The feedback we received is that our current system is unsustainable, and we agree that improvements are needed to deliver positive outcomes for the communities we serve. This is reflected in the final decisions around improvements to the service, which were shared with staff in mid-September and sees many of the changes outlined in the summary document proceed.
The changes will help deliver future care that is more equitable, accessible, and closer to home. They are evidence-based, data-driven, and aligned with national priorities. With the confirmation of the vision, principles, and model of care, and the leadership structure, this signals the end of the consultation period.
2024 saw us moving into the implementation phase. Changes have been taking place in a staged, gradual, and sustainable way, to minimise any disruption for kaimahi and tāngata whaiora.
In August 2025 a summary document detailing changes made since the decision document was released. Read it here.
A model of care is a diverse concept that broadly defines the way health services are delivered. It describes how services deliver best practice care to tāngata whaiora and whānau by applying a set of principles across identified clinical streams and supporting pathways. The model of care is the foundation that guides what we do and how we practice.
The model of care for the Local Adult Specialist Mental Health and Addiction Service seeks to eliminate inequities experienced by Māori, Pacific peoples, disabled people, and other groups. It supports our vision for an integrated mental health and addiction service, with a focus on local delivery across the district – ‘one system, one service, locally delivered’.
From the perspective of tāngata whaiora and whānau, it is hoped this model will guide a more seamless experience of support from our services and an end to the need to repeat their stories to different teams and clinicians.
Click on the image to the right to see the full infographic explaining our vision, principles, and Model of Care.
