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South Auckland, Wellington, North Auckland, Central Auckland, Canterbury > Mental Health & Addictions >

Asian Family Services

Mental Health Service, Stop Smoking, Addiction, Problem gambling

If you have an urgent matter, please call 111.

Today

9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Description

Asian Family Services (AFS) provides professional, confidential, nationwide face-to-face or telephone counselling support to Asians who are affected by gambling harm or mental health-related issues in New Zealand. These services are offered in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai and Hindi. An interpreter can be arranged for other languages.

Complementing our counselling team is our Public Health team, raising awareness about gambling harm, and our Research team, investigating the lived experience of Asian communities experience gambling harm.

Staff

Currently AFS has 30 staff in Auckland, 2 in Wellington and 3 in Christchurch. We have a mixture of counsellors, social workers, health promoters and researchers. 

Ages

Youth / Rangatahi, Adult / Pakeke, Older adult / Kaumātua

How do I access this service?

Contact us

If you want to refer yourself or someone else to our services, please call 0800 862 342, on Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm

Referral

If you want to refer yourself or someone else to our services, you can also send us a referral online, click here

Website / App

Please visit AFS website and send us a referral form, we will get back to you as soon as possible, click here

Make an appointment

It is required to make an appointment before you see a professional.

Walk in

Fees and Charges Categorisation

Free, Fees apply

Fees and Charges Description

No fees apply for gambling related services.

Fees may vary depending on services provided for non-gambling counselling.

Hours

9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Mon – Fri 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Office hours
Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 5:00PM

Asian Helpline hours (0800 862 342)
Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 8:00PM

Public Holidays: Closed Labour Day (28 Oct), Auckland Anniversary (27 Jan), Waitangi Day (6 Feb), Good Friday (18 Apr), Easter Sunday (20 Apr), Easter Monday (21 Apr), ANZAC Day (25 Apr), King's Birthday (2 Jun), Matariki (20 Jun).
Christmas: Open 23 Dec — 24 Dec. Closed 25 Dec — 26 Dec. Open 27 Dec. Closed 28 Dec — 29 Dec. Open 30 Dec — 31 Dec. Closed 1 Jan — 2 Jan. Open 3 Jan. Closed 4 Jan — 5 Jan. Open 6 Jan — 10 Jan.

Languages Spoken

English, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese

Programmes

Telephone Support - Asian Helpline 0800 862 342

Asian Helpline provides nationwide free and confidential services from Monday to Friday between 9am-8pm. Our Helpline is available in ten languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi and English. Our Asian Helpline helps Asian people in New Zealand to access appropriate counselling support. Our counsellors provide helpful information and services to those who are experiencing gambling harm or COVID-19 related mental distress, such as depression and anxiety. We receive over 3000 phone calls per year. Most people call us to enquire about: Support for gambling harm Emotional support Crisis intervention General information (e.g. how to navigate New Zealand's health and social systems) Our operators will provide up-to-date information to help all our callers. It is important to note that our Asian Helpline is not a crisis helpline. However, if a caller presents suicidal ideation, our duty counsellors will assess their risk level and provide appropriate interventions accordingly.

Programme Areas

Self help/ helpline, Mental health, Addictions - other

Programme Type

Helpline / self-help - gambling, Helpline / self-help - mental health, Community based support - gambling, Venue exclusion for problem gamblers, Community based support - other, Community based support - mental health, Refugee / migrant

Regions

All of New Zealand

Age Groups

Youth / Rangatahi, Adult / Pakeke, Older adult / Kaumātua

Referral Types

Self referral, GP, DHB clinical services, Corrections

Referral Process

Call 0800 862 342

Helpline operates Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 8:00PM

Description

Asian Helpline provides nationwide free and confidential services from Monday to Friday between 9am-8pm. Our Helpline is available in ten languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi and English.

Our Asian Helpline helps Asian people in New Zealand to access appropriate counselling support. Our counsellors provide helpful information and services to those who are experiencing gambling harm or COVID-19 related mental distress, such as depression and anxiety.

We receive over 3000 phone calls per year. Most people call us to enquire about:

  • Support for gambling harm
  • Emotional support
  • Crisis intervention
  • General information (e.g. how to navigate New Zealand's health and social systems)

Our operators will provide up-to-date information to help all our callers. It is important to note that our Asian Helpline is not a crisis helpline. However, if a caller presents suicidal ideation, our duty counsellors will assess their risk level and provide appropriate interventions accordingly. 

