In this episode of Psych Matters Dr Rees Tapsell, from the Arawa canoe of Ngāti Whakaue descent, describes systemic features affecting Maori mental health, including the impact of the RANZCP’s Te Kaunihera committee, imminent changes to the NZ health system which will see a new Maori Health Authority working alongside Health NZ, and the importance of self-determination for First Nation peoples across the world. Dr Andrew Amos hosted the discussion.
Dr Rees Tapsell is of Māori, heralding from the Arawa canoe and of Ngāti Whakaue descent. He is the Executive Director of the Midland Regional Forensic Service and the Director of Clinical Services for the Waikato Mental Health and Addictions services at the Waikato District Health Board. He is a clinical lecturer with the department of psychological medicine at the Auckland School of Medicine. Dr Tapsell has served as a General Council member with the Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, as a board member on two HHSs/DHBs, on several small private companies and he served as a psychiatrist Deputy Member on the Mental Health Review Tribunal for 12 years. He has been involved in the development of a number of Māori specific approaches to the provision of mental health care to Māori in both general and forensic services and in both government and NGO settings. Dr Tapsell’s particular professional and research interests lie in the governance and leadership of health organisations, the epidemiology of mental disorders, Māori mental health service development, outcome measures in Māori mental health ‘mentally abnormal’ offenders and undergraduate and postgraduate education and training.
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