A new mental health crisis support service for Central Lakes residents is expected to be operational before the end of the year, with Te Whatu Ora Southern confirming Central Lakes Family Services as its service provider.

The service will be for those 18 and over, but will have flexibility to provide services for younger people occasionally if needed. 

Central Lakes Family Services (CLFS) is a non-government organisation (NGO) embedded in the region, with branches in Queenstown, Wānaka and Alexandra.  

It runs the regional Women’s Refuge, Ministry of Justice and Corrections programmes and offers parenting and perinatal support and help to families and individuals experiencing family violence and sexual harm. 

The first stage of the new mental health support service, outreach support, is expected to start in early December. It will sit alongside the current 24/7 regional crisis response service, providing more local options to support people in mental distress including those who may otherwise have needed to be admitted to acute inpatient mental health services. 

Anyone requiring acute mental health care can access the service via a referral from Te Whatu Ora Southern’s specialist mental health and addiction (MHA) team or general practices. MHA and GPs will work closely with CLFS to ensure tangata whaiora (those seeking wellbeing) receive the support they need.

Services will include home-based support for people experiencing acute distress, as well as education and support for whānau and carers. The workforce will include registered health professionals, social workers, and peer support workers. 

The second stage of the crisis support service - providing short-term residential care – is being worked on.

Map of Southern Mental Health and Addiction Networks, Central Lakes highlighted in yellow. PHOTO: Supplied

The localised model of care meets areas of need identified through the 2021 Time for Change – Te Hurihanga review. It’s part of a larger programme of mental health reforms to bring mental health and wellbeing care closer to home and make access easier.

Executive director of mental health, addictions and intellectual disability for Te Whatu Ora Southern Toni Gutschlag said the new service is designed to provide better crisis support and more options closer to home for Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago individuals experiencing mental distress.

“Our goal is to enable local people to access services within their community and keep them with their support networks as much as possible, so this is a big step towards transforming mental health and addiction services in a part of our region that has historically been underserved. 

 “Every region has unique challenges and we’re grateful to the Central Lakes agencies and community members who worked with us to shape this ‘for our community, by our community’ model, particularly John MacDonald, who chairs the Central Lakes Mental Health and Addictions Network. 

“Strong professional relationships and a joined-up healthcare pathway for crisis intervention support will be essential for success and I’m particularly excited about being able to offer a home-based service.

“We’re also delighted to be partnering with Tina Mongston and the Central Lakes Family Services team...They already work closely with mental health services and key agencies so their skills, knowledge and experience will add huge value. Together they will ensure each person under their care is assessed and treated with discretion and dignity, and that they feel safe and supported throughout their journey,” Toni said.

CLFS general manager Tina Mongston said her team is looking forward to offering the much-needed mental health support service.

“Since we began in 1992, we’ve adapted and grown our services to meet the changing needs of our local communities so offering a mental health support service feels like a natural expansion. Creating a feeling of safety and trust is paramount in our line of work and I’m fortunate to have a team of really experienced locals who are deeply embedded in the region and have strong relationships with the services, health providers, businesses, schools, and groups we work with.”

Tina said her NGO team all care deeply about the community and feel honoured to have the opportunity to help more people in their time of need.

Once the service is launched, it will be fine-tuned to ensure the best outcomes for the community.