Counselling for Gambling

Asian Family Services is contracted by the Ministry of Health only to provide support for gamblers, family members and anybody who is negatively affected by someone else’s problem gambling in the past or at present. These services include one-on-one counselling services, couple counselling, group counselling and other social work services. These services are free for those who have been affected by gambling harm. What is counselling? The word, counselling, is a foreign term for many Asian countries. Being unfamiliar with counselling can make Asian people hesitant to seek counselling help. Thus it is important for Asians to know about what counselling is and how it works. Counselling is a private and confidential process. You talk in confidence with an experienced, qualified professional who will work with you to help you find ways of coping that are helpful and lasting. All the clinical staff in our agency are tertiary qualified and maintain professional memberships. If you’ve never been to counselling before, it’s not unusual to feel anxious before the first meeting. You are welcome to bring a support person along with you to your counselling sessions. For many people, the most helpful thing about counselling is to have someone they can trust to talk to about things that concern them. The first appointment is usually between 1 to 1 ½ hours. At this appointment you and your counsellor will talk confidentially and find out how you can best work together. At this appointment you will also be asked to fill out some questionnaires, which give the counsellor an idea of how things are going with you. The information from the questionnaires is confidential. Later the counselling session is generally once per week or fortnightly for 50 minutes, depending on your needs. People often ask how long they will need to come to counselling but this varies from person to person. With regard to how many counselling sessions you could have, your counsellor will guide you with this decision.

Programme Areas

Self help/ helpline, Addictions - drug & alcohol, Addictions - other

Programme Type

Helpline / self-help - gambling, Coexisting problems – mental health & addictions, Community based support - gambling, Community based support - other

Regions

All of New Zealand

Age Groups

Youth / Rangatahi, Adult / Pakeke, Older adult / Kaumātua

Referral Types

Self referral, GP, DHB clinical services, Corrections

Referral Process

Call 0800 862 342 or Click here if you would like to refer yourself or someone else to Asian Family Services.

Description

Asian Family Services is contracted by the Ministry of Health only to provide support for gamblers, family members and anybody who is negatively affected by someone else’s problem gambling in the past or at present. These services include one-on-one counselling services, couple counselling, group counselling and other social work services. These services are free for those who have been affected by gambling harm.

What is counselling?
The word, counselling, is a foreign term for many Asian countries. Being unfamiliar with counselling can make Asian people hesitant to seek counselling help. Thus it is important for Asians to know about what counselling is and how it works. Counselling is a private and confidential process. You talk in confidence with an experienced, qualified professional who will work with you to help you find ways of coping that are helpful and lasting.

All the clinical staff in our agency are tertiary qualified and maintain professional memberships.
If you’ve never been to counselling before, it’s not unusual to feel anxious before the first meeting.  You are welcome to bring a support person along with you to your counselling sessions. For many people, the most helpful thing about counselling is to have someone they can trust to talk to about things that concern them.

The first appointment is usually between 1 to 1 ½ hours. At this appointment you and your counsellor will talk confidentially and find out how you can best work together.

At this appointment you will also be asked to fill out some questionnaires, which give the counsellor an idea of how things are going with you. The information from the questionnaires is confidential.

Later the counselling session is generally once per week or fortnightly for 50 minutes, depending on your needs.
People often ask how long they will need to come to counselling but this varies from person to person. With regard to how many counselling sessions you could have, your counsellor will guide you with this decision.

Asian Group Workshops & Programmes

Asian Family Services provides tailor-made workshops and programmes for Asian groups within the community. These programmes and workshops have been developed to respond to the demands and requests from migrant communities. The workshop topics include: Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P Parenting). Communication programme for migrants Project Connect for international students. “Wellness Recovery Action Plan”(WRAP) for clients with mental health issues. Anger Management Programme. Gambling Prevention Workshop for new migrants or refugees. “Bet on Freedom” harm prevention programme for those who want to re-enter a casino after a period of exclusion from casinos in New Zealand. Prison Work. Gambling Harm Prevention and Reintegration Programme for Asians who are incarcerated.

Programme Areas

Self help/ helpline, Mental health, Addictions - other, Smoking cessation

Programme Type

Helpline / self-help - gambling, Helpline / self-help - mental health, Community based support - gambling, Venue exclusion for problem gamblers, Community based support - other, Peer / advocacy / group / family whānau support, Community based support - mental health, Face to face smoking cessation, Refugee / migrant, Supported employment

Regions

South Auckland, East Auckland, Wellington, North Auckland, West Auckland, Central Auckland

Age Groups

Youth / Rangatahi, Adult / Pakeke, Older adult / Kaumātua

Referral Types

Self referral, GP, DHB clinical services

Referral Process

Call 0800 862 342 or click here if you would like to refer yourself or someone else to Asian Family Services.

Description

Asian Family Services provides tailor-made workshops and programmes for Asian groups within the community. These programmes and workshops have been developed to respond to the demands and requests from migrant communities. 
 
