Kiri Prentice is a consultant psychiatrist with a background that spans several mental health services in the Auckland region, including Māori, adult community, and maternal mental health. Currently serving as the Deputy Clinical Director for Māori in Mental Health and Addiction Services at Counties Manukau, Kiri previously held the role of Deputy Chief Medical Officer Māori at Te Pātaka Whaioranga | Pharmac.
Kiri was a member of the Expert Advisory Group that advised on the repeal and replacement of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment Act) 1992. In 2023, she became a member of Te Whiri Kaha | Māori Clinical Advisory Senate and was honoured with the Pirika Taonga Award by the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists for her significant contributions to Māori mental health and addiction in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Her interests include Te Taiao (nature), hauora Māori, mental health, Māori philosophy, education, and law. These passions are reflected in her teaching of medical students, psychiatry registrars, and other health professionals, as well as in the educational videos she creates for her YouTube channel and website, Māori Minds.
Kiri says, “The Oakley Mental Health Research Foundation’s influence on mental health research in Aotearoa over the years, and its dedicated trustees initially inspired me. Now, as the Whau Mental Health Research Foundation, its vision to broaden its reach excites me even more, with the potential to drive transformative change in mental health care.”
