Programme Areas

Mental health

Programme Type

Peer / advocacy / group / family whānau support

Regions

Wellington, North Auckland, West Auckland, Central Auckland, Canterbury

Age Groups

Adult / Pakeke

Referral Types

Self referral, GP, DHB clinical services

Referral Process

Peer Support is FREE for any user of District Health Board (DHB) mental health services in Central Auckland, West Auckland or Christchurch.

Clients may also be referred by their GP to receive funded short-term support.

Mind and Body also provides userpays peer support for people who don’t meet access criteria but are interested in making changes in their lives.

Description

This service provides clients with support from people who have lived experience of mental illness or addiction (peers). The support is individualised to each person’s needs and helps them to understand and implement their own recovery and to strengthen their involvement in the wider community.

Our peer support services will encourages clients to take responsibility for their own recovery.  We define recovery as living the life you want, in the presence or absence of mental illness. We see no reason why mental illness should mean isolation from the rest of the world.

The experience of mental illness can often leave us focusing on weaknesses or problems. A PSW can help their clients shift the focus to their strengths, their talents and the skills they’ve learned in their life, including what they’ve learned from experiencing mental illness itself.

Our clients actively promote their wellness by connecting or reconnecting with their whānau/family and friends, jobs, home and community. We all have talents, skills and aspirations that are the foundation for recovery. A peer support worker can support their client to make positive changes in their life by helping them to:
1. Identify strengths and desires
2. Set goals
3. Plan the necessary steps to achieve them.

Programme Areas

Mental health

Programme Type

Peer / advocacy / group / family whānau support

Regions

Wellington

Age Groups

Adult / Pakeke

Referral Types

Self referral, GP, DHB clinical services

Referral Process

If you are 18 years or over, and accessing mental health or addictions services in the Capital and Coast District health Board locality - which covers Wellington, Porirua and the Kapiti Coast - then the Peer Advocacy Service is free to use.

If this service sounds helpful, please contact us on 0800 11 11 42 or email advocacy@mindandbody.co.nz

Description

Sometimes, for one reason or another, we don’t get the services we need when we need them. Peer Advocates can walk beside you to advocate to get your needs met. If you are searching for solutions to concerns or problems relating to your mental health or addiction treatment or support, the Peer Advocacy Service provides goal and solution-centred advocacy to help you in that process. The service provides support to peers on specific issues and provides information but not advice.

Peer Advocates are available to meet people in the community or in services between the hours of 8:30am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. After hours appointments, including on the weekend, are negotiated on a case by case basis based on need and urgency. The Service is issues-based and time limited.