Ka Puta Ka Ora Emerge Aotearoa

Challenges with alcohol and other drugs are different for everyone. We have qualified kaimahi and peers (people with lived experience of addiction) who deliver programmes that cater to each person’s specific needs and recovery goals.

With services delivered in their own community, we work with people to understand the challenges they are experiencing with substance use and support them to take positive steps to create long term change in their lives. For example:

• EaseUp
• Phoenix Centre

Tamariki (child) and rangatahi (youth) deserve unwavering support and care from their community as they navigate life’s challenges. Early experiences with mental health issues are common – and timely, compassionate support can significantly shape their futures.

We collaborate closely with young people and their whānau to provide the necessary support for a hopeful and positive future. Our aim is to build strong, trusting relationships and honour the unique strengths and gifts each young person brings.

We have a number of residential, respite and community support services across the motu that cater to tamariki and rangatahi facing mental health or substance-use challenges, or those in need of care and protection services. Referrals and access to most of these services come through Oranga Tamariki or Te Whatu Ora Child and Youth Mental Health Services.

Examples of our services include:

• EaseUp
• Waypoint

Emerge Aotearoa provides a number of culturally specific services in order to assist clients on their recovery journey.  Our support workers come from a range of backgrounds and cultures, including Maori, Pacific Island, Asian and European and where possible, clients are matched with an age, gender and culturally compatible support worker.

Our range of activity-based and recovery-focused sessions are crafted to provide support, connection, and learning in a welcoming environment. For some people, the connections and confidence built in an understanding and supportive environment are key. Others appreciate the learning involved or the structure built into their week of having somewhere meaningful to go, especially when facing difficult situations in their life or with their health.

We have a variety of day programmes for both young people and adults that are run by kaimahi as well as peers. For example:

Whāriki South Auckland 

The Whāriki Whaiora Family and Community Centre is a peer-run, community-based service. Our staff, with first-hand experience of mental wellbeing and substance use challenges, deliver education programmes, advocacy, life skills, and peer support for individuals and their whānau. Learn more about our Whāriki service.

The Red Hub Whangārei

The Recovery Education Hub (The Red Hub) in Whangārei offers various group programmes for adults aged 18+ with a mental health diagnosis. These include arts/mosaics/pottery, cooking, walking/fitness activities and Te Ao Māori to name a few.

Wellington Workshops

In the Wellington region, we deliver free-of-charge mental health and addiction workshops that are facilitated by our skilled team of peers with relevant lived experience.

Concrete Jungle Workshops: an engaging workshop series to support people in building connections and to increase a sense of wellbeing:

• Topics include confidence and self-esteem, healthy relationships and resilience
• Trips out in the community
• Fun, encouraging and recovery-focused

PeerZone Workshops: a workshop series that are designed to:

• Invite participants to rebuild a more positive story of their lives
• Offer self-help wellness tools for holistic wellbeing
• Create a community of mutual support

These workshops are open to adults who self-identify as experiencing mental health distress and/or addiction challenges. You can be referred by your GP, health improvement practitioner (HIP), mental health professional, clinical care team, whānau, or you can contact us directly.

To learn more about these workshops, contact our Wellington team:

Phone: 027 700 9921

personalconnections.referrals@emergeaotearoa.org.nz

We offer specialised community-based Deaf Mental Health services from Northland to Hamilton, providing support for Deaf/deaf or hearing-impaired individuals aged 18-65, experiencing mental distress.

How we can help:

• Supporting people in the comfort of their own homes
• Helping people integrate and connect with their local communities
• Supporting people to contact appropriate services in times of need
• Promoting awareness of Deaf/ deaf mental health with family and whānau as well as to health sector agencies.

Our Community Support Workers (CSWs) who are fluent in New Zealand Sign Language, are committed to building community connection. CSWs work with clients one-on-one to help them develop goals and aspirations. This might involve learning new skills, connecting with other services, developing support networks and understanding how to look after one’s own health and wellbeing. The CSW’s in this service have a first-hand understanding of ‘Deaf Culture’ in New Zealand and are here to support you.

