<\/p>\n
\nMental health minister Matt Doocey.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Mark Papalii\n<\/p>\n
The South Island’s first crisis recovery caf\u00e9 has opened in Christchurch.<\/p>\n
The government is providing funding to bring the total number of caf\u00e9s around the country from six to eight.<\/p>\n
Opening the Christchurch site on Colombo Street, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the caf\u00e9s gave people experiencing mental distress an option to go to a calm, peer-led, non-clinical space for support, instead of having to go to an emergency department.<\/p>\n
“We know wraparound support is so important, having someone who can help refer people on to long-term support can make a real difference and help people feel less overwhelmed when seeking support.”<\/p>\n
People would not need a referral, and would be connected with community services and wraparound support.<\/p>\n
The Christchurch caf\u00e9 will be run by providers Purapura Whetu, Odyssey House Trust, and Stepping Stone Trust, and will officially start accepting clients next month.<\/p>\n
Around 100 locals who had experience of mental health services themselves had provided input into the design of the caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
“That means a lot,” Doocey said. “What we want to do is to make sure when we think about local needs, they are serviced well. And that’s what services like this provide.”<\/p>\n
Project operations manager Maree Hansen from Purapura Whetu said the site would be staffed by people who have also been through something similar.<\/p>\n
“You can actually talk with others and say, ‘Hey, this helped me when I was feeling like this and this might help you.’ You can’t learn that out of a book. You have to experience that.”<\/p>\n
Hansen expected the site would be busy. Doocey said an existing cafe in Wellington was seeing up to 300 people a quarter.<\/p>\n
“That’s a real difference. Quite often, they’re people who could potentially be going to an emergency department. It takes real pressure off them as well and ultimately gives people choice.”<\/p>\n