Ka tiu te toroa a uta, ka hoka te toroa a tai
Te rangi pū nunui, te rangi pū roroa
Papaki kau ana ngā ngaru tuatea ki Waitangi
Horahia atu te takapou ki Pā Tangaroa
Tērā te motu kohu ko Wharekauri e takoto ake nei e Hai!
RPN DipHealth(MHN) DipBusiness(MD) FNZCMHN
Tish Siaosi trained as a Psychiatric nurse at Porirua Hospital and has worked in the health sector for most of her life. Her first experience in Māori Mental Health was when she started working at Whare Paia in 1990 and then at Manawanui Māori Mental Health, Auckland Healthcare.
At Manawanui, Tish was given the opportunity to develop and lead the Community Team, Arahina, into a clinical team that successfully grew from 3 FTE to 8.2 FTE - RN’s, SW’s, CSW’s, .2 Psychiatrists and an administrator.
In 1999, Tish moved into the Non-Government sector and worked for Raukura Hauora O Tainui Iwi Trust, whose core business was Primary Care. As the Clinical Quality Manager, she developed and administered the Quality Management System.
In 2003, Raukura Hauora O Tainui Iwi Trust was the first GP Clinic to achieve accreditation against the RNZCGP’s Cornerstone Program, Aiming for Excellence Standards and the first Māori Organisation to achieve certification against ISO 9001, AS/NZS 4801:2001 and Health and Disability (Sector) Standards.
Drawing on her knowledge and experience, Tish played a significant role in developing the Mental Health and Addiction Workforce Framework: A Whānau Ora Approach. This approach has contributed to further developing and implementing Whānau Ora initiatives, particularly when working with Māori and Pasifika communities. The framework considers various aspects of well-being, including self-management, healthy lifestyles, social participation, cultural engagement in Te Ao Māori, economic security, and wealth creation.
As a mental health nurse and health consultant, Tish Siaosi focuses on incorporating Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles into her well-being support. Tish has been a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of MH Nurses since it first came to our shores and was involved when the New Zealand Branch parted and became Te Ao Māramatanga.
Tish was the Kaiwhakahaere from 2012 until 2018. During this time, Tish supported several initiatives led out by members of the Māori Caucus: Tuia Te Ao Mārama (Oral History Project), and supporting seclusion reduction for Māori, “Taiheretia tātou kia puta te hua” Unite ‘all’ to achieve the result. Come together as one, and we can achieve anything” published in 2014, https://d2ew8vb2gktr0m.cloudfront.net/files/resources/supporting-seclus….
In 2022, Tish was honoured as a Te Ao Māramatanga College of Mental Health Nurses fellow. This fellowship is awarded in recognition of her outstanding contributions and leadership in mental health nursing, education, research, and professional leadership. It also acknowledges her significant contributions to the development and functioning of the College.
Links:
A Mental Health and Addiction Workforce Framework: A Whānau Ora Approach