How to connect:

• Referrals to the service can be made through Health New Zealand Mental Health Services from Auckland to Northland.
• People we support must have a diagnosed mental illness, use New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as their first language and be aged between 18 and 65.

We provide a range of community-based services that offer flexible and mobile support for people who are living independently but require some form of support.

These services are for those who require some additional support to remain actively involved with family, whānau and community, or to access skills training and gain employment.

Services we provide include:

• Access to community activities and services
• Assistance using public transport
• Access to training options and developing work-related skills
• Assistance with gaining employment (voluntary or paid)
• Assistance with managing household tasks and general daily living activities.

The services are specifically tailored to the person receiving them, using a personal strengths-based plan. We provide support based on need and where possible, clients are matched with an age, gender and culturally compatible support worker.

We provide free-to-access community support across Aotearoa. These services can be accessed by a referral from specialist mental health services, your health provider and other community health services. In some cases, you may be able to access support directly.

For more information about specific services in your area, contact us.

Our Multi Systemic Therapy (MST) service is a dynamic, community-based programme designed to support whānau in addressing a young person (aged 10-17) and their challenging behaviour. Whether it’s truancy, substance challenges, criminal activity, or self-harm, these issues can impact a young person’s future and their relationships with family, community, and themselves.

Our MST service assigns a dedicated therapist to work intensively with whānau for five months, providing support multiple times each week in the home, school, or community. Additionally, our team is available 24/7 to offer on-call assistance whenever needed.

• Enhance caregiver and parenting techniques
• Strengthen family/whānau relationships
• Reduce alcohol and substance use
• Improve educational, job, or training opportunities
• Engage youth in positive activities
• Address and reduce offending behaviour, lowering the risk of involvement with the justice system

We start with a comprehensive assessment to understand the root causes of the challenging behaviours. Then, we collaborate with the young person and their whānau to create a tailored plan aimed at achieving long-term change. Our strengths-based approach builds confidence in whānau to manage behaviours more effectively, ensuring they have robust community support. We also work closely with schools, alternative education providers, and workplaces to support the young person’s development.

We include all relevant people involved with the young person or whānau to ensure a unified effort towards shared goals.

In the Central region, we can accept referrals from anybody, including self-referrals. Our Wellington team covers Kapiti, Porirua, Wellington and Hutt region.

Peer Support might suit you if you’re looking for support from someone who has made sense of their own lived experience and will share their learning and wisdom from that personal journey of sense-making.

Peer Support Workers will not only share their own learning but can support you to address any of the challenges you might face, including self-stigma, self-efficacy, community connection, self-advocacy and holistic wellbeing.  Their firsthand experiences of marginalisation, whether through mental health and/or addiction challenges or other social issues, bring a unique perspective that foster deep compassion, connection and an understanding of the day-to-day challenges people often face.

Our Peer Support services are designed to be relationally focused and offer you opportunities to engage in a relationship with a difference – one that supports you to discover your own potential and learn with and alongside your peer worker; supports you to build a network and community that sets you up with a deep sense of connection and belonging; and supports you to achieve your hopes and aspirations.

We offer an array of peer support options and services, ranging from peer-only services to services where clinical and peer workers are co-located and operate in partnership. These include:

• Mind & Body
• Warmline
• Personal Connections & Skills for Life

If you have a loved one that is living with mental health or addictions challenges, our Whānau Support services can help.

This service provides:

• A space to decompress, debrief and share what is happening for you.
• Education on how to best care for and support a loved one with mental illness or mental health challenges.
• Information for whānau to gain a better understanding of mental illness, and the services and supports available.
• Advocacy to empower whānau to confidently navigate mental health services.
• Help with connecting whānau to other services or support groups