Our people

Tūturu involves a network of schools and health services, led by the New Zealand Drug Foundation. It is overseen by the Ministry of Education, Health NZ, and the NZ Police.

It was developed by and for our secondary schools and community health services. We continue to expand our partnerships across the country, fostering collaborative practice and positive change in the education and health sectors.

Tūturu has a small team based within the NZ Drug Foundation that oversees and supports the work of Tūturu providers across the country.

National Tūturu team

	Jude Woolston, Tūturu Director Following a career as a secondary school teacher, Jude transitioned into the health sector with the aim of improving the quality of health service provision for rangatahi. She is committed to improving the wellbeing of rangatahi and is a strong proponent of a strengths-based approach, focusing on the resiliency of rangatahi, family/whānau/aiga and community.
	Tumokai Morgan, Programme Manager Ko Taupiri te Maunga. Ko Waikato te Awa. Ko Waikato te Iwi. Ko Ngaati Mahuta te Hapuu. Ko Tuurangawaewae te Marae. No Ngaaruawaahia ahau. Ko Tumokai Morgan tooku ingoa. Before joining the NZ Drug Foundation whānau, Tumokai worked in the addictions sector as a youth alcohol and drug practitioner where he embraced the harm-reduction philosophy. He is passionate about rangatahi wellbeing and enjoys being able to create and promote opportunities for positive impact.
	Francesca Hopkins, Virtual Tūturu Lead Driven by a passion for wellbeing and positive change, Francesca works alongside schools and communities to support rangatahi to thrive. Through virtual delivery, she helps extend our reach to communities that don't have a local Tūturu Lead. A background in adult education, public health, yoga teaching, and personal training has strengthened her ability to connect with diverse groups and create environments where people feel supported, valued, and empowered.
	Katie Siueva, Wellington Tūturu Lead Katie is a Wellington-based Tūturu Lead who believes in the importance of empowering communities to create their own solutions and drive transformative change. Her previous work in mental health and wellbeing facilitation, youth education, and health promotion has deepened her passion for working in spaces where people feel safe to be vulnerable, identify their needs, and discover solutions that enhance hauora.
	Paris Collett, Programme Lead, Gambling Prevention Paris has a Bachelor of Health majoring in health promotion, and is the Tūturu Programme Lead for gambling harm. She has worked in gambling harm for two years, and before that the mental health and addictions sector more broadly. Working in the gambling harm sector, Paris has a depth of knowledge on the current gambling environment and its associated impacts/concerns facing rangatahi. She is experienced in contributing to public health initiatives that work to reduce gambling harm related whakamā in our communities. She is focused on ensuring that secondary schools can support rangatahi to navigate gambling harm through producing evidence and strengths-based resources that resonate with rangitahi, are culturally safe and at their core incorporate harm reduction and critical thinking concepts.

Some of our curriculum experts

	Dr Jude Ball, Senior Research Fellow, University of Otago Has advised Tūturu, particularly on the evidence around youth vaping and nicotine use Expertise in adolescent health, young people’s experiences of drug harm, youth vaping and nicotine pouches, and tobacco and alcohol control Over 20 years experience in applied and academic public health research PHD (Public Health), DPH, MA (Critical Psych), BA (Psych) “I support Tūturu because it takes a pragmatic, health-based approach to reducing drug-related harm and recognises the important role schools can play in supporting young people’s wellbeing,” Ball says.
	Maria Bellringer, Associate Professor, Director, Gambling and Addictions Research Centre, AUT Member of the Tūturu Gambling Advisory Group Researching gambling in Aotearoa since 2002, including where gambling and gaming overlap for young people Postgraduate Research Lead, School of Community and Public Health, AUT PhD (University of Birmingham), PGDipHSc (University of Auckland) "Equipping our young people with knowledge and critical thinking skills to understand what gambling harm looks like and how to avoid it, particularly when gambling is prevalent in other contexts like gaming, is crucial for empowerment and future wellbeing," Bellringer says. "Tūturu's consistent work in this field is invaluable."
	Rachel Cunliffe, co-designer of Tūturu classroom resources, previous member of Tūturu Gambling Advisory Group Co-Director of CensusAtSchool NZ, which collects real, relevant data from tamariki and rangatahi about their lives and opinions, and gets them engaged with it in the classroom BSc (Hons) First Class in Statistics, University of Auckland, where she lectured for nine years and is an Honorary Academic; Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award recipient “Partnering with Tūturu to design practical classroom resources about crucially relevant topics such as behaviours and attitudes on online bullying, alcohol use, gaming, and online gambling made perfect sense,” Cunliffe says.
	Dr Rachael Dixon, Senior Lecturer, University of Canterbury, former secondary school teacher Developed the Tūturu influencers and gambling resource, oversaw the Digital resource, and sits on the Tūturu Gambling Advisory Group Health Education curriculum expert, former secondary teacher and provider of professional learning for teachers Faculty of Health, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha \| University of Canterbury PhD, MEd, DipTchg, DPH, BA Dixon says she is especially drawn to the whole-school approach Tūturu takes to student wellbeing, and its reputation for high-quality support for schools.
	Michelle Fowler, Addiction Practitioner and Clinical Supervisor Developed the Tūturu suite of alcohol resources About 30 years in addiction and mental health, including for youth, as well as gambling harm and trauma-informed practice Registered Nurse and DAPAANZ-accredited addiction practitioner, in private practice Bachelor of Nursing; Postgraduate Diploma specialising in addictions and co-existing disorders (University of Otago, National Addiction Centre) “I support Tūturu because it recognises that young people need connection, accurate information and trusted support rather than judgement or exclusion,” Fowler says. “Its practical and evidence-based approach helps schools respond early, strengthen wellbeing and keep young people connected to their education, whānau and wider support networks. “I particularly value Tūturu’s whole-school, harm-reduction and strengths-based approach.”
	Jo Newton, Workforce Delivery Manager (Youth Lived Experience), Whāraurau 20 years in youth mental health and addiction, including as a school counsellor and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) counsellor, and as a lecturer on WelTec’s addictions and counselling programme At Whāraurau, manages the Youth Consumer Advisors and the youth AOD and co-existing problems project Registered Alcohol and Drug Practitioner; degree in Alcohol and Drug Studies, postgraduate certificate in management, master’s in theology “The idea of a whole-school approach to youth wellbeing makes so much sense as it helps to provide young people with a clear message and critical thinking in relation to their wellbeing,” Newton says. “Schools can have a better understanding of a harm reduction approach that both health services and schools are working together.”
	David Win, Media Studies and English teacher, St Peter’s College, Auckland Co-developed the Tūturu Digital resource for Media Studies Has been Teacher in Charge of Media Studies, with experience teaching Social Studies, Drama and English BA in Anthropology and Sociology, BA (Hons) in Anthropology, PGDipEd in Secondary Education “I support Tūturu because it helps both teachers and students … by providing resources that are rich and critical of the world young people navigate today, without being ‘preachy’,” Win says. “Teachers are time-poor with ever-growing workloads, and Tūturu helps those educators find the time and space to craft learning experiences that are both rich and genuinely important for the next generation to work their own magic.”