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Te Pou is New Zealand's National Centre of Mental Health Research, Information and Workforce Development. We have offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.

This website is aimed at anyone interested in mental health, but especially those who work in the mental health sector in New Zealand.

Read more about Te Pou. 

What's new...

Te Pou answers call for greater access to Talking Therapies
Recently released Auckland Medical School research on the varying effects of anti-depressants provided a timely reminder that there are a wide range of therapeutic options when assessing and treating mental illnesses. Te Pou supports a holistic approach to what works for each person and is exploring which talking therapies are currently used and possibilities for enhancing quality, sustainability and spread across New Zealand.

Guide for sector staff working with Asian service users
Te Pou is currently seeking expressions of interest to deliver a best (and promising) practice guide for talking therapies for staff of mental health and addiction services who work with Asian communities. The purpose of the guide is to better inform workers about culturally safe processes and therapies that are particularly appropriate for Asian communities. More information is available from the Government Electronic Tenders Service website.

New nursing lead appointed at Te Pou
Te Pou welcomes Anne McDonald who joins the Workforce team in the Clinical Lead - Nursing role. Anne is a mental health nurse who has worked in the sector for many years, most recently in a primary mental health co-ordinator role at East Health, Auckland. Anne will lead a number of activities in the Workforce programme that have a focus on nursing. The first of these will be an edition of Handover prior to Christmas.

Acute home-based service joins stories of change
The latest story of change to join Te Pou's Knowledge Exchange highlights an Auckland DHB initiative to provide a home-based service for consumers who experience an acute episode of mental illness or distress. This alternative to inpatient treatment has seen positive results emerge for consumers using services in its first 18 months of operation.

Debate looks at support for families when mental distress occurs
Service user workforce development manager Carolyn Swanson joined radio host Sheldon Brown and Dean Manley (Mental Health Foundation), Leigh Murray (family adviser ADHB) and Paul Harvey (Challenge Trust family/whanau coordinator) for an on-air debate around the importance of respectful but honest conversations in recovery journeys. The 'Take It From Us' radio show website offers a download of audio from the debate.

Young support workers profiled
Te Pou recently worked with Healthcareers, WALSH Trust and Framework Trust to capture the stories of young people working in the role of a community mental health support worker. Healthcareers is a national website developed by DHBNZ to promote health as a career option. View the profiles of Rebecca Goldsmith (WALSH Trust) and Namrata Gulani (Framework Trust) on the Healthcareers website.

IIMHL scholarships close 15 November
New and emerging leaders intending to apply for one of four scholarships to attend the 2010 International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL) exchange should get applications in before the 15 November closing date. Scholarship and general attendance information for the 2010 exchange, being held in the Republic of Ireland on 10 May, is available on the IIMHL pages. 

Information Utility: Compass for Change 2009 – register now
Registrations for Te Pou's national mental health outcomes forum on 25 November are closing soon. The forum will serve as an effective introduction to next year's third Australasian Mental Health Outcomes Conference, and is an opportunity to learn more about using mental health information well to support recovery, including best practice and the future of mental health outcomes in New Zealand.

Latest research added to Te Pou's Knowledge Exchange

• Youth e-therapy: evaluation of a computerised cognitive behavioural self-help programme for adolescents with mild to moderate depression (ongoing)
  Dr Sally Merry, Dr Karolina Stasiak, Dr. Robin Whitaker, Dr Simon Hatcher, Associate Professor Chris Frampton, Kim Mariu, Matthew Shepherd, Mathijs Lucassen, Terry Fleming, Dr Iain Doherty
  
• Personal and professional choices, tensions and boundaries in the lives of lesbian psychiatric mental health nurses (2007)
  Chris Walsh
  
• Balancing Recognition and Disrespect: Recovery as the Process of Identity Formation (2008)
  Dr. Gudrun Frerichs