Our name and imagery

Te Pou o Te Whakaaro Nui: The National Centre of Mental Health Research, Information and Workforce Development has developed the primary mental health website on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

This website is dedicated to primary mental health and as such is simply named ‘primary mental health'.

To give the website something a little bit special and uniquely New Zealand a consultant was engaged to provide a Maori name or concept to reflect the stepped care model used in primary mental health.

Te Pae Kaiāwhā - The threshold of the storm shelter

Te Pae Kaiāwhā is the low lying beam, sill or threshold that generally holds in place the first post of the meeting house which, in turn, supports the main ridgepole of an ancestral Maori meeting house. It is located on the veranda and is one step in a support system that braces the ancestral house from the buffeting wind and pounding rain.

This is likened to a step in the process to wellness while facing the challenges associated with mental health and addiction.

Te Pae Kaiāwhā can symbolise being a step or a first step in the stepped care model, entry into comfort, care and wellbeing; or indeed the entrance way into the various sections on offer on the website itself.

This particular part of the ancestral house is associated with acceptance, support, resilience, reliability, and protection of mind, body, heart and spirit. It is an essential part of the whole house support structure and as such speaks to the holistic approach to good health.

It is distinctive, memorable and evokes all of the positive qualities outlined above.

The fact that it is Te Pae Kaiāwhā, the protecting sill that is outside to weather the elements, recognises the challenges faced by many within the various steps and systems of striving for good health.

Te Pae Kaiāwhā is strongly associated with Papatuanuku, the earth mother and mauri/essence of all life (physical health). As such it forms part of the support system that upholds the koruru, thereby contributing to the perception of sustaining mental health.

Te Pae Kaiāwhā can represent a buffer against being unwell or an intervention that slows or halts any progression towards physical, emotional, mental or spiritual conflict.

It can also be a symbol of an authority figure, an elder, professionals or support people that have been/are instrumental in recovery or the pursuit of wellbeing, or act as prevention against ill health. This adds a human element or ‘face' to the concept.

First steps to well-being

To complement Te Pae Kaiāwhā we've added a by-line ‘first steps to well-being'. The words ‘first steps' reflect the stepped care model and ‘well-being' was selected deliberately to show the holistic approach used in primary mental health.

Colours and images

The imagery chosen portrays the ‘first steps' to well being, which is reflected in the strapline. The stepping stones represent a person's journey or pathway, leading to a beautiful and enjoyable garden. The pathway is open, you feel you have a choice to be on the pathway. The walk is not steep or dangerous, there is no fear of failure - you will safely reach your destination.

The gradient from black to white is used to represent the feeling of stepping out of the darkness that mental illness can create. The fresh green and organic orange colours reflect the down to earth approach of primary care.

Kōwhaiwhai pattern

Kei mate wheke engari kia mate ururoa
By resolve and fortitude does one prevail

This Maori proverb encapsulates the essence of the kōwhaiwhai pattern (a painted Maori design on the roof rafters of an ancestral house) called Mangōpare. Like many Maori art designs the Mangōpare pattern is taken from the natural environment, in this case, the hammerhead shark. The proverbs literal meaning is "Battle on like the hammerhead shark, don't give in easily like the octopus does."

The hammerhead shark represents resolve and fortitude, principally when confronted with a great endeavor, a challenge or an uphill battle. This is particularly relevant for anyone passing Te Pae Kaiāwhā and taking their ‘first steps to well-being'.