Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission unveils new name 

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has a new name – Te Hiringa Mahara.  

The name, Te Hiringa Mahara – Te hinengaro tūmata tōrunga pai o te whakaaro nui (Igniting minds through positive energy and thoughtfulness), was unveiled at a ceremony in Wellington today. 

Board Chair Hayden Wano said the new name embraced the Commission’s role as the kaitiaki of mental health and wellbeing and was an expression of the commitment to being an organisation grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.  

“We started by making a strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes for Māori and whānau. This is front and centre of who we are and our work,” Mr Wano said. 

“Te Hiringa Mahara is inclusive of all peoples, tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti. It is also enduring and presents a challenge for us to live up to. 

“We have intentionally taken time to get to know ourselves and develop our strategy since our establishment last year. This has helped us to reflect on the essence of who we are and what we stand for in our te Reo name.  

“We are embarking on a challenging hikoi of transformation as we find our place in government and position our voice to improve the mental health, addiction, and wellbeing systems in Aotearoa.  

“Having a name that reflects the spirit of the work that we do and the communities that we serve is an important part of this journey. 

“Our role is to work in the spirit of Te Hiringa Mahara (positive energy and thoughtfulness) with agencies across the system to support, transform, guide, and monitor a mental health and wellbeing system that prioritises wellbeing and that has people and whānau at its heart."