Welcome

He iti hau marangai e tu te pahokahoka
First comes the light wind carrying rain, then comes the rainbow

Over the last two years the role and scope of Te Pou's information programme has evolved significantly. Originally, the programme was known as MH-SMART because its main body of work focused on the MH-SMART initiative (Mental Health Standard Measures of Assessment and Recovery).

The programme now has roles and responsibilities in a number of mental health information activities and initiatives, and the name change reflects this.

The information programme is also involved in:

• Promoting and supporting the development of systems and processes to capture and disseminate outcome information.
• The development of strategies that will support local services to manage and maintain ongoing training and skill development in the use of mental health information.
• Developing the Maori, Pacific peoples and NGO sectors' capacity to collect and use outcome measures.
• Building sector relationships to embed the use of outcome measures.

The Information programme is taking a lead role in assisting mental health workers' focus on mental health outcomes, by measuring change in service users' health, wellbeing and circumstances over time. This information can be used to support recovery, ensure services are culturally responsive and that comprehensive assessments are completed.

The programme is responsible for implementing a suite of standard outcome measures.

The Health of the Nation Outcomes Scale family of measures (HoNOS) is the first of these to be rolled out in New Zealand. HoNOS and other recommended measures are in development and, in time, the Ministry of Health will direct their use.

The information that is gathered from the use of outcomes measures will have the potential to be used to improve services at clinical, service and national levels, and to monitor mental health service users' outcomes i.e., changes in health, wellbeing and circumstances.

The PRIMHD project will support the development of an expanded and more detailed picture of what is happening in our mental health services, by combining the current Mental Health Information National Collection (MHINC) with the outcomes information collection.

The Information team works with a number of key contacts, including site coordinators and DHB staff, Ministry of Health representatives and other key mental health organisations.

The work of the information team is complex, multifaceted and ongoing. This website will assist the Information programme to engage the entire sector, align philosophies, develop compatible systems and ensure results are analysed and useful information disseminated.

Meet the information team

Page last updated: 27 July 2010