Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou Katoa!!
Talofa, Malo e le to malo e lelei, Kia orana, Bula vinaka
On behalf of Te Ao Maramatanga and Drug and Alcohol Nurses of Australasia Inc, it is our pleasure and privilege to welcome you to Auckland for the 1st Australasian Mental Health and Addiction Nursing Conference. This is the first time that mental health and addiction nurses have hosted a joint conference in Australia or New Zealand. We are excited about the opportunity to share common concerns, pool specialist knowledge and profile innovative practice in our respective but interrelated fields.
The conference theme, 'Close to Home' [the title of an iconic 1970s New Zealand television programme] was chosen because it captures our hopes and dreams for the future of mental health and addiction nursing. Nurses of the future will provide services as close to home as possible, service users will dictate how and where they receive treatment, nurses will respond to the needs of diverse populations and foster hope, resilience and creativity. Home is often a place of healing but it can also be the source of mental health and addiction problems. This conference will provide an opportunity to explore a range of issues, such as displacement, homelessness, trauma and abuse.
An innovative programme is under development. Keynote speakers from New Zealand, Australia and further afield will both challenge and inform you. Concurrent streams will reflect our individual specialties and the areas in which our practice overlaps.
As well as an array of exhibitions and presentations you will be able to network with nurses, service-user experts, and other mental health and addiction professionals from multiple locations and specialties.
From the powhiri [welcome] to the poroporoaki [farewell] we hope you enjoy the experience of the conference and city. We look forward to sharing the wealth of our 'home', the largest Polynesian city in the world, where Ngati Whatua are tangata whenua [people of the land], and people from many ethnicities contribute to our rich culture.
The conference venue is the Rendezvous Hotel near the heart of Auckland, adjacent to theatres, galleries, shops and restaurants, and just 10 minutes walk from the waterfront.
Come and join us. A warm welcome awaits you.
Kate Prebble and Louise Leonard
Co-conveners
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