Cultural competence isn't a destination, but an approach: Mental health clinicians' approaches to cultural competence when working with Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand

Māori in Aotearoa, New Zealand, experience disparities and inequities in mental health outcomes and service access. To address these ethnic disparities, mental health clinicians in Aotearoa must conduct their clinical practice in a culturally competent manner. This thesis explores the experience of Māori and non-Māori mental health clinicians regarding cultural competence when working with Māori. Using a Kaupapa Māori qualitative research approach, the study explores clinicians’ views on cultural competence, the barriers they face, and the facilitators that support its implementation in clinical practice with Tāngata Whaiora. Five key themes were identified: (1) Cultural competence isn’t a destination, but an approach; (2) The challenge of time allocation; (3) Variations in workplace commitment; (4) Strength in numbers: the need to increase Māori mental health workers; and (5) The system is hindering clinicians. The findings of this thesis suggest that despite challenges, clinicians value cultural competence and are committed to overcoming obstacles to enhance their practice. Still, they need support from workplace and government levels and opportunities to learn in the earlier stages of their training. Findings also suggest that while large-scale changes may be difficult, small and consistent improvements can make a significant impact. This study provides insight into necessary steps to support mental health clinicians and reduce mental health disparities for Māori while also offering recommendations for future research on strategies to foster meaningful change at individual, organisational, and governmental levels.