Lay summary
This project will co-design, implement, and evaluate a Pacific community mental health care pathway at Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau, based on the Ūloa model; a culturally grounded framework for coordinated, collaborative, and holistic care. By embedding cultural principles into service delivery and training, the pathway will make services more acceptable and accessible, improving access, engagement, and mental health outcomes for Pacific peoples. It will also deliver measurable financial benefits, reducing costly crisis interventions, ensuring timely exit from services, and lowering workforce turnover through improved confidence and retention. Strengthened family and community involvement will further enhance economic benefits, reducing reliance on specialist clinicians and supporting earlier intervention, improving efficiency across the system. Over three years, the project will produce scalable guidelines, training resources, and an evaluation framework. These changes will advance equity while creating a more sustainable, cost-effective mental health system for Aotearoa.