Eight-week programme shows positive outcomes for mental health

A pilot mental health programme is supporting Waikato tāngata whai ora (people seeking wellbeing) to re-engage in meaningful activities that their mental health challenges had previously made unachievable.

Pinnacle’s new community recovery programme (CRP) is an eight-week therapy group for whānau, with the aim to equip them with healthy coping tools and strategies, to better manage their mental health and wellbeing.

“There were a lot of strategies I had heard of but had never put into practice, or I didn’t know how to, so I found this course really helpful in that sense as it gave me the tools I needed,” said tangata whai ora, Ana*.

“It was also something I eventually started looking forward to. Even if it was just to debrief, or to check in. It was good to have those sessions where we were processing what we felt with the strategies we were taught.”  

The programme content is evidence-based and teaches a range of brief intervention coping strategies. Each tangata whai ora is empowered to manage their mental wellbeing independently, integrate into their communities and reengage in meaningful activities including self-care, cooking, cleaning, study or work.  

The in-person programme includes weekly homework for tāngata whai ora to apply new coping skills in their day-to-day lives and reinforce the importance of routine. Known as experiential learning, tāngata whai ora practice coping tools with each other to gain confidence to implement them outside of the group setting. Developing robust recovery plans and relapse prevention strategies is also a feature.  

“It came to a point where I thought these feelings of depression, anxiety and suicide would be something I would be trapped in forever. But after a few lessons of CRP I learnt that it didn’t have to be true,” said tangata whai ora, Ria*.

“CRP has given me hope for the future, to know that there are tools I can use to help me get through the day-to-day.”

Divika Ratnam, Pinnacle Primary Mental Health Waikato clinical lead comments that the interactive nature of CRP, with lots of group activity and discussion, naturally encourages whānau to form a bond amongst themselves.

“Mental wellbeing is an important element of all our lives. Seeing the evolution of our tāngata whai ora as they take charge of theirs throughout the course of the programme, while also supporting each other to do so, has been really fulfilling,” says Divika.

Divika says that receiving feedback from whānau who have realised that brief intervention tools are simple to use and, with consistency, will become habitual, has been rewarding.

“With consistency, using these tools can become like brushing teeth, showering, dressing, riding a bike or driving,” she says. “Managing mental health does not have to be hard work, and with practise, the coping tools are easy to apply or incorporate in daily routine.”

Pinnacle CEO Justin Butcher is proud of what the pilot has managed with the first three groups.   

“Primary healthcare has a vital role to play in keeping our communities well, and this pilot programme is another tool at this level to care for the people around us. Mental health is not a one-size-fits-all approach, so ensuring a variety of programmes are available to our patients is crucial to managing wellbeing.   

Pinnacle will continue to deliver CRP and intends to partner with specialist and non-government organisation services to deliver CRP more widely in the community.   

*Name changed for privacy.