Changing Minds

Paid testing and feedback opportunity for the Lived Experience community - *3 SPOTS LEFT*📣

Changing Minds is excited to announce a collaborative project with Whakarongorau Aotearoa, enabling community testing of their in-development mental health navigation tool – Good Place to Start (GPS).

Good Place to Start is a new online website with an AI-powered webchat, designed to help people find mental health and addiction information, services and support, especially when they are not sure where to begin.

Our team has been working alongside Whakarongorau for the better part of a year now, ensuring community voice and Lived Experience values are embedded in the creation of this new navigation tool. We are excited that this tool is now at the stage of wider community testing and feedback, to understand what works, what does not, and what needs to improve.

This project will require:
✅Approximately 3 hours of your time over October.
✅Engaging with preparation materials for the project.
✅Engaging with two testing periods between 13-18 October and 26 October–1 November.
✅You will be compensated for your time.

We’re looking for Lived Experience participants with a range of comfort and familiarity around using AI technology. This means if you feel anxious, uncertain, or outright opposed to AI usage, we still want to hear from you! Your feedback is especially important in ensuring Whakarongorau has a full range of Lived Experience opinions, to ensure the webtool meets the needs of as many folks in Aotearoa as possible. All feedback is welcome, including honest, critical, and anything you feel will make the platform better.

If you would like to express interest in this project, please email 👉 [email protected]

We will finalise testing participants on the 9th October.

Ngā mihi nui and thank you community, this mahi wouldn’t be possible without you 🥳

Kia ora community ❤️

A huge, warm thank you to everyone who joined us in Kirikiriroa Hamilton over the past couple of days to help co-design
Odyssey Trust's exciting new peer-led and operated café space. It is shaping up to be something really special 🥳

If you couldn't make it in person, but would still like to contribute to the co-design, please take a moment to share your thoughts in a short survey via this link 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/4p3hmivq28

We can't wait to see this space come to life!

🔶Election 2026🔶

We collated a community letter and sent it to the political parties to find out how they're going to serve the Lived Experience community if they are elected to govern. One of the questions we asked them was about what action they'll take to improve mental health education in Aotearoa?

This community member highlighted why mental health education is so important, saying that "Education should start early. Understanding and awareness not only means people are more comfortable talking about mental health at all levels. It is so important for children to understand and to break down the stigma mental health still carries."

🟢 The Green Party said that "The Green Party would support mental health education that starts early, is age-appropriate, culturally responsive, and grounded in prevention and wellbeing rather than crisis alone. Mental health education should not be limited to schools: whānau, workplaces, community groups, health services, and local leaders all need accessible, practical information about distress, addiction, recovery, rights, and available supports."

🔴 The Labour Party said that "Mental health education has to sit within a full chain of support: wellbeing promotion and prevention; early intervention through schools, primary care and communities; counselling people can actually get to; and youth-appropriate crisis and specialist services when distress becomes acute. Literacy is the first link in that chain, not a substitute for the rest of it."

🔵 The National Party said that "We launched the Top Up campaign which increases education about mental health. It promotes the Five Ways to Wellbeing—Connect, Give, Take Notice, Keep Learning, and Be Active. These five evidence-based actions have been shown to support better mental health. The campaign has already reached millions through TV, radio, and digital channels."

⚫ NZ First said that "New Zealand First treats education as an investment in our nation’s future, not merely an expenditure (Principle 5)." including "Values & Civics Education: Teach emotional literacy, responsibility, and resilience through values-based curriculum. HEADSS Screening: Mandate nationwide Year 9 holistic health assessments. Community Health Literacy: Support national programmes to reduce stigma and help families navigate support systems."

We are yet to hear back from the ACT Party, Opportunity Party, and Te Pāti Māori. You can read the full responses on our website 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/79rwm4i3bf

Make sure you are enrolled to vote before 25 October 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/6sc64u80tw

Paid testing and feedback opportunity for the Lived Experience community 📣

Changing Minds is excited to announce a collaborative project with Whakarongorau Aotearoa, enabling community testing of their in-development mental health navigation tool – Good Place to Start (GPS).

Good Place to Start is a new online website with an AI-powered webchat, designed to help people find mental health and addiction information, services and support, especially when they are not sure where to begin.

Our team has been working alongside Whakarongorau for the better part of a year now, ensuring community voice and Lived Experience values are embedded in the creation of this new navigation tool. We are excited that this tool is now at the stage of wider community testing and feedback, to understand what works, what does not, and what needs to improve.

This project will require:
✅Approximately 3 hours of your time over October.
✅Engaging with preparation materials for the project.
✅Engaging with two testing periods between 13-18 October and 26 October–1 November.
✅You will be compensated for your time.

We’re looking for Lived Experience participants with a range of comfort and familiarity around using AI technology. This means if you feel anxious, uncertain, or outright opposed to AI usage, we still want to hear from you! Your feedback is especially important in ensuring Whakarongorau has a full range of Lived Experience opinions, to ensure the webtool meets the needs of as many folks in Aotearoa as possible. All feedback is welcome, including honest, critical, and anything you feel will make the platform better.

If you would like to express interest in this project, please email 👉 [email protected]

We will finalise testing participants on the 9th October.

