Who are your stakeholders and how do you work with them?
Wh膩raurau is a business unit of UniServices, so I engage with its leadership to ensure our programme is meeting key deliverables. Another important stakeholder is the Ministry of Health and this connection involves working within the parameters of, and remaining responsive to, current government strategy. We also work closely with our other partner workforce centres, particularly Te Rau Ora, Le Va and Te Pou, which are the M膩ori, Pacific and adult mental health workforce development centres. We align our training and resource efforts with these partners wherever crossover exists to avoid unnecessary duplication.
In the past, Wh膩raurau focused its support mainly on clinically based services but more recently we have adapted and continue to develop our training and resources to be accessible to a broader range of professionals supporting our young people. Our mental health workforce now includes community workers, social workers, teachers and people with lived experience of mental health challenges. Wh膩nau members also have a vital role supporting young people with their mental health and we are at the beginning of a journey towards making some of our training more accessible for them. Wh膩raurau is also developing leadership training for youth peer workers with a lived experience of mental health challenges to enable them to harness their experience to help other young people in a way they can relate to.
What motivates you to do what you do?
Enjoying life and making the most of it requires finding balance and being healthy. What that looks like depends entirely on the individual and I am driven to help people on that journey. Equity for people in Aotearoa is the cornerstone of Wh膩raurau and, for me, part of achieving equity is realising that some people need lifting up more than others. Making training and resources more accessible to practitioners working with youth and wh膩nau helps build better support systems. An aspect that really resonates with me is encompassing the Te Ao M膩ori perspective in our training. It鈥檚 a more holistic approach to mental well-being that goes beyond the brain to include physical health, connection to others, the environment and spiritual well-being. This is common in many ancient human traditions for a reason.
How did you get into this role?
I came to Wh膩raurau from the Ministry of Health where I鈥檇 worked for six years in policy and workforce development. Working in the health sector aligned with my educational background in law, health science and business administration. My journey with Wh膩raurau began seven years ago and I was a senior project manager by the time I took up the acting director role in September last year. In the step-up to this role, the added operational visibility of the 鈥榤achinery of the business unit鈥� has been a key difference and includes a level of financial oversight I had not previously had direct involvement with. Supporting the team and maintaining our team culture is also a big part of what I do 鈥� our purpose, direction and the way we deliver our work is always a collective effort.
What do you do for fun?
I like activities that support a healthy body and mind. For me this means food 鈥� eating and cooking, playing with my daughter, swimming, running or workouts that get my cardio fitness up. I also practice yoga and meditation, and then of course there鈥檚 reading and Netflix.