The workshop topics include: 

  • Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P Parenting).
  • Communication programme for migrants 
  • Project Connect for international students.
  • “Wellness Recovery Action Plan”(WRAP) for clients with mental health issues.
  • Anger Management Programme.
  • Gambling Prevention Workshop for new migrants or refugees. 
  • “Bet on Freedom” harm prevention programme for those who want to re-enter a casino after a period of exclusion from casinos in New Zealand.   
  • Prison Work. Gambling Harm Prevention and Reintegration Programme for Asians who are incarcerated.
Counselling (Non-gambling)

Asian Family Services understand that most migrant families from Asian countries experience a high level of stress in their migration process because of the lack of language proficiency and a different culture from the host society. This situation causes some families serious relationship issues. Some people develop mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and so on. AFS provides two free counselling sessions for those who experience such health issues to help them to manage their difficulties and to succeed in their migration. What is counselling? The word, counselling, is a foreign term for many Asian countries. Being unfamiliar with counselling can make Asian people hesitant to seek counselling help. Thus it is important for Asians to know about what counselling is and how it works. Counselling is a private and confidential process. You talk in confidence with an experienced, qualified professional who will work with you to help you find ways of coping that are helpful and lasting. All the clinical staff in our agency are tertiary qualified and maintain professional memberships. If you’ve never been to counselling before, it’s not unusual to feel anxious before the first meeting. You are welcome to bring a support person along with you to your counselling sessions. For many people, the most helpful thing about counselling is to have someone they can trust to talk to about things that concern them. The first appointment is usually between 1 to 1 ½ hours. At this appointment you and your counsellor will talk confidentially and find out how you can best work together. At this appointment you will also be asked to fill out some questionnaires, which give the counsellor an idea of how things are going with you. The information from the questionnaires is confidential. Later counselling session is generally once per week or fortnightly for 50 minutes, depending on your needs. People often ask how long they will need to come to counselling but this varies from person to person. With regard to how many counselling sessions you could have, your counsellor will guide you with this decision.

Programme Areas

Self help/ helpline, Mental health, Smoking cessation

Programme Type

Helpline / self-help - mental health, Peer / advocacy / group / family whānau support, Community based support - mental health, Face to face smoking cessation, Refugee / migrant

Regions

South Auckland, East Auckland, Wellington, North Auckland, West Auckland, Waikato, Central Auckland

Age Groups

Youth / Rangatahi, Adult / Pakeke, Older adult / Kaumātua

Referral Types

Self referral, GP, DHB clinical services, Corrections

Referral Process

Call 0800 862 342 or click here if you would like to refer yourself or someone else to Asian Family Services.

Description

Asian Family Services understand that most migrant families from Asian countries experience a high level of stress in their migration process because of the lack of language proficiency and a different culture from the host society. This situation causes some families serious relationship issues. Some people develop mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and so on. AFS provides two free counselling sessions for those who experience such health issues to help them to manage their difficulties and to succeed in their migration. 

What is counselling?
The word, counselling, is a foreign term for many Asian countries. Being unfamiliar with counselling can make Asian people hesitant to seek counselling help. Thus it is important for Asians to know about what counselling is and how it works. Counselling is a private and confidential process. You talk in confidence with an experienced, qualified professional who will work with you to help you find ways of coping that are helpful and lasting.

All the clinical staff in our agency are tertiary qualified and maintain professional memberships.
If you’ve never been to counselling before, it’s not unusual to feel anxious before the first meeting.  You are welcome to bring a support person along with you to your counselling sessions. For many people, the most helpful thing about counselling is to have someone they can trust to talk to about things that concern them.

The first appointment is usually between 1 to 1 ½ hours. At this appointment you and your counsellor will talk confidentially and find out how you can best work together.

At this appointment you will also be asked to fill out some questionnaires, which give the counsellor an idea of how things are going with you. The information from the questionnaires is confidential.

Later counselling session is generally once per week or fortnightly for 50 minutes, depending on your needs.
People often ask how long they will need to come to counselling but this varies from person to person. With regard to how many counselling sessions you could have, your counsellor will guide you with this decision.

Multi Venue Exclusion

Our organisation can act on behalf of a gambler to request that a gambling provider prevents a gambler from entering a particular gambling venue.

Programme Areas

Addictions - other

Programme Type

Venue exclusion for problem gamblers

Regions

All of New Zealand

Age Groups

Adult / Pakeke, Older adult / Kaumātua

Referral Types

Self referral

Referral Process

Call 0800 862 342 or click here if you would like to refer yourself to Asian Family Services.

Description

Our organisation can act on behalf of a gambler to request that a gambling provider prevents a gambler from entering a particular gambling venue.

Disability Assistance

Wheelchair access

Additional Details

Face to face / Kanohi ki te Kanohi, Child / Tamariki friendly

Public Transport

If you want to come to our office by bus, please click here to search for the bus near to you

Parking

For the Grafton office, our parking is at the rear of the building, enter through either 160 Grafton Road, or 6 Arawa Street.

For the North Shore office, limited parking is marked in front of the building and on-street parking is available on Omega Street.

Contact Details

This page was last updated at 3:43PM on June 26, 2024. This information is reviewed and edited by Asian Family Services.