Ngā mihi nui and thank you community, this mahi wouldn’t be possible without you 🥳

Kia ora community 😄 Last minute call up!

Odyssey Trust are launching a brand new peer-led and operated café space and we need YOU to help shape it.

Changing Minds Lived Experience facilitators are coming to Hamilton NEXT WEEK for a two-day workshop to design the cafe initiative. If you can make it along for even part of a day, you'll find great food and awesome company!

We warmly invite Tāngata Whaiora (people with Lived Experience of mental distress, challenges with alcohol or other drugs, or addiction) and their whānau, local service providers, and local community businesses or other stakeholders to register.

This is a space to share your insights into community need, considerations, and locations for a peer cafe in Hamilton. Kai will be provided to attendees, and a small koha is available for individual Tangata Whaiora.

Registration is essential. Register your attendance for one or both days via this link 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/4sbnp3q637

When: Tues 29 + Wed 30 Sept, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Where: The Settlement Centre, 46G Boundary Road, Claudelands, Hamilton

We look forward to seeing you there!

🔶Election 2026🔶

We, as the Lived Experience community, know what it is to feel insignificant, like we don't matter. But, that couldn't be further from the truth.

There are plenty of things in life that are outside of our control. The outcome of an election may be one of those things, but having our say? That is something that we can do. To stand up and be counted. To know that we've voted for the people and parties that reflect our values.

Every. Vote. Counts.

Make sure you are enrolled to vote before 25 October 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/6sc64u80tw

Paid testing and feedback opportunity for the Lived Experience community 📣

Changing Minds is excited to announce a collaborative project with Whakarongorau Aotearoa, enabling community testing of their in-development mental health navigation tool – Good Place to Start (GPS).

Good Place to Start is a new online website with an AI-powered webchat, designed to help people find mental health and addiction information, services and support, especially when they are not sure where to begin.

Our team has been working alongside Whakarongorau for the better part of a year now, ensuring community voice and Lived Experience values are embedded in the creation of this new navigation tool. We are excited that this tool is now at the stage of wider community testing and feedback, to understand what works, what does not, and what needs to improve.

This project will require:
✅Approximately 3 hours of your time over October.
✅Engaging with preparation materials for the project.
✅Engaging with two testing periods between 13-18 October and 26 October–1 November.
✅You will be compensated for your time.

We’re looking for Lived Experience participants with a range of comfort and familiarity around using AI technology. This means if you feel anxious, uncertain, or outright opposed to AI usage, we still want to hear from you! Your feedback is especially important in ensuring Whakarongorau has a full range of Lived Experience opinions, to ensure the webtool meets the needs of as many folks in Aotearoa as possible. All feedback is welcome, including honest, critical, and anything you feel will make the platform better.

If you would like to express interest in this project, please email 👉 [email protected]

We will finalise testing participants on the 9th October.

Ngā mihi nui and thank you community, this mahi wouldn’t be possible without you 🥳

Kia ora community 😄 Spread the word in Kirikiriroa Hamilton - we're coming to town and want you to join us!

Odyssey Trust are launching a brand new peer-led and operated café space, and Changing Minds Lived Experience facilitators are hosting a two-day workshop of group discussion and activities to help shape this new community café initiative.

It will be what you make it—by community, with community, for community ❤️

We warmly invite Tāngata Whaiora (people with Lived Experience of mental distress, challenges with alcohol or other drugs, or addiction) and their whānau, local service providers, and local community businesses or other stakeholders to register.

This is a space to share your insights into community need, considerations, and locations for a peer cafe in Hamilton. Kai will be provided to attendees, and a small koha is available for individual Tangata Whaiora.

We've hosted these sessions before to shape other spaces and when we show up together, we create magic! 🪄

Registration is essential as space is limited. Register your attendance for one or both days via this link 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/4sbnp3q637

We look forward to seeing you there!

Musings from a Monday morning walk 💬

Lately, I've been trying to be conscious of how I walk, especially when I get to hills or I'm getting tired (and I live on a bit of a hill, so this is the end of every dang walk, no escaping it). Am I digging in and hunching over and trying to force myself up? Or can I take a breath, slow my roll, feet on the earth, chin up, hold my form and ease my way?

The thing with focusing on form is that, well, I notice how uniform my form is. I generally walk very contained, very subtle, minimal arm movement. Especially when my insides are swirling, as they were this morning, which is why I needed to get out of the house and out of my head, I think I feel like if my outside is composed, my insides will follow?

Anyway, here I am, steadily walking along and, from the other direction, a person strolls by me, bouncing along, swinging their arms wildly. Hmmmm, I thought. That looks ... can I? Shall I? So, I tried ... to lighten my step and I began swinging my arms, and do you know what happened? My shoulders relaxed. My hips loosened. My legs relaxed. When my outsides ran free, my mind and my heart got quiet. (I didn't walk that way the whole way home, but I did try it out briefly a couple more times).

There's that old adage about walking a mile in someone else's shoes, so that we get a glimpse of how they feel. I wonder, too, that if we walk a mile (or even a few steps) in someone else's shoes, it can shine a light on how we feel and maybe, just maybe, change our perspective 🚶