This section is dedicated to providing news items within New Zealand and to celebrate events that have occurred.  This page is interactive and is updated as events happen.

If you have a news item or a celebration that you would like us to highlight, please send your write up and pictures to Akatu Marsters on akatu.marsters@lakesdhb.govt.nz

Whanau Ora Update for DHBs - November Newsletter

 

Whanau Ora has been identified as a service priority area in Ministry of Health advice to DHBs on what to include in their 2012/13 annual plans.  The 2012/13 Annual Plan Guidance working draft was sent to DHBs for feedback in late October.

The National Health Board, which is leading the Annual Plan Guidance work, is aiming to release the final document to DHBs by mid-November.

DHBs will have until March next year to draft their annual plans and submit them to the National Health Board for assessment.

To read more, click here to open newsletter.

 

 

NASCA October Newsletter

 

Find out what is happening on a national scale with NASC and click here to read the NASCA October Newsletter.

The newsletter also includes details of the next NASCA general meeting which is in CHCH:

      Date: Thursday 1st November 2012
      Venue: Sudima Hotel, Christchurch Airport

It would be great if there was growing representation from more Mental Health NASC organisations.  Membership for NASCA is for Management/Leaders of those DHB's / NGO's that hold NASC contracts. Not only is it a chance to improve, clarify and work on strengthening regional consistency but its an opportunity to share innovations and network.  As well it has the added benefit of providing a forum to meet NASC representatives from other streams; Older Peoples NASCs and Younger Peoples NASCs.  A regular scheduled time at these meetings is being discussed so that we can address common areas of interest such as Mental Health and an aging population and providing supports to those with a Mental Illness and an Intellectual Disability.

If organisations would like to join or want further information please contact Bruce Green – click here to email.

 

CONSULTATION PHASE TWO ON PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR THE ADDICTION SPECIALTY NURSING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

 

As you will be aware from the initial consultation round the framework was developed by a national addictions nursing reference group with support from Matua Raki under the professional umbrella of Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia (DANA).

The competency framework was developed to be congruent with relevant New Zealand nursing standards and competency frameworks, including professional development recognition programmes (PDRPs), mental health and addiction practitioner competency frameworks and national intervention/treatment guidelines.

This final consultation version was based on the previous consultation feedback received in phase one.  Click here to read more, or click here to download the framework.

 

Le Va Scholarships

 

Applications for the 2012 round are now open! You can apply online for:

All scholarships and awards cover 100 per cent of course fees and access to student coaching. Le Va have tweaked some of their processes to better meet the needs of our applicants, including developing a list of frequently asked questions. Check out our website for more information and to apply online. www.leva.co.nz

 

KPI Framework for New Zealand Mental Heath & Addiction Services

         
 April - KPI Phase III Sector Update

 

Simon Power, Tony Ryall

19 October, 2011

Thousands to benefit from additional $10m for alcohol, drug treatment

A $10 million investment package to reduce harm from alcohol and drug abuse has been announced by Justice Minister Simon Power and Health Minister Tony Ryall.

The package is designed to assist thousands of people with alcohol and drug related issues of all severities. 

The funding, which comes out of alcohol excise revenue, is on top of the approximate $120 million spent on specialist alcohol and drug treatment services each year.

The package complements the Government’s work to strengthen the regulation of alcohol through the Alcohol Reform Bill and delivers on the priority to reduce alcohol-related harm under the Government’s Drivers of Crime programme.

“Alcohol and drug abuse are major drivers of crime, with two-thirds of offenders who enter prison having dependency issues,” Mr Power said.

Mr Ryall said: “This package builds on services which are focused on people with severe alcohol and drug dependency by addressing the biggest treatment gap for people with mild to moderate alcohol and drug issues.”

The package includes annual spending of:

The Ministers said that to reduce the impact of alcohol as a driver of crime there needs to be a balanced continuum of services and a much bigger focus on prevention and early intervention.

“Through this package the Government hopes to influence a change in drinking culture, prevent hazardous drinking from escalating, and reduce offending and victimisation, ”Mr Power said.

Officials from the Ministries of Health and Justice will create a detailed implementation plan for the package and it is expected the interventions will begin in the second half of next year. 

More on the Drivers of Crime programme can be found at http://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector/drivers-of-crime.

 

New Course Aims to Lower Mental Health Risks

Has the person sitting at the desk next to you been behaving unusually oddly? Is your elderly parent inexplicably depressed? Do you have a friend being uncharacteristically abusive or manipulative? These may indicate early signs of mental health distress.

A training programme that helps people recognise the early symptoms of mental health problems is being launched to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week (October 10-16).

Developed by long-time mental health campaigner Graham Roper, the programme is being rolled out to companies, community groups and individuals nationwide.

Graham Roper says mental health first aid explains how to recognise early signs and symptoms, provides initial assistance and guides someone towards appropriate professional help. Such programmes are commonplace overseas, he says, but are a first for New Zealand.

“The cost of mental health problems to organisations in this country is in the tens of millions of dollars. That may be partly because of the stigma that prevents people from discussing their problems with those close to them and making them reluctant to seek appropriate help.

