Kia Ora and greetings.

Louise Travers
Future Directions Chairperson

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Southland Mental Health Networks 'Future Directions' website.

The Southland Mental Health Network, 'Future Directions' is a representative group of Mental Health Service Users, Families, Providers and Stakeholders in Southland, New Zealand.

The development and production of this website represents an important step in the development of the Southland Mental Health Network. The Network Representative Group (NRG) met for the first time in December 2005 and is already making good progress. If you're not as up-to-date as you would like to be on the structure and work of the Network you'll find more information about it on this website.

The Network has been developed to improve how the Mental Health sector in Southland works. It adds-value and capacity to the good work already going on by improving the quantity and quality of consultation, communication, coordination and collaboration between the SDHB, service providers, stakeholder groups, service users and families.

This new website provides us with an additional tool to spread the word about mental health. The Network will continue to analyse and address weaknesses in the sector and build on our strengths and I hope that you take the opportunity to be involved.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this website. If you know anyone who you think would benefit from knowing more about the Network please let them know about the site.