Ko Gina Giordani tōku ingoa. He uri au nō Ngati Porou ki te whānau a Ruataupare, me Kotirana, me Ingarani. Ko Tangāta Whai Ora au.
Gina Giordani is a Lived Experience Project Lead at Te Pou, a workforce development centre for the lived experience, mental health, addictions and disability sectors. Her work involves supporting the lived experience workforce to grow and flourish in line with the Consumer, Peer Support and Lived Experience workforce plan. Gina has her own lived experience, and whānau lived experience which informs her advocacy and work.
She has been on the Frozen Funds board for four years and was appointed to the Law Commission Review of Adult Decision-Making Capacity. She is also on the Community Collaboration Committee of the Royal College of Australian and New Zealand Psychiatrists.
In her previous career in politics Gina served as a board member for the New Zealand Labour Party, and contributed to worker’s rights and women’s rights causes. Gina enjoys studying Te Reo Māori in her spare time.
Being involved in the Whau Foundation allows Gina to make a meaningful impact on the community through supporting mental health research initiatives. This aligns with her values of using her lived experience to empower others and foster innovation in the areas of mental health and addictions.
