Te Pou aims to improve the lives of people with mental health needs by connecting the people working with them, tāngata whai ora, tāngata whaikaha and their whānau, with knowledge, resources, training, and information.

We work alongside DHBs, NGOs, government agencies, education providers and other workforce centres in the mental health area to understand their needs and workforce challenges. We then use our range of projects and expertise to meet these needs.

Our work recognises and is underpinned by our obligations to Māori as identified in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is informed and shaped by Māori and reflects Māori worldviews and perspectives. It promotes actions to achieve equitable health outcomes for Māori.

Also central to our work is our active commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion across the whole population. The commitment is formalised within Te Pou through our Kanorau Charter, which provides guiding principles for our work.

Importantly, our work is informed and co-designed by people with lived experience of accessing mental health services. People who have experienced mental health challenges and gained wellbeing develop many skills, knowledge, talents and attributes through those experiences. Likewise, the peer workforce has a vital part to play in effectively supporting service users and whānau.