Te Whare Mahana Trust

National DBT Service

Programme Areas

Mental health

Programme Type

Non-acute specialist mental health community services

Regions

All of New Zealand

Age Groups

Adult / Pakeke

Referral Types

DHB clinical services

Referral Process

Referrals can come through either the client's DHB or ACC Sensitive Claims; alternatively privately paid placement is available. The client can arrange a referral to their local DHB Community Mental Health Team or ACC Sensitive Claims and once working with a Mental Health clinician or an ACC Recovery Partner, they can express their interest in attending the DBT programme. If the DHB/ACC determines that their client would benefit from our service, they can arrange a referral to Te Whare Mahana's National DBT Service. Referrals must be facilitated by a Mental Health Clinician; we cannot accept a referral from a GP or the applicant/whānau. 
Once TWM receives the referral information (see website), as well as funding confirmation, we would start our referral process to determine the applicant's readiness and suitability for this particular treatment. 

Description

Te Whare Mahana offers New Zealand’s only national residential Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) programme. Situated in Golden Bay, Nelson Tasman, this internationally renowned programme is for people experiencing frequent high levels of distress and have had little success from hospital and community treatments.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy is an intensive behavioural treatment approach, helping people work through complex histories and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and learn new skills for managing relationships and coping with distress. The well-established treatment model was developed by American psychologist Marsha M. Linehan as a better way of treating people with Borderline Personality Disorder and chronic self-harm/suicidal behaviours. DBT is now routinely used to treat a wide range of different and co-occurring mental health problems, including anxiety and depression.

DBT emphasises the learning and refinement of skills to help regulate emotions, change thinking patterns associated with problems in daily living and reduce misery and distress. DBT incorporates the acquisition of skills to assist residents to improve interpersonal effectiveness and their quality of life.

Visit the Te Whare Mahana Trust website for more information.