Judy’s*son Joe* is a sporty young man who has been struggling with depression for some years.
Mere* is a 25-year-old woman with everything going for her except her significant cannabis addiction that she has struggled to get under control.
They have shared their experience with mental health and addictions in Tairāwhiti and are encouraging other people to do the same. The stories of the people living in Tairāwhiti will be central to Kia tōtika te tu! a review of all funded mental health and addiction services in the district.
“We want to understand from the individual and their whānau how they think the services are working, what needs improvement and how they understand the services work together,” says Nicola Ehau (Hauora Tairāwhiti Planning and Funding Manager). “To do this we would like to hear from whānau/families who have lived experiences to share like Judy, Joe and Mere.”
Kia tōtika te tu! the Tairāwhiti mental health and addictions review will shape what, how, who and where services are available in the future. The voice of whānau is central to this work.
Ms Ehau says that the need for our system to operate in a way that ensures whānau/families have access to what they need, when they need it, taking account of who they are or where they live, was highlighted in He Ara Oranga the 2018 Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction. “The voice of Tairāwhiti people was significantly captured in this report and is a starting point for the Tairāwhiti review.”
“We wish to acknowledge there are many examples where dedicated staff and good work occur. Many people who need care are being supported by a range of different providers. Equally, we know the way services are configured currently is not optimum for the person needing care. They often need to navigate very complex process’ to access this care.”
“The review will consider how well we are meeting the needs of Tairāwhiti people; consider what gaps exist and any other issues in the current system. This will lead to the development of a ‘Tairāwhiti model of care’ which will be implemented over time.”
The review is being steered by - Mahi Tahi Hinengaro – a group with representatives from iwi, mental health and addiction services, Kaumatua, consumer, whānau, and youth. Developing an agreed Te Tairāwhiti mental health and addictions model of care is the priority for the review.
“The new model of care aims to develop one system to provide high-quality, whānau-centred care to achieve an equitable outcome,” says Ms Ehau. It will inform the funder - Hauora Tairāwhiti - of the types of services needed for Te Tairāwhiti population and how services need to work with whanau/families, and each other.”
“Once we have developed the model, it will provide the high-level approach to designing any new mental health and addiction facilities to be built or redesigned with the up to $20 million of grant money announced by the government in June,” says Ms Ehau.
“Hauora Tairāwhiti recognises that to make real meaningful change the review process needs the voice of whanau/families. We would like to hear from our communities, whānau /families with experience of mental health and addictions. We know this is a topic that many people feel strongly about. Even if you have provided feedback previously we encourage your participation again. There are no predetermined outcomes.”
Joe and Judy’s story
Joe had been depressed for some time, but it wasn’t until he was between jobs that he recognised that he really wasn’t in a good space. He reached out for help. He reached out to me says his mum Judy. “That was a big step for him. I knew that he wasn’t great, but I didn’t realise how bad things were. Of course, I wanted to do everything I could to help my son.”
“That is when I contacted mental health services. I wasn’t sure who to contact but I found a number and made that call. The person at the end of the phone was friendly and empathetic but couldn’t see my son for a month.”
“That was too long. By the time he had an appointment, he was totally disengaged. He didn’t want to speak to anyone about how he was feeling anymore. That was 3 years ago. He is still up and down all the time. I feel helpless and like there is nothing I can do.”
Mere’s Story
Mere’s experience is quite different. An incident, while she was intoxicated and high, brought things to a head. “I was completely off my face and I got violent at a family function. The police got involved and I realised I needed to do something.”
“I had been struggling with anxiety while at University and started smoking weed to help me cope. However, I quickly became an addict. I just couldn’t stop; it was taking over my life. I went to see my GP a few times and he was helpful. He then referred me to Te Kūwatawata, in Peel Street. They wanted to see me with all my family. They used art and pūrakau (traditional stories) to help us make sense of what was going on. From there, I went to see an addiction counsellor who helped me to cut down and get my addiction under control. I am so thankful for all the help I got.”
*Note names have been changed to preserve privacy.