DHB family whānau advisors
Whether you work in, or support a whānau member to use mental health and addiction services, you want to be confident that the service has effective family and whānau participation processes.
What we do
It is the job of district health board (DHB) family whānau advisors to assist services to bring a family and whānau perspective to DHB senior management, quality improvement and service development processes.
Family whānau advisors also facilitate staff access to training, education and resources on working with families and whānau. Contact with families and whānau is generally through surveys, focus groups, forums, serious incident processes and when concerns are identified.
National group
Currently there are 23 family whānau advisors working across 15 DHBs with two co-chairs. The national group provides advisors with a structure to have a collective voice, share best practice, and maintain and develop professional standards.
The group also provides leadership to the sector by contributing family and whānau expertise to national projects and initiatives in a positive collaboration with key national groups.
Click here to find contact details for a DHB family whānau advisor in your area.
If you would like to know more about the national group please contact one of the co-chairs: Leigh Murray, Auckland DHB or Debbie Crichton, Waitemata DHB.
Handover articles of interest
Family and whānau advisors frequently submit articles to Handover, the mental health and addiction nursing newsletter. Read some of their latest articles in the Stories section below, or visit Te Pou for full Handover editions.
Stories
Spread the word – Family matters at Community Alcohol and Drug Services Auckland
29 October 2015
Handover | Issue 32, October 2015 – Family column by Michelle Brewerton, family advisor/clinical supervisor, Community Alcohol and Drug Services, Waitematā DHBFamily Connections programme
9 July 2015
Handover | Issue 31 — Autumn, July 2015 When family and whānau are asked what information they would like most from mental health services, the most common response is how they can support their family member in a mental health crisis and how they can support their recovery.Whānau Ora is everyone’s business
5 March 2015
Handover Issue 30 - Summer, March 2015. Working with whānau and natural supports is integral to the provision of high quality health service provision. Whānau Ora is a major health initiative driven by Māori cultural values. At its core is the goal to empower whānau/families and natural supports within their community context as opposed to individuals within an institutional context."E fofo e le alamea le alamea"
11 December 2014
Handover | Issue 29 - Spring, December 2014 Family column - The following is an address given by Debbie Crichton at the August 2013 Health and Disability Advocates Conference in Auckland.Working with families/whānau supporting a child/young person with autism
14 August 2014
Handover Issue 28 - Winter, September 2014. Family column - Having a family member with autism is a journey and each family's journey will be different.Other initiatives
