Activities and initiatives database

“This initiative has focused on innovation and creativity, using resources and tapping into local potential.” – Maria Baker, chair of Te Pou Ora o Te Piringatahi clinical governance board.

One size does not fit all in primary mental health and that’s why a six-PHO collaborative in Northland fits various models around the needs of its vastly different communities.

The six PHOs involved in the collaborative initiative known as Te Pou Ora o Te Piringatahi are Hauora Hokianga, Tihewa Mauriora, Tai Tokerau PHO, Manaia PHO, Kaipara Care Incorporated PHO and Whangaroa PHO. This profile features the first two PHOs in this list.

Both Tihewa Mauriora, in Kaikohe, and Hauora Hokianga employ primary mental health coordinators within a single-site PHO while the others have coordinators working across multiple general practices.

Each of the primary mental health coordinators have different strengths and they draw on each other’s knowledge and experiences. One of the coordinators sits on the clinical governance group so the collaborative meetings are an opportunity for everyone to communicate issues to a higher level when necessary.

Chair of the clinical governance board for the six PHOs, Maria Baker says the primary mental health work carried out by the Te Pou Ora o Te Piringatahi collaborative reflects the contextual differences in the communities and Tihewa Mauriora and Hauora Hokianga are good examples of this.

Collaboration is certainly a key word which can be used to describe not only the set up of Te Pou Ora o Te Piringatahi but the approach used by the two PHOs within it.

“This initiative has focused on innovation and creativity, using resources and tapping into local potential,” she says.

“There is huge value in inter-agency collaboration and working in community,” Maria says.

The primary mental health coordinators working in Kaikohe (Gaynor Fiske) and Hokianga (Kathryn Johnston) face some interesting challenges. They are both located in high deprivation areas (fifth percentile in the Ministry of Health deprivation index) with access to services being difficult due to geographic remoteness and various socio-economic factors.

However, Gaynor and Kathryn are passionate about their communities and doing the best they can to improve the lives of people with whom they work.

Both value the opportunity to be part of a wider collaborative group and meeting with colleagues on a regular basis for support, to share information, discuss topics of interest, review cases, strategise and problem solve.

Maria Baker is also a project leader for Te Rau Matatini