South Team Update

UPDATES AND EVENTS

February 2012:

Happy New Year to all, hope the holiday period was a time of rest and rejuvenation for you all. After a quiet start to the year, things  are starting to pick up again and we’re anticipating an active time ahead.

Our Family Support Groups (Howick and Pakuranga, Borderline Personality Disorder and Pacific Island Family Support Group on alternate months) start up again from this month. We have our second LEAP™ training workshop for families here at Matariki on Wednesday 14th February. For more information on LEAP™ check our  LEAP™ page.

In December Blueprint delivered the Mental Health 101 learning programme in Mangere, and Raukura Hauora O Tainui also offered a workshop Mental Health First Aid for Whanau in Papatoetoe. These free workshops provide participants with some skills around recognising, relating and responding effectively to people who experience mental illness. Positive feedback was given by a family member who attended  both programmes. They enjoyed the gems of learning and also had opportunities to share their own experience of supporting their loved one. They felt their input was valued by the group as they were able to help them see through the eyes of a carer. People from all different walks of life and areas of work attend these workshops which are held all throughout the country. Visit their website at www.mh101.co.nz

Howick and Pakuranga Family Support Group
This family support group is held every third Monday of the month. In 2011, we invited superb speakers to deliver valuable talks to our family members. The speakers are Wynnis Schmahl, CSW Service Coordinator at Affi nity Services; Ivan Yeo, Mental Health Promoter for Like Minds, Like Mine (Mental Health Foundation); Amanda Luckman, Peer Support Team Leader at Affinity Services and Natalie Coynash, Psychologist from the Cottage. The topics covered were introduction to Wellness Recovery Action Plan, Supporting families through setbacks, family self-care plan, challenges faced by the families, relationship techniques in working with family members in mental illness etc.

The first family support group meeting for this year will be on Monday 20th of February. We are delighted to have our guest speaker Vila Ma from South Auckland Advocate Nationwide Health & Disability Advocacy Service. The topic is “Your Rights When Receiving a Health or Disability Service”. All family members or carers are welcome. For further information, please contact our Family/Whanau Fieldworker Coleman Lam on 270 8543.

October 2011:

We’re now well and truly settled into our new premises, Matariki. We had our first LEAP workshop here for our families in Counties Manukau. Thanks to Lisa and Tina for their awesome presentation and training. We’ve received some really positive feedback from this and look forward to having another workshop in South in the near future.

We also had our first Pacific Island Family Support group here and are looking at ways to get this up and running as there is a high number of Pacific people in Counties Manukau area. We’ve been liasing with our Counties Manukau DHB Family Advisor Sue Cotton and are now underway with a regular timeslot at Tiaho Mai mental health unit at Middlemore Hospital. We are trying to make SFMI presence known to family members down at the unit as they may not know that they can access support for themselves. Thanks to Sue and Libby King at Tiaho Mai for their support in this.

Our Support groups are still running with steady numbers and support but with the cold winter evenings I’m sure a lot of people would prefer snuggling up cosy at home! But thanks to the family members who attend. Judy Reynolds, nurse from the BPD Support Group who volunteers her own time, provides some skills and techniques which are helpful for carers when supporting their loved one, such as mindfulness, expression, validation. Hugely welcomed by those who attend the group.

Someone (a carer) mentioned to me that she listens to the Nutters Club regularly on radio and really enjoys the content. She didn’t realise that the programme is played on Maori television on Friday evenings also, so just a prompt for anyone else who may be missing out. Great show and the topics are relevant to what some family members may have experienced of their loved ones. This is hosted by Mike King with regular appearance from psychiatrist Dr David Codyre.

June 2011:

The Cottage will be moving to new premises mid June (to the old ACC building located further up on Great South Road) and the building will be named ‘Matariki’, so we look forward to the new working environment. There will be an office blessing held on the Friday of the weekend move.

Talks are under way to begin running forums for our families in South. CMDHB Family Advisor Sue Cotton is on board and we’re keen to get this underway for families, so we’ll keep you posted – exciting stuff! We’ll also be starting fortnightly visits to Tiaho Mai mental health unit and making our presence known to families who may require support.

Our BPD and Howick Pakuranga Support groups are still running and have had steady attendance; we welcome all newcomers to the groups and see the benefits of sharing and gaining mutual support.

We’ve made contact with mental health centres in South and have received a steady flow of referrals not just from within mental health services but also other external agencies, which shows a great need for support in the area of mental health. Unknown to me, the Regional Consumer Network not only meet in Central but they’re out South as well! I attended their Manukau hui in April, meeting with other services and tangata whaiora alike and discussing models to work by which RCN will run with.