Megan, Engagement and Insights Manager at Changing Minds, shares her reflections on 2025 in this piece that talks about working and welcoming in the Lived Experience space.

Dr Snita Ahir-Knight is a trained child and adolescent therapist, social worker and university lecturer with more than 15 years’ experience working in the not-for-profit, community, and mental health sectors. This is the fourth and final in a series of written pieces for Changing Minds and here she talks about the balance of honouring silence and sharing for collective healing.

Dr Snita Ahir-Knight is a trained child and adolescent therapist, social worker and university lecturer with more than 15 years’ experience working in the not-for-profit, community, and mental health sectors. This is the third in a series of written pieces for Changing Minds and here she shares how she finds meaning in words and the importance of accepting different perspectives.

Dr Snita Ahir-Knight is a trained child and adolescent therapist, social worker and university lecturer with more than 15 years’ experience working in the not-for-profit, community, and mental health sectors. This is the second in a series of written pieces for Changing Minds and here she shares how she turned her Lived Experience into productive change in the workplace.

Dr Snita Ahir-Knight is a trained child and adolescent therapist, social worker and university lecturer with more than 15 years’ experience working in the not-for-profit, community, and mental health sectors. This is the first in a series of written pieces for Changing Minds where she shares her Lived Experience of ‘living with madness and a differently wired brain’.

We are aware of media articles this morning about a young person who was wrongfully identified by police and service providers and later restrained and given medication. This is a statement from Changing Minds.

This year Changing Minds partnered with Tall Tree Jared Flitcroft (Ngāti Maniapoto) of JPF Films, to deliver a Deaf Video series - by and for the Deaf community. This series is designed to raise awareness around mental distress, and the particular challenges faced by the Deaf that other resources have missed.

In June, Te Hiringa Mahara (the Mental Health & Wellbeing Commission) released their 2024 Mental Health & Addiction Services Monitoring Report: Kua Tīmata Te Haerenga | The Journey Has Begun.

Our Kaiwhaihua Jodie represents Changing Minds and the Tangata Matau a-wheako community at Parliament.

We are thrilled to share the power of our community voice has been heard. We have been invited to attend a hearing on the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) (Improving Mental Health Outcomes) Amendment Bill in May.

Over the past 12 months Changing Minds has heard from our community through research, kōrero and engagement on what they wish decision makers knew about Lived Experience ahead of the 2023 General Election.

On behalf of our community, we are writing to political parties to hear their views on the following questions, informed by Changing Minds community research, kōrero and engagement over the past 12 months.