quality of life. Food insecurity is one key circumstance according to the World Health Organisation.

The Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit during September released a new report - Ending Food Insecurity – what needs to be done now - which sets out a vision for food security based on a map of solutions across the dimensions of food security. You can read more about the report here.

We acknowledge that a significant number of Platform members are supporting and involved in activities to address food insecurity across New Zealand.

Platform Members-only Webinar – Social Return on Investment – Wednesday 8 October, 12:10pm

We are delighted to partner with Allen + Clarke and Emerge Aotearoa for a practical insight into Social Return on Investment (SROI) webinar that can be used to demonstrate the value your services deliver.

The webinar will cover:

• The three essential phases of SROI calculation
• How to develop a Theory of Change that fits your service
• Practical approach to developing a monitoring framework
• Real examples from Emerge's residential mental health service

You will leave with a clearer understanding of what calculating a SROI involves, the skills needed to get started, and confidence that with the right support, your organisation can demonstrate its social impact effectively. We’ll share reflections from those delivering services on how this process can help to articulate value.

Perfect for: Mental health NGOs wanting to know more about how to approach preparing for and calculating a SROI.

When: Wednesday 8 October, 12:10pm.

Registration details for this free webinar have been sent to Platform members. If you have not received this, please contact louise@platform.org.nz.

Consultations

We are currently working on:

• Medsafe: Proposed changes to blood monitoring and prescribing requirements for Clozapine. This proposal seeks to update safety and monitoring requirements around clozapine-induced neutropenia and agranulocytosis to balance patient safety with accessibility and reduced burden. We are currently preparing a submission for this consultation which is open until 8 October. You can read more about the consultation here.

During September we participated and contributed a submission on:

• Feedback on new Disability Support Qualifications: Toitū Te Waiora, Community, Health, Education and Social Services Workforce Development Council sought sector and community feedback on two proposed new Disability Support Qualifications.  This consultation closed on Friday 12 September.

​​​National Navigate Policy Group Update

It’s been another busy month on the National Navigate Policy Group front. The Policy Group has reviewed another two policies which have been uploaded to the Policy Library on our website:

• Harm (Adverse) Events
• Quality & Risk – Kounga-me-te-morearea

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:

• Mobile device management: This is a resource from the National Cyber Security Centre. It provides information on how your organisation can manage and monitor the security of authorised mobile devices that are used to work remotely, are not always kept up-to-date and often connect to networks outside your control.
• Tūhono Impact – sharing social impact: This resource provides an outline guide that supports organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand to understand, track, and communicate their social impact in ways that are useful to them and their communities.
• 3G network shutdown and digital equity: Does your organisation use old devices or work with people who rely on older technology and may be affected by this shutdown? This resource provides organisation information on what you need to know and do before Aotearoa New Zealand says goodbye to 3G technology.

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

• CommunityNet Aotearoa
• NZ Navigator
• Digital Stuff We Love

Events

Join us at Waenga mōrearea: He ara oranga : Amidst crisis and distress there are pathways to wellbeing – Wednesday 5 November, Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre

The 2025 program will focus on Waenga mōrearea: He ara oranga : Amidst crisis and distress, there are pathways to wellbeing.

You can register and view the full programme for the event here

Join leading voices from across the Pacific as they share how cultural wisdom can guide us through crises and challenges – strengthening mental health and community wellbeing. Speakers from Fiji, Aotearoa, Kiribati and Tonga will explore innovative, culturally grounded approaches to care.

When: Tuesday, 7 October 2025, 8am – 9:30AM NZT

Format: Online Webinar via Zoom

Register now through the QR code below or via the Zoom registration link: https://bit.ly/4mHXpZw

This webinar is organised by the Oceania Mental Health Advisory Committee in partnership with WFMH, SPCNMOA, UTS, and Fiji National University.

What we're reading

Get in touch with the Platform team!

The Platform team is always available to interact with members on mental health and addiction NGO and community sector matters should you have any queries, concerns, or ideas. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of being a Platform member and joining our collective voice, please don't hesitate to get in touch. 

Memo Musa (Chief Executive): memo@platform.org.nz                                              Simon Katz (Policy Analyst): simon@platform.org.nz
Louise Hill (Membership Engagement Coordinator): louise@platform.org.nz