Owairaka te Maunga
Ko Auaunga te awa
Wai-o-te-Mata te moana
Ko Whatua Kaimarie te whenua
Ko Manawanui te Whare Tupuna
MIHI
Ka mau nga here ki te Rangi hei kopiri i nga hikoitanga o te Whenua
Ka kite atu i nga Maungahere o Tamaki Makaurau
E pikau tia ana e te Rarotonga
Kia pupiri i taku ka kite i Owairaka ko te Hauora Tangata Whaiora
Kei raro i nga Ata o toku whare
A Manawanui, i mihi nei ki a koe
No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa
To hold the righteousness of above
Acknowledging the sequence of travel
Significant visions entwine the relation of Auckland
Awaken in the review of Mt Smart
To observe Owairaka embracing the dawn of day
Awakes the wellness assurance
The call of Manawanui
Greetings to you all
ADHB Manawanui Oranga Hinengaro Services for Maori Is a kaupapa Maori community mental health service for adults run by the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB).
A range of services is provided via two specific teams, the Cultural Support Team and the Clinical Team. Each team is community based and provides services to tangata whai ite ora Maori who are living in the community of Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland). The teams comprise predominantly Maori staff who come from a variety of iwi (tribal affiliations). Staff have expert knowledge of tikanga Maori, life experience, clinical expertise with mental health issues and most importantly a passion about supporting Maori on their recovery pathway.
The Cultural Support Team provides a range of community support for tangata whai ite ora and their whanau within the community. It includes Maori specific interventions, therapies, assessments, community support and kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) tangata whai ite ora referrals to specialist Maori and other services when required. The Cultural Support service is available for tangata whai ite ora who are receiving clinical mental health services from Manawanui or a Community Mental Health Centre.
The Clinical Team is a multi-disciplinary clinical team providing clinical treatment and support to tangata whai ite ora who are receiving a kaupapa Maori care and recovery service.
What is Wellness for Maori - Tangata Oranga Maori
For Maori, the concept of wellness goes beyond physical wellbeing
and is based on a holistic health model known as “Te Whare Tapa Wha” (Mason Durie). Te whare tapa wha embraces four cornerstones of wellbeing, that are underpinned by the kaupapa Mana Atua, Mana Tangata and Mana Whenua:
Te taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing)
Te taha hinengaro (psychological & emotional wellbeing)
Te taha tinana (physical wellbeing)
Te taha whanau (family wellbeing)
Te whare tapa wha describes these cornerstones as representing the four walls of a house and the idea if one of these walls fails, the house will fall.
Therefore a Maori perspective of wellness is recognised as being dependent on a balance of these four aspects and that if all are intact so will the wellbeing of the person be intact. If there is imbalance in the cornerstones this could contribute to a "disease" that can manifest itself as mental illness.
Link to Kainga - Maori Health for more information about Te Whare Tapa Wha.
What is Mental Illness?
Mental illness is a clinically significant behaviour or psychological (to do with the mind) disorder that is associated with distress or disability. It is not just the way someone responds to a particular event nor is it limited to the way a person interacts with society.
A mental illness can continuously or intermittently (occasionally) affect our capacity for speech, language, mood, affect, thoughts, perceptions, insight, judgement, cognition (understanding) and volition (ability to make choices). It can limit our ability to function as society would normally expect of us and can put us and others at risk.
Mental illness is therefore, a broad term that covers problems ranging from minor to severe disorders.
Who is a Psychiatrist?
A ‘psychiatrist’ is a doctor who, after basic medical qualifications, receives further training and develops the expertise to become a ‘specialist’ in identifying symptoms of, and diagnosing and treating, mental illnesses. You may have been referred to a psychiatrist if your doctor feels you need specialist help.