“Greater awareness of the issue will enable people to recognise the signs earlier and to ask for help when they need it,” he says.

Graham Roper, who has himself overcome mental health problems, says when faced with an accident, people generally know how to help only when they have received first aid training. They may also unwittingly make matters worse by not knowing the correct procedures. Similarly, in a mental health crisis situation, the helper’s actions may determine how quickly the person with the problem receives help and/or recovers.

Mental health first aid training programmes cover normal versus abnormal behaviour, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, psychophy (bad not mad) and addictions.

A year in the development, the programme is based on successful models used overseas with topic areas adapted to suit New Zealand’s unique health, cultural and rural/urban demographics.

Graham Roper says mental distress is a normal part of life but most of us are unaware of the factors that may lead to mental illness if early intervention is not available.

“The course provides participants with the tools to manage such situations as panic attacks, and are tailored for their specific circumstances,” he says.

The course is appropriate to teachers, parents and community groups as well as companies and organisations.

Bill English, Tony Ryall

31 May, 2011

Government reviews more state agencies

The Government is proposing changes that will reduce the number of government agencies as it seeks better value for money, less duplication and improved co-ordination across the state sector, Deputy Prime Minister Bill English and State Services Minister Tony Ryall announced today.

The proposals include disestablishing five crown entities and three tribunals, merging two government agencies, establishing shared corporate services across the government's three central agencies and consolidating the services of a number of others.

"New Zealand currently has 39 government departments, over 150 Crown entities of various types, not including school boards of trustees, and more than 200 other agencies," Mr English says.

"As the Prime Minister said in his Statement to Parliament, we want government administration to be as efficient and well organised as it can be. At present the costs of running government are too high and there is too much duplication and waste.

"We have a wide-ranging programme of reform as we seek to improve frontline public services within tight financial constraints. Structural changes are only a small part of that programme and will go ahead only where they make sense.

"In this case, we believe the proposed changes have the potential to reduce duplication of roles and back office functions and improve the cohesion of frontline services," Mr English says.

State Services Minister Tony Ryall says the Government is committed to improving the efficiency, coordination and quality of public services.

"This means focusing government efforts and funding on the things that matter most to New Zealanders – and making sure we do them well.

"Officials are now undertaking due diligence on the proposals, which will involve gathering financial and other information from the affected organisations and listening to the views of chief executives, board chairs, staff and other key stakeholders.

"We expect these changes will result in savings over the medium term, which will be offset by some initial upfront costs. However there are no goals for staff reductions or money saved.

"We expect the changes to happen, unless the due diligence produces better alternatives or there are compelling reasons not to proceed with the proposed changes," Mr Ryall says.

Officials are expected to report back in July, after which Cabinet will make final decisions.

The proposals are:

Crown entities and tribunals – There are seven proposals for changes to Crown entities and tribunals:
· Set up an arms-length health promotion agency to take over the relevant functions of the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC), the Health Sponsorship Council (HSC) and the Ministry of Health.

· Disestablish the Crown Health Financing Agency and transfer its district health board lending function to either the Ministry of Health or to the Debt Management Office; transfer the management of residual Area Health Board liabilities to the Ministry of Health, and determine the best location for property functions.

Enable the Mental Health Commission to complete the new Mental Health Blueprint, while providing for the long-term viability of its other functions by delegating the advocacy functions to a separate Mental Health Commissioner in the office of the Health and Disability Commissioner and delegating other functions to the Ministry of Health; or bring forward the date the Mental Health Commission is due to cease functioning (currently 31 August 2015).

· Transfer the functions of the Charities Commission to the Department of Internal Affairs, while ensuring that registration decisions remain separate from Ministers.

· Disestablish three tribunals – the Health Act Boards of Appeal; the Maritime Appeal Authority; and the Land Valuation Tribunals – and transfer their functions to the District Court, to be included in further work led by the Justice Ministry to streamline tribunals and improve efficiency.

Arts, Culture and Heritage sector:

· Encourage greater collaboration between the New Zealand Film Commission and Film New Zealand.

· Consolidate audiovisual archiving. Encourage the New Zealand Film Archive, Radio New Zealand, and Television New Zealand to consolidate material into the Film Archive.

· Consolidate management of heritage property portfolios between the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, the Department of Conservation and potentially other agencies in the arts, culture and heritage sector.

· Work with the Broadcasting Standards Authority, the Advertising Standards Authority, the Press Council and the Office of Film and Literature Classification to look at opportunities for greater collaboration.

Education sector:

· Transfer work within Vote Employment from the Department of Labour to the Ministry of Education.

· Merge the Education Review Office and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority into a single education quality assurance agency.

In addition, as part of their leadership role, the three central agencies, the State Services Commission, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Treasury are consulting with staff on a proposal to establish a shared services centre to integrate their back office functions.

"Once final decisions have been made, it is expected that by March, 2012 these three agencies will have a single corporate service for transactional functions. This will enable improved performance, cost savings and a lift in productivity,” Mr Ryall says.