PDT

Support Provided

The Körero Mai Rangatahi Hauora program provides rangatahi with consistent contact with experienced mentors and kaiako. This contact allows for the introduction of cultural interventions and activities that improve their well-being, confidence, social skills and social status. Activities may include Maori games like ki o rahi, basketball, touch, mau rākau, waiata, haka, te reo, paki waitara- toi Māori, tikanga, marae visit, or other activities that get rangatahi together talking, sharing and building positive personal outcomes.

The Initiative

The emotional and physical well-being of our community has taken a battering over the last few years. During our extensive Whānau Ora navigation coverage in Canterbury, The Positive Directions Trust has identified some very concerning mental health trends for our rangatahi and under 30's since the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result we have set up a mobile hauora/well-being/mental health/suicide prevention initiative. The initiative uses an inter-personal 'on-the-spot - kanohi ke te kanohi' approach and involves the distribution of helpful mental health resources in a supportive and non-confrontational manner.
Future plans might include online assistance and text/phone services and could eventually link with local health services and professionals to assist those in need, however it has been determined that the deployment of a mobile unit which primarily focusses on information dissemination is the most beneficial way to start. The mobile unit is the first step of a larger suicide prevention strategy which could eventually include a nationwide online and social media driven strategy, an 0800 support line, navigation support, events in schools and community education.

Program goals

The goal of Kōrero Mai is to build a highly visible presence in the community, specifically designed to encourage rangatahi and their whānau to utilise existing mental well-being resources and education during life’s difficult times. The programme also includes the promotion of coping skills. The mobile unit of the program also offers an opportunity for rangatahi, whānau and others to pop in for a chat in a welcoming and a judgement free environment, kanohi ki te kanohi.

Some of the themes covered in the programme are:

The promotion of wellbeing/mental self-care
The dangers of isolation
The importance of good sleep
The need for good nutrition and exercise
And the benefit of taking frequent digital breaks

The programme seeks to offer rangatahi support to manage a mental health impasse, such as:

Thoughts of suicide
Negative thinking
Anxiety
Depression
Feeling unable to cope and out of control

Stage 1: Mobile community unit

The first stage of this project is to be visible in the community, simply by parking our mobile home in strategic community locations and in local schools/kura. The purpose/kaupapa is to promote mental health awareness and to encourage the importance of being well by handing out educational resources and promoting the use of widely available mental health services.

The unit is equipped with a wide range of take away materials, flyers, business cards from mental health/well-being agencies. This is not a clinical mental health service. We simply hand out information and offer comfort.

Stage 2: Well-being & coping skills education

In coming years, we hope to create and run short form workshops aimed at promoting coping skills with the following themes:

The promotion of wellbeing/mental self-care
The dangers of isolation
The importance of good sleep
The need for good nutrition and exercise
And the benefit of taking frequent digital breaks

Stage 3: Possible future extra features of the programme:

Future aspects of the program might involve personally referring rangatahi onto the appropriate support services should there be an urgent need.
We might also be in a position to assist rangatahi to develop individualised strategies to help address concerns or to de-escalate a situation or problem and to help them restore their self-confidence.
We may also create a social media strategy and/or online app to accompany the unit’s kaupapa.
We may look to provide a nationwide blueprint.