Submissions

To: Ministry of Health 
Date: May 2026 

Purpose

The purpose of this submission was to comment on the government’s proposed Draft Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2026 – 2036. 

Summary of DPA submission

DPA outlined its concerns around the draft strategy: 

• The absence of any recognition of disabled people as a priority population group given the poorer mental health outcomes cited above. 

• Failure to integrate existing disability policy frameworks as the Strategy doesn’t reference or align with the Health of Disabled People Strategy, the Carers’ Strategy Action Plan (Mahi Aroha), or (most crucially) the UNCRPD. 

• The voice of tāngata whaikaha Māori and Te Tiriti are missing which is concerning given the high levels of unmet mental health needs amongst whānau Māori. 

Recommendations 

DPA made a series of broad recommendations to address these and other concerns. 

DPA asks that the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy is fully aligned with the UNCRPD and the Health of Disabled People Strategy. 

DPA asks that Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi is incorporated throughout the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy as a key principle informing its priorities and actions. 

DPA asks that the priorities of the Health of Disabled People Strategy form the basis for making all mental health and wellbeing services fully accessible, seamless, inclusive and responsive to the needs of disabled people, their families, whānau and aiga. 

DPA supports the need for clinically based services to continue to be readily available as a full and complementary part of the mental health system. 

DPA recommends that the Strategy more clearly and explicitly map out what clinical services will be available, at what level of need, and with wait times and expectations fully laid out. 

DPA recommends that the peer support workforce is fully trained in disability responsiveness. 

DPA recommends that government evaluate the outcomes of peer support in all settings, including Emergency Departments and crisis cafés. 

DPA recommends that the peer/lived experience workforce is fully valued and that strong safeguards are put in place to prevent their being overworked, exploited and misused through being required to, for example, inappropriately undertake clinical treatment work with tāngata whaiora. 

DPA recommends that the use of AI in mental health services and settings is actively monitored under the strategy. 

DPA recommends that face-to-face in person therapeutic/clinical interventions should continue to be offered as a choice to tāngata whaiora throughout the mental health and wellbeing system. 

DPA recommends that digital mental health and wellbeing platforms are made fully accessible, inclusive and free for everyone, including disabled people and tāngata whaiora. 

DPA recommends that support and training is provided to disabled people and tāngata whaiora wanting to access digital-based therapy options.