Academic Board
The Academic Board is responsible for the overall performance of the Te Rau Matatau reporting to the Chief Executive and Board of Te Rau Ora. Its powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities are set out in the Education and Training Act 2020.
Academic Board Profiles
Dr Maria Baker (PhD)
Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa
Maria is a registered nurse and brings a 20-year history in Māori mental health (adult), added to by her doctorate research in Māori experience of mental illness and mental health services. Maria has held the CEO position for Te Rau Ora since 2017 and worked at the organisation for a 10-year history focused on health workforce development and innovation, project management, and health service change. She has held leadership roles in District Health Boards (DHB) and Non-Government Organisations (NGO) in rural and urban settings, including the development of community based mental health and addiction services. Maria has lectured in tertiary education providers and been involved at grassroots community levels with programme co-design, development, implementation and evaluation.
Dr Andre McLachlan (PhD)
Ngāti Apa (Ngāti Kauae), Muaūpoko (Ngāti Pāriri)
Andre’s extensive journey in the health arena began in the early 1990’s at Tokanui hospital during the deinstitutionalisation process. He went on to work in Youth Services in Waikato and completed his training as a Certified Addictions Counsellor. He quickly followed this by achieving his Honours and master’s degree and completed his clinical psychology training while simultaneously raising his young whānau with his beautiful wife. During his training, Andre continued to work fulltime within the addictions sector at Pai Ake Solutions and, more recently, completed a PhD focussed on collaborative service delivery in the area of mental health and addictions.
Valerie Williams
Ngāti Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Rakaipaaka, Ngāi Tamanuhiri
Valerie worked in the mental health and addictions sector for 20 years and has held a number of roles having worked in District Health Board, Public Health Organisations, Health Boards, Non-Government Organisation, GP Practice and Regional Planning. Valerie has a Clinical master’s in nursing, with her clinical supervision research methodology utilised to develop a national framework for mental health nursing supervision. Valerie continues to provide mentoring and supervision for Māori clinicians, undergraduate and post graduate nursing students.
Sarah Kinred
Ngāti Whātua, Ngā Puhi, Tainui, Ngāti Koata
Sarah has been working in Education and Health for the past 15 years. Sarah has a background in Te Ao Māori and has worked in a DHB environment as a Mātauranga Māori specialist. Sarah is currently developing a Mātauranga Specialist tohu. Sarah provides Mātauranga Māori based supervision to practitioners and to post graduate students completing their tohu.
External Expert Advisors
Sir Mason Durie ONZ KNZM
Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Raukawa, Rangitane
Durie graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1963. He has a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychiatry from McGill University, Canada. For over 40 years, he has been at the forefront of a transformational approach to Māori health and has played major roles in building the Māori health workforce through Massey University and Te Rau Ora (formerly Te Rau Matatini). In 1990, Durie was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. In 2002, he was awarded a Doctor of Literature from Massey University and in 2008 received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Otago University. In the 2001 New Year Honours, Durie was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to Māori. In the 2010 New Year Honours, he was promoted to Knight Companion. In the 2021, he was appointed to the Order of New Zealand for services to New Zealand. Mason is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and a Fellow of the Humanities Council of New Zealand Academy. He has published widely and has regularly presented keynote addresses at Iwi, national and international conferences.
Te Puea Winiata
Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāi Tamarāwaho, Tūhoe, Tainui
Te Puea trained as an Addictions Counsellor and later as a Care and Protection Social Worker to move into a role of Senior Social Work Competency Practitioner before moving into management about 25 years ago.
She managed Community Alcohol and Drug services including a methadone service in South Auckland for Waitemata Health. While there she led the development of a kaupapa Māori Addiction service, Te Atea Marino. Moving into Primary Care in 2009 as a private consultant, she was appointed as the Chief Executive of Turuki Health Care in 2010.
Te Puea has been involved in Te Rau Ora (formerly Te Rau Matatini) from its inception and is currently the Chair of Te Rau Ora Company Board of Directors. She is also community representative on two committees for the Royal Australasian College of Psychiatrists and has a passion for increasing access for whānau to quality primary mental health services.
