A literature review: addressing indigenous parental substance use and child welfare in Aotearoa: a Whanau Ora framework.

Parental substance use disorders (SUDs) for Maori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand and an ethnic minority, are considered to be contributors to adverse effects on outcomes for their children. This article offers a review of international and Aotearoa literature in regard to key considerations for Maori parents with SUDs who present to an Alcohol and Drug specialist for assessment and treatment. Factors to increase positive outcomes for Maori children of parents with SUDs are promoted. Effective adult AoD services provide support to parents with SUDs through comprehensive assessment and intervention plans that consider both individual and familial risk and protective factors. In this context, it is imperative that possible child welfare issues are identified early to ensure prevention or intervention. The AoD workforce must have the knowledge and skills to facilitate access to other relevant sectors, such as education, employment, and housing. An AoD workforce that is effective with Maori must not only have these abilities, but also have at least some basic knowledge and skills in Whanau Ora philosophy and Whanau-centered best practice. To address these processes, AoD specialist services need to acquire a set of knowledge and skills. These include increasing the knowledge and skills associated with the realities of lifestyles centered in low socioeconomic communities and co-occurring issues that contribute to poor health outcomes. To assist Maori, several key processes are proposed. This includes working in a Whanau-centered approach with Whanau as a collective entity, based on Maori foundations; understanding intergenerational dynamics; and endorsing a group capacity for self-determination. Research and training in Whanau ora philosophy and Whanau-centered best practices will be essential for developing an appropriate AoD workforce, which would provide the foundations for improving AoD service delivery for Maori parents with SUDs.

Powhiri process in mental health research.

Within the health research context, indigenous people globally have a commitment to provide their own solutions. Maori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand) value the traditional Powhiri process of engagement and participation in mental health research. The practices and protocols within the Powhiri process (use in the Doctorate of Philosophy (2010) and Auckland University) are premised on the notion of respect and positive relationships between the tangata whenua (hosts or research participants) and manuwhiri (guests or researchers). This paper briefly describes the Powhiri process, which may be a model applicable to research with other indigenous cultures.

Population-based funding formulae cultural coefficients: seeking a more equitable distribution of health dollars in New Zealand.

Evidence and argument for the allocation of funds to forensic psychiatric services to take account of the ethnic disparities in the use of the Justice System is presented. This would reflect the reality of the distribution of Service demand.