Building on Strengths: A Springboard for Action

Building on Strengths: A Springboard for Action
<H2>A New Approach to Promoting Mental Health in New Zealand/Aotearoa</H2>]Date of publication: July 2001

The Ministry of Health is seeking comment on this consultation document Building on Strengths: A springboard for action. We hope you will take the time to read it and let us know what you think.

Building on Strengths seeks to build on current knowledge of preventive approaches and to enhance mental wellbeing by improving social, economic, cultural, political and physical environments in which we live. It advocates putting energy and resources into keeping people well and creating environments for them to reach their potential.

Building on Strengths proposes an overall approach – a national direction for mental health promotion over the next five years. It also puts forward some suggested action – by no means exhaustive – but examples of what might work.

The consultation document is supplemented by a separate reference document entitled Building on Strengths: A Guide for Action, which is also available for those wanting more detail.

From feedback from this consultation process, the Ministry of Health will produce a strategy for mental health promotion, which will guide the sector for the next five years. What we want is a document that will educate New Zealand about mental health promotion – what it means and what can be done by different players. We also want to provide a resource to guide policy makers, District Health Boards, service providers, government agencies and others.

Over 200 people, including Mäori and Pacific peoples, academics, professionals, and those who have been affected by mental illness, have already been involved in the process, and this consultation document is a result of all their efforts. But it is only a springboard.

To achieve a strategy that will provide the best outcomes for everyone, we need the benefit of your knowledge and experience. We want to know whether you think we are on the right track. We hope you will comment on the overall direction and principles contained in this document. We also hope you will put forward your own ideas, and, where possible, solutions – suggestions of health promotion activities that have worked or could work for you or in your community. By combining the significant strengths of individual communities, we hope to produce a strategy that will lead the whole country.

All submissions were to be received no later than 5pm 28 September 2001.

We look forward to hearing from you.

(PDF, 34 kB)

Submissions have now closed.

Document availability

This publication is available in hard copy. To order a copy email moh@wickliffe.co.nz or call 04 496 2277. Please let us know your name, your physical address and how many copies you would like.

It is also available on this website in PDF format below.

(PDF, 135 kB)

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