Manukura | Dean Rangihuna

Mahia-te-mahi   

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takimano. (My success is not mine alone, but it is the strength of many).

Dean Rangihuna is of Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Hei descent and is the father of four boys. Dean is a passionate advocate for improving health and wellbeing outcomes for Māori within the mental health and addiction system. His own experiences of trauma and lived experience within the mental health system have inspired a lifelong commitment to improving services and reducing harm for tāngata Māori. He is also a staunch advocate for recognising the contribution.

Dean’s career in the mental health and addiction sector, has been longstanding over many decades. From flax roots community work, specialist mental health services and many National roles in policy and planning, service development, leadership, and governance.

His current role is Te Kaihapai, Principal Advisor lived experience for Te Aka Whai Ora | Māori Health Authority, Oranga Hinengaro team, after finishing a secondment with the Ministry of Health from 2021 to 2023 in a similar role.

Dean acknowledge’s and appreciates the immense support from the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB), Te Korowai Atawhai and the Consumer and family advisory teams, National Association Mental Health Senior Consumer Advisor (NAMHSCA), Health Quality Safety Commission Māori Advisory group (MAG), Te Pou, Safe Practice Effective Communication (Lived experience SPEC Trainor and SPEC Governance). Tāngata whai ora and whānau with whom he has worked alongside across Aotearoa.

In 2018 Dean felt privileged to be asked by Government Minister of Health at that time Dr David Clarke to be a panel member for the Mental health and Addiction Inquiry He Ara Oranga, alongside Sir Mason Durie, Professor Ron Patterson, Dr Barbara Disley, Dr Jemaima Tia Tia Seath, and Josiah Tuaalami.

After the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry in 2019 to 2021 Dean was appointed alongside Sir Mason Durie and Sir Kim Workman and other members to the new Suicide Prevention Office Māori Expert advisory committee.

Between 2020 and 2022 Dean was asked to be on the New Zealand Health and Disability Standards review committee, with the new development of the Health and Disabilities Standards, Paerewa.

Also, in 2020 Dean was appointed as one of the Board of Directors for Te Pou/Wise group around workforce development as someone with Lived experience of mental health and addictions. Dean talks about Te Pou as a centre of excellence that have contributed considerably to workforce initiatives and innovation across the mental health, addictions and health and disability sector, and is proud to part of the Leadership at a Governance level.

Dean has long standing commitment and passion for the removal of the old ways of restraint, to Safe Practice Effective Communications (SPEC), where he has been involved from Train the Trainer, and Master Trainer pathway to SPEC Governance. Dean’s been involved in supporting the Safe practice effective communication Training, which is now a National Training program within Te Whatu Ora throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Dean was then appointed in 2021 to 2023 to the Royal Commission, State Abuse Care Mental Health Reference group.

Dean speaks of the honour and privilege it has been for him to work in Māori mental health, addictions, and suicide prevention in the community and Specialist Mental Health Services (SMHS).  He has always been an active proponent committed to equity and the Treaty of Waitangi leading to gains for Māori, adopting Mātauranga Māori and Te Ao Māori solutions for tāngata whai ora and whānau Māori.

He says he will be forever grateful to the CDHB SMHS clinicians who he worked alongside and learnt from. The Māori mental health service, Te Korowai Atawhai, Canterbury DHB and Pukenga Atawhai that taught him about aroha ki te tāngata and manaakitanga, and he acknowledges Kaye Johnston and Alfred Delario who protected and enhanced the Māori consumer advisory role, which is now fulltime.

The National Association Mental Health Senior Consumer Advisors was a group who worked in the DHB, and provided support to Dean from 2005 to 2022, where he credits so much learning from the leaders of lived experience.

Dean acknowledges Tā Mason Durie, who has looked after him since 2018, in providing mentoring, support and advice when needed. To Dean’s surprise, he was provided with a written reference from Tā Mason Durie when he was applying for a Principal advisor lived experience within Te Aka Whai Ora Oranga Hinengaro team and was the successful applicant. Dean continues to stay in contact with Tā Mason Durie and Lady Arohia for which he is forever grateful.

Dean thanks Aroha Metcalf, who he describes as a strong Māori wāhine leader, who has safe guarded, championed the Māori Lived experience voices. “Aroha has advocated and staunchly supported the Māori Lived experience voice to secure 7 positions within Te Aka Whai Ora, Oranga Hinengaro. Aroha has been an amazing leader and an amazing kaitiaki, who empowers and enables our Māori voices at a national level in policy, planning and service development“.

Whakamana te mahi o tāngata whai ora Māori

Always humble about his own successes, Dean however is a vocal advocate for the contributions of the tāngata Māori workforce. “It’s vitally important to uplift and shine the light on Kaimahi Māori who tirelessly, and with commitment and passion maintain the dignity and mana of our tāngata whai ora by intervening and preventing possible restraint or seclusion event’s from occurring and have done this mahi being undervalued and not appreciated when there’s heightened aggression or perceived violence for three decades.” Dean explains further “I want to be clear that I want to shine the light on our Māori workforce within Te Whatu Ora, Te Aka Whai Ora and across Aotearoa New Zealand”.

“It’s quite unique the privileged positions I’ve been in, and I’ve been very humbled to have worked alongside so many Māori leaders at a local, regional, and National level”. “It’s because of them, that I’m where I am today. Most of all, to the tangata whai ora and whānau Māori who allow me to be a servant to the people”.

Dean’s mantra is that people “may not remember exactly what you did or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel” (Maya Angelou). Dean is described by his peers as always humble with a deep commitment to tāngata and hapori.

Dean’s journey and contribution is inspiring to others.