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Design workshop 1: Local Specialist Mental Health and Addiction Service

The first design workshop for the Local Specialist Mental Health and Addiction Service took place on Tuesday 7 March. Thank you to everyone who gave up their valuable time to participate. 

We had an amazing turnout, with close to 60 people from across the mental health and addiction sector attending. It was great to feel the energy in the room, hear the honest feedback and see the can-do attitude to raising issues and working together on solutions.  

The first step involved groups of attendees process mapping the new service through four areas: 

  • Awareness and before entry 
  • Entry into the service 
  • Flow through the service 
  • Exit from the service. 

Additional points to consider were “What happens at 2am on a Tuesday?” and “How will this work for Māori?” 

Groups then explored what was needed to build a wider understanding of the role of the specialist team, and the local partnerships and relationships needed to deliver integrated and holistic support to tāngata whaiora. To do this, they were invited to reflect on the following questions: 

  • What is required to operate as one local integrated service/team?  
  • Behaviours and processes 
  • What are the local partnerships and relationships that will be critical to support tāngata whaiora achieve their goals?  
  • What do we need from our partners and the wider system to be successful as a service?  

 The third session explored the enablers and supporting infrastructure needed to deliver the new service, in areas such as:    

  • Leadership  
  • Service culture 
  • IT 
  • Training and development 
  • Forms/Polices/ Procedures  
  • Resources/tools 
  • Information sharing.  

At the next two design workshops we will continue to hone in on the detail of the Local Specialist Mental Health and Addiction Service. At the second workshop, the focus will be on 'Refining processes and implementation planning'. Topics will include an overview of the key data, a day in the life of the new service, and exploring how we move into the new model. 

We have worked to make sure we have representatives from across the sector. These will include many of your colleagues, who will be able to keep you informed and provide input on your behalf. If you have any questions, please reach out via mhachange@ccdhb.org.nz org.nz.  

You can read the Local Specialist Mental Health & Addiction Service concept proposal here. 

Last updated 26 May 2023.