In Aotearoa, roughly 1.2 million of us are in need of mental health support every year. Our mental health system currently serves only 400,000 of those people – and it’s overwhelmed.
At Ember Innovations, we have learned through our work over five years that bridging this gap – between what is, and what we dream of – will involve shifting the conditions that hold the problems in place. It also involves drawing more people, organisations, entities into the ecosystem of mental health, recognising that some key mental health levers can be found in workplaces, sports clubs, marae, and churches – well outside the field of what we usually consider to be the mental health system. It also means a profound shift in our approach to commissioning, investing and funding mental health outcomes. Here are three big principles for investing in the innovations that can lead to the transformative change Aotearoa New Zealand so badly needs.
Three principles for investment for innovation in mental health
1. Effective innovation centres those closest to the problem
The voices of those most impacted by challenges need to be central to the development of solutions. Innovation must be grounded in and accountable to the communities it serves. Investing in initiatives which foster trust and empower communities ultimately leads to better mental health outcomes that can be sustained for the long term.
2. Early-stage innovation and experimentation matters
To create a meaningful pathway for innovations, support for early-stage innovations that challenge conventional mental health practices need to be prioritised. Funding accelerators and startups focused on novel solutions is a vital component of an ecosystem that encourages experimentation allows for learning and iteration. From tech-based tools through to flaxroots initiatives, support to refine approaches before scaling them is crucial. By investing in early-stage innovations, we can uncover new pathways to effective mental health support and create responsive interventions that work for an increasingly superdiverse population.
3. Problems can never be solved by the way of thinking that first created them
Innovation happens when different mindsets, models, experiences and expertise collide with the resources and intent to make a difference. We need investors to be courageous if we are to make meaningful change. Investors who are able to move beyond short-term, risk oriented funding. To achieve meaningful outcomes, we must develop sustainable funding models that support initiatives at every stage of the long haul, that expect failure (because failure = learning) and creates opportunity across the whole ecosystem of innovation – from very early stage through to successful innovations that are ready to scale at speed. This shift from reactive to proactive investment strategies is crucial for fostering a resilient mental health support ecosystem.
Two things we think you should read if you’re interested in innovation in mental health:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/07/mental-health-crisis-young-people/
Kaospilot
One quote to help you feel hopeful about the world
"Dreaming about the future is an act of hope in itself. When we declare our intention we are opening up a reality that does not yet exist, helping us to set the direction to take…”
— Nicolás Arroyo
