A suite of primary mental health and wellbeing services for youth is launching in the Counties Manukau Rohe.
The new service, Waypoint – navigating wellbeing, te whai oranga aims to improve mental health access and choice for rito (youth and young adults 12 -24 years).
Tanya Turuwhenua from Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau, says Waypoint is made up of a roopu of community mental health and addiction providers working together, forming a collaborative to support youth.
“This collaborative has been built on strong relationships with trusted partners who bring a wealth of experience,” she says.
“Alongside us is a Youth Advisory Group, made up of diverse rito who we engaged to be a voice to guide, inform and keep the service accountable to those it aims to support.
“The roopu has a FTE of 19.5 providing a suite of services of stepped care, from Cultural connection and wellbeing to Growing Resilience and, where necessary, intense support.”
Kirsten Davis from The Psychology Group says that young people and whaanau are at the forefront of the service.
“Our people and their experiences are central to ensuring that the service development and delivery are equitable, culturally competent, easy to access, and effective in achieving wellbeing outcomes.”
Lana Tonga from Mahitahi lauded the efforts of the various stakeholders in getting the service off the ground and into a space where it can help those who need it most.
“We are so pleased to be at the stage where we can launch this work. A huge amount of mahi has gone into it,”
ENDS
About Waypoint
In 2018, the Government undertook an inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction services and a report called He Ara Oranga was the result.
One of the report’s conclusions was that “the system does not respond adequately to people in serious distress, to prevent them from ‘tipping over’” and the Wellbeing budget in 2019 prioritised investment to improve ‘access and choice’ for primary mental health services for Youth, Maaori and Pasifika. This service has come into being because of that funding.
For more information or to interview one of our spokespeople please call Rachel on 021439026 or email Rachel.macgregor@middlemore.co.nz