While the Government has quite rightly budgeted a large chunk of cash to address a myriad of mental health issues, it has unfortunately failed to drive through systemic and leadership change – leaving the same inmates in charge of the same asylum (to use a perhaps non-PC turn of phrase).
Last week the Government announced, with much fanfare, the rebuild of Waikato DHB’s notorious Henry Bennett Centre, a place that was quite literally the death of our son Nicky, and of several other acutely ill patients.
Most readers will be aware that my family’s long-running (four and a half years long) ‘dispute’ with Waikato DHB is now over.
After refusing to hold further discussions with Nicky Stevens’ whanau six months ago, the Waikato DHB – under the new leadership of Commissioner Karen Poutasi – has changed tack and agreed to participate in mediation talks with his family.
The parents of Nicky Stevens, who died in 2015 while in the ‘care’ of Waikato DHB’s acute mental health facility, have welcomed the focus of the 2019 Budget on Mental Health.
Coroner Wallace Bain has formally found that our son and brother Nicky Stevens’ death was as a result of suicide.
I believe it’s highly unethical for an individual’s future prospects and education level to be dictated by the amount of money their parents earn, or the level of emotional and holistic support a child receives from their parents.
GOVT APPOINTS DHB & MoH GROUP TO ADVISE WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH INQUIRY RECOMMENDATIONS….
With the Government’s delayed Mental Health Inquiry due to report back in the next few days, it’s worth reminding ourselves about the background and issues that forced this move onto the political agenda.
Most individuals who have a mental illness have experienced trauma throughout childhood or adolescence leaving the individual hypervigilant.