The life cycle, achievements and transformation of the New Zealand Mental Health Commission: opportunities and risks

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to describe the “organisational lifecycle” of the New Zealand Mental Health Commission (NZ MHC) including factors that led to it being established, the evolving phases of the work it undertook and its key achievements, the critical success factors, the rationale behind its disestablishment and transfer of its core functions to another entity.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is a review of relevant documents and interviews of previous Commissioners, and insights of the final two Chair Commissioners and authors.FindingsThe NZ MHC was established to provide government with independent advice on how to develop the capacity and capability of mental health and addictions services for those people with the highest and most complex needs, estimated to be approximately 3 percent of the population. Having successfully led changes to achieve this goal as set out in The Blueprint of 1998 it is now influencing government policy and services to achieve better mental health and well‐being for the whole population as per Blueprint II, published in 2012. The NZ Government clearly values the role of Mental Health Commissioner which has been transferred to the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner from July 2012 at the time the Commission is disestablished.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper relies on insights of those in Commission leadership roles.Practical implicationsOther Commissions may gain insight into their own evolutionary pathways and proactively manage them.Social implicationsOptimal mental health and wellbeing for society requires policy that simultaneously takes a “whole of society” approach and focuses on responding to people with the highest needs.Originality/valueThe paper shows that there are significant concerns about the disestablishment of the Mental Health Commission in New Zealand and little understanding of the underlying rationale for the organisational changes.