Career

Past recent contracts

  • New Zealand Liaison for the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership.  Writing (e.g. IIMHL Annual reports and newsletters) and facilitating national and international connections – 18 years part-time to October 2022. Finding research and policy reports for the newsletter: January to May 2023.
  • Board Member of Pathways, a national mental health NGO focusing on accommodation, employment and doing “whatever it takes” to support people with mental illness and addiction problems to live a meaningful and productive life. Ten years to 2022.

Awards

  • In 2022 Janet was awarded a Queen’s Award: a Member of the NZ Order of Merit MNZM.
  • In 2015 Janet was awarded the “Exceptional Contribution Award”.
    “This award recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to mental health service delivery and acknowledges a remarkable accomplishment in the unfolding story of mental health service delivery in Australia and New Zealand”. THEMHS.
  • In 2012 Janet received the New Zealand Psychological Society “Public Interest Award: for valuable contributions to psychology in the service of the public.”
    This acknowledged her involvement of many years in the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s Like Minds Like Mine national public health programme to counter stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness.

Voluntary work

  • Chair, Clinical Ethics Committee, Bay of Plenty District Health Board
  • Street Coordinator: Neighbourhood Watch, Omanu, Mount Maunganui
  • Assessor: TheMHS media awards for many years

Previous (a selection from last 23 years)

  • Film and Literature Board of Review: Internal Affairs: Board Member as from 1st January 2016 to 2018. Appointed by Governor General.
  • Health Promotion Agency Janet assisted on the National Depression Initiative. She was on the NDI Advisory Group, and assisted with talent selection and support for TV advertising and website videos with John Kirwan for adults and, more recently with young people for “The Lowdown”, 20 years in total; and has also done similar work for Like Minds Like Mine (the public health health anti-discrimination/stigma campaign) advertising and videos since its inception nearly 30 years ago.
  • Oceana Gold: Part of a three-person ‘Independent Review Panel’ assessing applications to have certain Waihi properties bought as a result of significant negative effects of mining on owners, budget $2m – completion December 2015.
  • Lifewise (www.lifewise.org.nz), a report documenting a service model for the Crisis Response and Housing Team who work with homeless people in Auckland, completion January 2015.
  • Review of all the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation’s leaflets on mental health problems to ensure accuracy of the information, 2014.
  • Health and Disability Commission: review of consumer and family booklets: Oranga Ngakau and the Guide for Family Whanau and Friends, 2014.
  • New Zealand Mental Health Foundation: Updated Understanding Bipolar booklet for consumers and families, 2014.
  • Psychological therapies: Janet was contracted to Te Pou  from 2007 to 2010 on a part-time basis to promote better access to psychological therapies for people who use mental health and addiction services in New Zealand. Part of this work was to address inequalities in accessing talking therapies by Maori, Pacific peoples, Asian, Refugee and New Migrant communities; and people with co-existing health problems.
  • Appointed a Board member of the New Zealand Psychologists Board from 2000 to 2007. Janet had two roles: Deputy Chair and Chair of the Complaints Committee.
  • Ministry of Health Public Health Depression Initiative, co-wrote an Environmental Scan in July 2005.
  • Mental Health Commission Managed a project which looked at how to improve crisis mental health services in New Zealand. Co-wrote Open all hours? A review of crisis mental health services in 2001.
  • Ministry of Education Support of Te Mana ‘talent’ (i.e. people in the national TV advertising campaign) during filming and when on air, 2002.
  • Health Research Council of NZ (to 2004) Part-time Manager Mental Health Research and Development Strategy for four years; budget $1m per year. Janet managed the research tender processes linked to the Ministry of Health’s priority research areas.
  • Health Funding Authority Talent support for documentary ‘Sticks & Stones’ screened on TV December 2000.