For more than 30 years, Hiraina McKenzie has been a bold and compassionate force in Māori mental health. As a registered nurse and visionary leader, Hiraina is widely respected for her tireless advocacy, innovation, and deep-rooted commitment to achieving equity in hauora Māori.

Her career began in 1994 after completing a Comprehensive Nursing Diploma at Nelson Polytechnic. Since then, she has served across Aotearoa, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates in diverse mental health roles. These international and domestic experiences shaped her unique approach, grounded in tikanga, courageous in systems transformation, and focused on the voices of whānau.

Today, Hiraina is Kaihautū Māori (Director Māori) for Te Whatu Ora MHAIDS in the Central Region. In this senior leadership role, she champions equity-focused strategies and dismantles structural barriers through kaupapa Māori approaches. Her leadership ensures that Māori worldview and mana motuhake are embedded in clinical service delivery and governance.

In 2023, she was appointed to the Governance Group for the Te Awakairangi Māori Mental Health and Addiction Service. This role places her at the heart of redesigning services to better reflect Māori values, needs, and aspirations—ensuring future models are co-created by Māori, for Māori.

Her influence has extended into the design of acute inpatient mental health facilities, where she has advocated for environments that are not only safe and functional but also culturally affirming. Her leadership helped shape the Hutt Valley project by weaving te ao Māori into the physical and spiritual design of care spaces.

In 2024, Hiraina was awarded a Fellowship from Te Ao Māramatanga – New Zealand College of Mental Health Nurses, acknowledging her outstanding contribution to mental health nursing, leadership, and service to Māori communities.

Hiraina’s legacy is one of transformative leadership, where equity is not a goal, but a lived, ethical responsibility. She continues to empower mana wāhine and uplift the next generation of Māori clinicians, knowing that whānau hold the solutions to their own wellbeing.

“We need to do things differently to improve Tāngata Whenua health outcomes. When we lead with tikanga and integrity, our people thrive.”

Links:

NZNO Mental Health Nurses Section Forum Theme: Capacity in the Mental Health Arena Friday 24 March 2023 NZNO Mental Health Forum – Speaker Profile