Services

He Waka Tapu provides a wide range of health services as follows:

• Breast screening access and related services
• Cervical screening access and related services
• Cervical smear taking
• Public health promotion
• Sexual health advice and support
• Development of individual health plans for tane, wahine, kaumatua and rangatahi
• Development of whanau health plans
• Smoking cessation support (there are a number of smoking cessation practitioners on staff)
• Gentle Exercise classes
• Mau Rakau and Nutrition in Secondary schools and High Schools promoting fitness and healthy eating
• Waka ama teams promoting fitness, sport and group dynamics
• General health services & referral

He Waka Tapu is a Family Court-accredited Stopping Violence Programme Provider.

Te Whariki Whakamana is a fifteen-session open group programme for Maori males aged 18 and over who will undertake a personal journey in a group setting with the goal of stopping violence and abuse against others in their relationships.

Potential participants are expected to undertake a robust assessment process of at least three sessions, and if deemed suitably motivated will be invited on to the programme. Staff will seek to work with the wider whanau of participants over the period of the programme.

Support through our whanau work is offered to all members of the whanau who have been affected by domestic violence.

This service provides intensive intervention for whanau with a philosophy of working holistically with the whole family system. Whanau Intervention Practitioners (WIPs) will respond in a flexible manner, assessing whanau needs and identifying strengths to empower the whanau to make decisions that are right for them. The Whanau Intervention Practitioners team work in a manner that is complementary with other health related agencies to ensure the best fit for whanau needs. The referral process is via self or other service /providers. There is capacity for outreach in situation where whanau may be socially isolated and have difficulties accessing He Waka Tapu.

TOOL BOX PARENTING
This service is coordinated by our Whanau Intervention Practitioners (WIPs), and uses the Parents Inc model developed by Ian and Mary Grant. The Tool Box parenting programme seeks to provide parents with practical tools for everyday parenting. From time to time, courses will be offered for parents of tamariki in the age brackets of early (0-6), middle (6-12) or teens (12+). Each course comprises six two-hour sessions, either day or night, spread over three weeks.

Please note that there is a small cost associated with the running of this service. Assistance might be available from Child, Youth & Family or Work & Income New Zealand (WINZ).

He Waka Tapu has four kaimahi dedicated to providing assistance to whanau who are suffering issues that are related to the devastating Canterbury earthquakes of 2010/11. Their role is to provide support, advice and assistance where they can. Our Kaimahi can come and see you and your whanau at your home if you prefer.

The following are our ADDICTIONS range of services;

The purpose of this service is to provide comprehensive Alcohol and /or other Drug (AoD) assessments and recommend treatment options for tane (men) and wahine (women) aged 18 and over who are experiencing issues with alcohol and /or other drugs. Depending on the results of the assessment, whanau whaiora may be referred to an AoD He Waka Tapu programme, referred to another addictions service, and/or enter into shared care case management arrangements with a range of external community health related providers.

The Mauri Ora Experience (MOE) is an intensive 8-week inpatient programme for tane and wahine aged 18 and over with moderate to severe Alcohol and /or other Drug (AOD) abuse issues who are desirous of becoming abstinent. We accept referrals for tangata whai-ora/whanau on methadone maintenance and those with coexisting disorders providing their mental health issues are well managed through Mental Health Services.

We can also accommodate a harm reduction approach for tangata whai-ora /whanau who want to reduce the harms associated with the abuse of Alcohol and /or other Drugs. This may include education for ‘safer use’ of substances e.g. using clean needles for IV drug use, establishing and working towards self identified goals - e.g. reducing consumption of Alcohol and /or other Drugs - and includes those with a goal of abstinence.

Attached to the Mauri Ora Experience is a Supported Accommodation Whare for those tangata whai-ora who come from outside of Christchurch and who need somewhere to stay during their participation on the Mauri Ora Experience. This whare can accommodate up to 8 tangata whai-ora staying there at any one time.

The Mauri Ora Experience runs from Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm.

The following are a prerequisite prior to intake review and acceptance:

• A recent comprehensive AOD assessment;
• Work & Income benefits entitlements arranged (including medical certificate) if applicable;
• Community Probation & Psychological Services reporting arrangements in place if applicable;
• An exit plan arranged with tangata whai-ora and the referring agency, including prepaid transport back to the place of residence. This is in the event of early, self-discharge or not adhering to the Kawa.

MEDICATION AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS
All medication must be scripted through the client’s respective doctors. This includes Panadol.

Our staff /nurse will not administer any medication that is not scripted. Vitamins and supplements must also be handed to staff / nurse for administering.

For further information regarding any of these services then please do contact us at your convenience.

In terms of policy, He Waka Tapu is required to work with Maori or those that have Maori partners or children. Services are therefore delivered using a kaupapa Maori framework encompassing tinana (physical well-being), wairua (spiritual well-being), hinengaro (mental well-being), whanau (family well-being), and whanau whanui (community well-being). Underpinning this approach are cultural values and processes, supported by our Kaumatua.

Unfortunately, He Waka Tapu does not work with whanau whai-ora who are incarcerated or in other secure placement, but will consider a referral once the person has been reintegrated back into the community.

WANANGA
Wananga are used regularly throughout the year to support programmes for tane, wahine and rangatahi. These wananga may involve themes such as harakeke, mau taiaha, family functioning, waka ama, and parent-child dynamics for example and are usually scheduled during the school holidays or long weekends.

SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENT
As a leading Maori Health & Social Services agency in Otautahi, we ensure that services delivered from He Waka Tapu are safe and healthy for everyone, including staff, tangata whai-ora, consumers and manuhiri.
Manuhiri will be asked to help us remain smoke-free by respecting our kaupapa.
To help people to be smoke-free when they are visiting or staying at He Waka Tapu, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (patches, lozenges, gum) are available on request through either our onsite nurse or by asking any staff member. This service will be readily available to all smokers when they are at He Waka Tapu. There are a number of smoking cessation practitioners currently on staff.

STAFF/ KAIMAHI
He Waka Tapu has on board with us qualified Health Promoters, two of whom are also registered nurses. We also utilise a number of contractors to undertake community fitness classes as required. These contractors have had a prior association with He Waka Tapu. Some we have helped gain a qualification in delivering community Gentle Exercise classes and all have gained valuable experience in this type of role.

Whilst the roles are largely community driven, the services our Health Promoters provide underpin all other programmes, and as such, they are regularly involved with the wider He Waka Tapu team and whanau whaiora.

We have a number of frontline practitioners for family violence, alcohol and other drug abuse, and earthquake response, who we designate as Whanau Workers. The majority of these practitioners are qualified counsellors and addictions clinicians, with some engaged in further study up to postgraduate level. Others are experts in tikanga based models such as powhiri, nga tapa whau, mau rakau /taiaha. Clinical practice is overseen by senior staff through peer supervision, clinical meetings and external supervision.

Senior Management and the Administration team, including our Kaumatua, all work to support the mahi undertaken by front line staff.

There is a formal referral process which must be completed before accessing any services. For further information about our referral process or any of the above mentioned services, please contact the office on 03 373-8150.

Nga Mihi,

Winiata Brown
General Manager
He Waka Tapu
Maori Health and Social Services