Te Hiringa Mahara

What Te Hiringa Mahara does

Te Hiringa Mahara — Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is an independent Crown entity established in 2019 in Aotearoa New Zealand, created following the 2018 He Ara Oranga inquiry into mental health and addiction. Operating at arms-length from the government of the day, it functions as a kaitiaki (guardian) of mental health and wellbeing, with a statutory mandate to monitor system performance, advocate for equitable outcomes, and advise on policy. The organization serves the entire population of Aotearoa New Zealand, with a particular focus on Māori and whānau in alignment with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and prioritizes the voices of people with lived experience of mental distress, substance harm, gambling harm, or addiction.

The Commission's core deliverables are analytical and policy products rather than commercial technology. Its flagship framework, He Ara Āwhina | Pathways to Support, covers 76 measures across workforce, wait times, access, and outcomes. The product portfolio includes annual System Performance Monitoring Report Cards, Wellbeing Assessment Reports, Crisis Responses Monitoring Reports, the NZ Health Survey Mental Health and Substance Use Data Summary, evidence briefs on early intervention for young people, and strategic Roadmaps for Mental Health, Addiction, and Wellbeing. Distribution is via the public-facing government website (mhwc.govt.nz), newsletters, webinars, and press releases.

The business model is non-commercial. As a Crown entity, Te Hiringa Mahara is publicly funded via government appropriation and provides all services and resources free of charge. There is no pricing model, no paying customer base, and no disclosed revenue or operating budget. The entity has no subsidiaries, no parent company, and is not publicly traded.

Name

Te Hiringa Mahara

Legal name

Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission

Website

https://mhwc.govt.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Te Hiringa Mahara is an independent New Zealand Crown entity that monitors the mental health and addiction system, advocates for equitable outcomes, and publishes reports and roadmaps for the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Monitoring Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Mental health monitoring
• Wellbeing assessment
• Addiction services reporting
• Public health advocacy
• Crisis response monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Te Hiringa Mahara operates as an independent Crown entity that monitors the performance of mental health and addiction services in Aotearoa New Zealand through the He Ara Āwhina framework (76 measures). It publishes system performance monitoring reports, wellbeing assessment reports, crisis response analyses, evidence briefs, and strategic roadmaps, while advocating for equitable mental health and wellbeing outcomes with a particular focus on Māori, whānau, young people, and people with lived experience of mental distress.

Product overview

Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission operates as a monitoring, advocacy, and reporting entity rather than a traditional product company. The organization provides a portfolio of frameworks, monitoring tools, and analytical reports that collectively serve its mandate as an independent Crown entity. Key offerings include the He Ara Āwhina Framework (covering 76 service performance measures), annual System Performance Monitoring reports, Wellbeing Assessment Reports, Crisis Responses Monitoring Reports, and data summaries on mental health and addiction services access. The organization also publishes strategic roadmaps and evidence briefs that synthesize monitoring data and advocate for system improvements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• He Ara Āwhina | Pathways to Support Framework A monitoring framework covering 76 measures for assessing the performance of mental health and addiction services in Aotearoa New Zealand. Used by policymakers, service providers, and the public to track system progress.
• System Performance Monitoring Report Card Annual monitoring report assessing how well the mental health and addiction system meets the needs of the people it serves, evaluating progress against six monitored shifts. Published in 2026.
• Wellbeing Assessment Reports Reports analyzing wider conditions that support mental wellbeing, examining factors such as physical health, social connections, and material resources. Published May 2026.
• Crisis Responses Monitoring Report (Urupare mōrearea) Five-year analysis (January 2020 to December 2024) examining how the crisis response system functions and providing insights into pathways for people and whānau experiencing crisis. Published 4 November 2025.
• Mental Health and Addiction Services Access Data Summary Updated data on the number of people using services, wait times, and workforce metrics for mental health and addiction services. Data presented incorporates data from the most recent year up to June 2025. Published 25 February 2026.
• Effectiveness Review and Evidence Brief for Young People Evidence-based review of effective enablers for designing and funding early intervention and secondary prevention approaches for young people experiencing early signs of distress. Released 30 April 2026.
• Roadmap for Mental Health, Addiction, and Wellbeing Strategic roadmap calling for faster, more focused action to improve mental health, addiction, and wellbeing outcomes in Aotearoa New Zealand, highlighting key priorities for action through June 2026.
• NZ Health Survey Mental Health and Substance Use Data Summary Population-level findings from the NZ Health Survey 2024/2025 reporting on patterns of psychological distress, help seeking, and unmet need for professional care and substance use. Published 25 February 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• Workforce numbers have increased, wait times have improved, and overall access to services has improved over the five-year period following the He Ara Oranga inquiry

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mental Health Commission of Canada: Canada's national mental health commission performs a similar mandate of monitoring, advising, and advocating on mental health system performance. Both are independent national bodies translating monitoring into policy recommendations.
• National Mental Health Commission (Australia): Australia's equivalent national commission performs monitoring, reporting, and advisory functions on mental health outcomes and system reform, closely mirroring Te Hiringa Mahara's role.
• Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand: A New Zealand charitable trust working on mental health promotion, advocacy, and resource development, with overlapping scope on wellbeing and stigma reduction alongside the Commission.

Broad incumbents

• SAMHSA (US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): The US federal agency for mental health and substance use, combining policy leadership, monitoring, and program administration at a much larger scale than Te Hiringa Mahara.
• Public Health Agency of Canada: A Canadian federal agency focused on public health promotion, surveillance, and population-level outcomes, sharing the population-monitoring and advisory posture but across a broader health scope.
• Care Quality Commission (UK): England's independent regulator of health and adult social care providers, performing inspection, monitoring, and public reporting functions analogous to the Commission's oversight role.

Regional players

• Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand: A New Zealand Crown entity monitoring health and disability services quality and safety, with overlapping independent monitoring and reporting functions applied to a wider health system.
• Te Pou: A New Zealand organisation providing workforce development and evidence for mental health, addiction, and disability services, complementing the Commission's monitoring with operational data and capability building.

Emerging players

• Rethink Mental Illness (UK): A UK charity advocating on mental health policy and supporting people with lived experience of mental illness, comparable to the Commission's advocacy role for people with lived experience in New Zealand.
• Mental Health and Wellbeing in Multicultural Australia: An Australian organisation advocating for culturally and linguistically diverse communities in mental health policy, comparable in its equity-focused advocacy function but narrower in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tehiringamahara6861
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mental-health-and-wellbeing-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Te Hiringa Mahara