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Suicide Prevention Strategy

New Zealand is well known for its struggles with suicide, especially amongst indigenous Māori and young people. I was privileged to be the first lived experience member on the Ministry of Health Suicide Prevention Task Force to help develop the first Suicide Prevention Strategy.   

GovernmentLived Experience Leadership

Suicide Prevention

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Time For Change

Keynote presentation at the International eMental Health Forum. 


Keynote University Lived Experience Leadership
Mental Health
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University Challenged - Lived Experience In Academia

How do we best bring lived experience into university research? I was the first 'Consumer/Service User Researcher' at the University of Auckland and sat on the Medical and Health Sciences Faculty Advisory Committee where I provided strategic and operational guidance. I also helped established and keynoted the first Service Users Academic Symposium.

Research University Lived Experience Leadership
Mental Health Addictions Social Inclusion
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Reinventing Helpines for the Digital Age

Reaching out for help can be a huge threshold to cross and helplines can help those who can't or don't want to visit a mental health or social service. I was privileged to be Lifeline's first national manager to bring together over a dozen silo'd services into one cohesive platform of helping and online support.  

Service Provider Service Design Digital Government
Anxiety Depression Suicide Prevention Mental Health Addiction
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Housing First - Pathways to Inclusion

"A shove in the right direction, that was enough, I think it was just the fact that someone believed in me more than anything else, just someone saying you can do it" Evaluation Participant.

I led an evaluation of the first attempt at implementing the 'Housing First' approach to homelessness. Included a review of utilisation stats and interviews with clients, staff and stakeholders in Mental Health Homeless Team, Alcohol and Other Drug Services, Corrections, Housing NZ and Work and Income.

Evaluation Service Provider Community
Homelessness Mental Health Addiction Social Inclusion
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Online CBT and Self Help for Depression and Anxiety

How do we help people who do not engage with mental health services because of barriers like cost, geographic distance or even shame? And what about people who want to do things themselves and choose not to engage? 

I was Principal Investigator on this research into over 600 people's experiences doing online CBT and self help and over 40 staff's perspectives on referring and delivering this service.


Research University Government Digital
Depression Anxiety Suicide Prevention Self Help
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Gareth Edwards © 2006-2019