Consumer Taangata Whaiora Advisor, Mental Health & Addictions

Full time, permanent

Remuneration as per PSA Allied Health MECA guidelines

Kia ora, Malo e lelei, Fakalofa lahi atu, Ni Hao, Talofa lava, Kia orana

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

Consumer Taangata Whaiora Advisors work strategically to connect with the people who use our mental health and addiction services here in Health NZ, Counties – Manukau. They use their own personal lived experience, together with the experiences, koorero and talanoa of the people who are using our mental health service, who are called, Consumers and or Maaori name, ‘Taangata Whaiora’ (means a person who is seeking to be well), to lift their Voices and Rights, to make decisions, on how to design mental health and addiction services, to work effectively, be delivered culturally well and wholistically, based on Human Rights, and evaluate services.

This role is all about:

• Consumers, Taangata Whaiora views and influence - Advocate for Consumers, Taangata Whaiora perspectives in policy, strategy, service design and quality improvement activities.
• Feedback and insight – meet, listen and gather the koorero/talanoa/feedback from Consumers, Taangata Whaiora in the community, and inpatient services to improve the service
• Service and quality improvement – Contribute to service development, evaluation, and quality improvement initiatives and Promote recovery-oriented and wellbeing-focused outcome prioritising Maaori, Pacific, Disabled and our Young people.

What You’ll Bring

• NZQA Level 4 qualification in mental health, addictions, social sciences or related fields
• Personal lived experience of mental health and/or addiction and recovery
• Knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Equity Principles, and Maaori and Pacific worldviews
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills
• Ability to speak Te Reo Maaori or a Pacific Island language is favourable
• Ability to engage with Consumers, Taangata Whaiora in the community and acute adult inpatient units, to gather their feedback about their experience in our services.
• A full clean NZ drivers licence

The Preferred skills and attributes we are looking for

• Lived experience and peer values - Personal lived experience and knowledge of accessing relevant mental health and addiction services, and system.
• Advocacy and systems thinking - Ability to reflect on individual experiences within broader system and service contexts, and understanding of Taangata Whaiora Rights, complaints processes, Te Tiriti principles, and relevant human rights frameworks.
• Organisational skills – ability to gather and blend information from multiple sources and skills to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams and organisation structures.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Maaori, Pacific, Disabled, and Rainbow communities.

How to apply – Nau Mai, Haere Mai…

To apply please click 'apply now'. All applications must be submitted through our online career’s portal by 09 July 2026. To view the job description, please click here.

For more information, please contact Amy on amy.lin@tewhatuora.govt.nz.

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.